Connected is My One Word for 2023

Happy New Year to all of you, and I truly hope 2023 is off to a great start!

As I mentioned in my previous One Word 365 post, every year I choose a word to be my theme for the year. This word serves as a focus, a north star if you will, that helps me live next twelve months intentionally and with purpose.

Initially, I thought my One Word for 2023 would be “connection” … but as I worked through the action planner and prayed over the New Year it was clear that my One Word 365 for 2023 needed to be “Connected”.

I’m developing the game plan for how I plan to Live Out my word Connected. But I can already tell it will involve some planting and pruning.

• The pruning involves removing certain things from my life that would keep me (the looking back in the action plan reveals this) from being connected to what matters most to me in 2023.

• The planting consists of adding new disciplines and incorporating new behaviors which allow me to be connected to the people, the organizations, and the causes that matter most to me in 2023.

But know this…

Living out your One Word is a journey!

The One Word 365 journey is much like planning a trip to a place you have never been before. You start by asking yourself questions about the things you want to experience while you’re there. And continue to ask questions the more time you spend in that place.

For me the questions I’m asking myself at the beginning of my One Word 365 journey look like this:

Who and what do I need to be connected to at a deeper level than I currently am in 2023?

What are the things, and maybe even people, that I need to be dis-“connected” from in 2023? 

I will use personal, business, and spiritual goals and objectives as a guide to help discern what these are.

• But I can already say technology is on my list. At certain levels and in certain cases technology is a great mechanism to do more and achieve much. But technology can also be an impediment that distracts attention, derails momentum, and can lead to isolation.

Speaking of isolation…

A high percentage of people these days are experiencing feelings of isolation, loneliness, and a lack of authentic community. And there are not any societal, cultural, or economic barriers to these feelings.

This can especially be true with business owners who hesitate to bring problems home to their spouses. They don’t want to share concerns with employees who look to them to have all the answers. And high percentage are hesitant to talk to fellow business owners when facing challenges for fear they may lose the respect of their peers.

Another question I’m asking is, how can I facilitate business owners being connected with each other?

• Something that would end isolation, and open the door to conversation and collaboration in meaningful ways.

Giving Back…

Another area of personal interest and something I’m involved with and serve in, is men’s ministry.

At the church level, I have served as a Re:New mentor. This involves meeting with guys who are in the midst of a crisis, be it life, career, or faith. Or it can men on the other side of the crisis with questions about how faith and God factored into what they just experienced. I’ve also served as a small group leader for men’s groups and with my wife in couples’ groups.

At the faith-based organizational level, I serve on the board of One Thing Ministries. One Thing Ministries operates One Thing for Men, a weekly men’s group Bible study. We meet on Fridays in Alpharetta Georgia but we have a global reach with the One Thing for Men YouTube channel and the sharing of all our Bibles study resources.

A question I’ve been wrestling with is, why are those doing men’s ministry around Atlanta not “connected”? 

• There would seem to be great value in being connected as brothers in Christ to facilitate the exchanging of ideas, possibly sharing or co-opting of resources, cross promoting each others events, and a host of other things. 

• And if there already is some association, do I just not know about it? Is this something I might want to be connected to? Or is this something that should be created? I don’t know but check back and I share what I learn during the year.

Ultimately, for me in 2023…

Being connected is about relationships!

It’s about investing my time going deeper into the meaningful relationships I’m blessed to have. And it also about investing my energy serving in and creating environments where relationship can develop and thrive.

How about you?

What is your One Word 365 for 2023?

Leave your One Word in the comments and feel free to share why this word is your focus for the upcoming year!