Set and reach
better goals
BY CLAIRE DIAZ-ORTIZ

Many of us have seen the experiment with the rocks and the jar. If you’re new to this idea, go get a few big rocks, a ton of small pebbles, and a large glass jar. You’ll find that if you put the pebbles in the jar first and then try to put in the big rocks, you’ll have trouble fitting everything in. Do things the other way around, and you’re golden. Put your big rocks in the jar first, and then fill the jar’s air pockets up with pebbles. Ta-da! It fits. Life is the same way. It’s easy to fill up a day, season, or life with an endless series of pebbles and then not have the time, energy, or resources to fit in the big rocks. A life well designed is about making sure that the important stuff stays important, day in and day out.

Pick One Word
For the last few years, I’ve done something smart. What have I done? I’ve chosen a word of the year. I got the idea from a book, and it’s worked well to bring my life a greater sense of direction and fulfillment. I’m now such a fan that I’ll shout it from my handy nearby mountaintop. Each year, you should choose a word to represent the year you have in front of you. Think long and hard about one word that will serve as a guidepost for what you want to do (and be) in this season. And remember that a year needn’t start January 1 — you can start your year at any time! One word that will remind you of what’s important when you need it most. Your word can be a verb or a noun. It can be long. It can be short. A word that has funny sounds in it or a word that rolls off the tongue. Some examples of great words might be: Breathe; Push; Persevere; Give; Abundance; Direction; Moxie; Contentment; Rest.

Give yourself time to find the right word to express what you want this season to be. This process may take days, or it may take weeks. You may start with one word, try it on for size, and discard it for another. That’s fine. More than anything, you need to find a word that feels right, sounds right, and means right.