#LifeHack: Create Your 2016 Theme Word

I was pleasantly surprised to see that Gretchen Rubin wrote a LinkedIn article on creating 2016 resolutions around the development of a theme word!

I have been doing this for years! It first started for me as a senior in college. I was having a hard time focusing because I was staying a little longer in school to get a Finance minor to accompany my Economics major.

I also felt the weight that I was about to be the first of my family (in our entire history) to graduate with a four year college degree.

I needed some theme to help me make that last PUSH.

I created the theme of a song that was popular at the time: "I'm Coming Up" by Puff Daddy that was based on the original performed by Diana Ross!

Creating a theme to keep me focused on a specific, big goal was so effective that I continued to do it throughout my life.

Gretchen associates creating a theme in conjunction with New Year's resolutions but don't make that the only thing you do when creating themes for your life!

They work just as effectively for team projects, major transitions, big moves, big opportunities that have you excited or fearful...themes work brilliantly in these scenarios. And don't be restricted by just a word. Your theme can be a song, a vision board theme, a book, etc. There are no limits to what you use to focus and create your theme!

My 2016 Theme
I start planning my next year and it's goals in September.... Way before the holidays and the actual calendar year starts. I do this personally and for my coaching clients.

For me, 2016 will be about this one word: Refine.

Refine: * improve (something) by making small changes, in particular make (an idea, theory, or method) more subtle and accurate * the improvement or clarification of something by the making of small changes * cultured elegance in behavior or manners

I won't go into any great detail as to why this word is particularly meaningful to me on this post but if you've been reading past posts, you'll understand that as I usher in life in my 40s, I'm going through a metamorphosis. A damn good metamorphosis to be exact.

My life is getting richer, more meaningful and more whole. It's a process that has taken a lot of courage, focus, intentional actions, faith and letting go. I don't know when it happened but as I've aged and had so many deaths and losses of loved ones, I have discovered I'd rather do a few things great than a lot of things mediocre or sheerly for what millenials have coined FOMO (Fear of Missing Out)...I actually really don't fear FOMO!

I am not completely there yet but I honestly don't think you ever "arrive", per se. Life is about learning, growing, making mistakes, loving and, in my opinion...refinement.

So stay tuned as I continue to give you my best honesty, growth, evolution and brilliant experiences as I strive to live out one of the key words of this blog's mission statement... Authenticity.

Authenticity.

Refine.

Yep, Curva-Lish is growing to another level...