Let’s start a movement.
A twelve-big-words-three-hundred-sixty-five-little-things kind of movement.
First coined by Ali Edwards, the practice of choosing a one-word mantra for the coming year mindfully ushers in new mindsets to celebrate a new year and maybe even a new identity. I’ve happily joined in this practice for many years and alongside many others, have spent hours and hours trying to come up with the perfect word. And when I do, I celebrate it, make it visible and share it widely, just as I am supposed to.
But it never worked. Inevitably, I’d lose steam. Sometimes, it was because I simply forget about my word. Sometimes, it was because my word didn’t feel right anymore. And sometimes, it was just because.
Then came 2020. I fought mightily to keep my one word at the forefront of everything I did, but it didn’t feel right anymore. So, my word changed when the world did.
And it was freeing.
Rather than pretend that one word was going to motivate me for the entire year, I embraced flexibility, rather than fight against it. I welcomed it, rather than run from it. While initially an inspiring goal, it now seems silly to choose just one word to guide an entire year of life, living and personal growth. It seems rigid to hold fast to one word when the world might dictate we need another.
So I’m not. And neither should you.
Let’s choose one word with big intentions to guide each month instead. And let’s make sure that we keep those big words at the forefront of our daily actions. Because far too often, our one word gets forgotten among the daily realities of life and the ever-growing to-do list. Sure, we have all intentions to breathe, savor, create and hope, but how do we actually live those words into existence? With the One Little Thing™ notebook: A notebook to capture our daily actions to intentionally bring our big word of the month to life.
Here’s where we start a twelve-big-words-three-hundred-sixty-five-little-things kind of movement.
The idea behind the One Little Thing™ notebook is simple: Each day, vow to practice one little thing that will bring your chosen word to life. Document those daily little things in a small notebook. And celebrate the small steps you are taking to living a more intentional life.
And trust me, it works.
Some days, documenting my one little thing came easily. And others, it was quite difficult. But regardless, it kept my chosen word at the forefront of my mind and reminded me to mindfully plan to live it into existence.
It helped me turn 12 big words into 365 little things and change my life in the process.
And I invite you on this journey with me. Here’s how you can join the movement:
Decide how you’ll document your daily, one little thing. Choose a small notebook, a planner, a monthly calendar page or even create a page in your bullet journal. Choose what will work best for your personality and your daily reality.
Find some quiet time to reflect and choose a one-word mantra to guide the month ahead of you. Don’t plan ahead, just take one month at a time. Later, if you end up keeping that word for more than one month, or repeating it later on, then that’s fine, too.
Imagine what your word will look, sound and feel like in your daily practices. Document your monthly word in your notebook and bring it to life. You might jot down words and phrases that embody your word, make a list of possible actions that represent your word or even create a collage of images that embody your word’s spirit. You choose.
Live your word into existence. Showcase your notebook where you’ll see it often as a reminder to live intentionally and capture one little thing from the day that showcased your word in action. You might build this into your morning or evening routine or simply keep it close by so you can note your #onelittlething right whenever it occurred.
At the end of the month, reflect. Flip through your notebook pages and ponder these questions: How closely did my actions align with my one word? Why or why not? What did I learn about myself? What word might better suit me for the coming month? Why? How can I hold space for this word in my life and live it into existence?
Repeat until you have 12 big words that represent 365 days of intentional living. This means you do not have to wait to ring in a new year to begin your journey. You can start at any time. Even today.
If you’re ready to join the movement, I’ll be documenting my One Little Thing™ journey on Instagram using #OneLittleThing and hope you’ll join me there. Each month, I’ll offer a quick flip through of my pages and talk through how my year is intentionally unfolding. And you can do the same.
No fancy notebooks, special journals or expensive pens are needed, just your willingness to show up to the page, and your life, each day.
Join me.
Find my monthly One Little Thing posts below to inspire your own journey!
January 2021: Breathe
February 2021: Connection
