3-2-1!!!!! Happy New Year! Right now people just like you are welcoming in 2011 and pondering how this year will be different than the rest. There is something about a new year that gives us hope and makes us believe that we can actually be a better person tomorrow than we are today. As the calendar changes, we hope we can too.

So, we make a promise to improve our ways by tackling our bad habits, destructive behaviors and negative thoughts. With all the gusto in the world, we pledge to lose weight, become a better spouse, devote more time to family, clean up our language, cut back on spending and get organized. These vows sound good, and look perfect on paper, but there is a problem; they seldom work.

Researchers say only four out of five people who make a New Years Resolution actually achieve their goals. Even worse, a third will give up on them by the end of January. The running shoes stay in the closet while the credit card comes out more often. New priorities quickly get replaced with the old. Circumstances and feelings once again dictate and determine our actions. The voices of its too hard and it will never work become louder and louder until we finally wave the white flag in surrender. We start with the best intentions, but end up getting nowhere.

With such a predictable cycle playing out year after year, one has no choice but to wonder if transformation can truly occur. We want to reassure you that change is indeed possible. There is a better way and it comes in the form of a single word. The key is to get rid of the list of things you hate about yourself and replace it with a vision.

Welcome to the My One Word journey. Since 2007, this project has helped individuals move beyond broken promises of the past towards a brighter hope of who God intends them to be. The challenge is simple: lose the long list of resolutions you want to make this year and instead pick ONE WORD. This process provides clarity by taking all of your big plans for life change and narrowing them down into a single thing. One word focuses on your character and creates a vision for your future.

For those who have been part of this experiment before, we hope God continues to form your character through your new word as He has done in years past. To those who are hearing about this project for the very first time, we invite you to join us and pick one word for 2011.

We understand that for some this will be a daunting task. So many changes need to take place that it seems impossible to narrow it down to one. A hundred potential words come to mind and you are unsure of where to begin. However, dont worry because we are here to help. Head over to the Read Others’ Words section of the website which is filled with stories of words that others have chosen and their reasons for choosing them. Also, over the next month, our blog posts will walk you through the process of choosing your word along with preparing you for the journey that lies ahead.

Before you embark on this journey, a little word of warning: dont be surprised if living out your one word feels unnatural and awkward at first. This is why weve developed MYONEWORD.ORG, to give you the resources and surround you with a community that will help keep your word in front of you all year long. Visit our Registration Page to setup an account today and become part of a community intent on encouraging and supporting you towards the change you want this year! We are really excited about what 2011 holds for you and your One Word.