Focus: My One Word for 2018 (& an Elisabeth Elliott Book Study)

The new year is upon us and it’s a time when we start thinking about goals and priorities! It’s also a time when many of us choose One Word to focus on in the new year. 

One Word is a tradition that started a few years back as an alternative to the New Years resolutions that so often don’t stick. It’s not meant to be limiting in any way, but rather provide inspiration and focus as you navigate the many goals, efforts, and challenges you face throughout the year. 

One Word for the year - Focus

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Focus: My One Word for 2018

Each year I pray and ask God  if He has One Word in mind for me. I have had “Cultivate,” “Prayer,” and others that have been such a tremendous influence and blessing in my life. This year, my word is Focus. It’s not a particularly glamorous word but hey, that’s not the point. The past few months the Lord has been leading me in this area of my life, reminding me to focus when I am prone to distraction from the most important things. 

Here’s why I’m choosing Focus for 2018: I am too easily distracted, which means that the things that are most important to me often get dropped. It’s true with homemaking, homeschooling, parenting, marriage, and business. In the past several weeks I hear myself whispering “focus” to bring me back to where I want to be. 

The truth is, we don’t have a lot of time in our day or even in our year. The hours and years are zooming by and I want to number my days and giving me a heart of wisdom to be laser focused and use my time most wisely, especially when it comes to relationships. 

So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom. Psalm 90:12

I’m still mulling over and praying about what this will come to look like for me in 2018, but my past experience has proven that the Lord will reveal to me what goals and efforts He wants me to focus on in His own way and timing. I just need to be prayerful, listening, and willing to do what He asks. 

What One Word would you choose for the year and why? Tell us in the comments!

February Book Study – Discipline: The Glad Surrender by Elizabeth Elliot

One thing I have already decided to do is something that came out of a conversation with my husband on a date night. He talked about how in college his professor had them “make friends with a dead Christian for a year,” choosing an author to focus on and read all their books. So during a prayer retreat I took this last October, I decided to start reading all the books and listening to all the lectures by Elisabeth Elliot. The Elliot family had already become important to us as we read through their biographies as a family, and we even named our youngest after them!

I have already been tremendously blessed by the books and lectures so far as Elisabeth points us always to the Savior. I was so encouraged by one of her books that we’re going to be doing a group study of it in our Domestically Challenged, Divinely Equipped Facebook group! Join us starting February 5th as we begin reading Discipline: The Glad Surrender by Elisabeth Elliot. Get your copy now so you can be ready to join us! 

Elisabeth Elliot Book Study Discipline the Glad Surrender

This Post Has 5 Comments

  1. Jennifer

    I got “Focus” also. I am easily distracted too. I have never chosen a word for the year before, and I’m hoping by doing so it will help me be more aware of what I’m doing with my time. I’m looking forward to doing the study next month.

    1. Tauna Meyer

      Have a wonderful year Jennifer!

  2. Wendy

    My word for the year is “Discipline.” I too get distracted easily and fill my time with that which is “good,” often eliminating any time for that which is best. I feel God is asking me to say “no” to many of the activities that clutter my life and take time away from serving and enjoying Him.

  3. Jessica Ferry

    This was the first year that I have picked a word. My word for 2018 is “Intentional”.Which means Done on purpose, deliberate; a thing that is done with reason and purpose. God has been asking me to be intentional with the way that I live, how I use my time. To be intentional about my prayer time and devotions. I am trying to give God the first few minutes of my day and not the leftovers before I fall asleep. It is a different way of looking at my choices of activities and how I am filling up my days.

    1. Tauna Meyer

      Love this! Thanks for sharing 🙂

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