One Word 365: DARE
The One Word challenge was created by Alece from the blog Grit and Glory. In place of making a list of resolutions, Alece had the idea to spend the year focused instead on a single inspired word.
I made lists of potential words for my 2012 choice before I finally settled on this one: Dare.
(I was encouraged by Ann Voskamp’s Joy Dare here. I even downloaded her app for my new Android phone so I can keep up with the challenge to be thankful for 1,000 gifts in 2012!)
Dictionary definitions for dare include:
to have the necessary courage or boldness for something; to have the boldness to try; to face courageously
This year I want to be daring. Not in anything particularly scary or risky but just in the simple sense of action.
I am a model perfectionist; I’d rather not try at all than try and fail. This is NOT a winning quality. I want to change this.
I don’t want to keep talking about writing; I want to write something.
I don’t want to keep talking about going to graduate school; I want to apply.
I don’t want to only read over contest guidelines; I want to submit.
Other words I considered were go or work or do. Dare seemed perfect because to the action it also added the element of bravery.
Blogger Jeff Goins wrote about the difference between dreaming and starting here and that’s been another source of inspiration. With this word as my focus, I’m ready to dare!
If you are interested in joining up with your own One Word 2012, check out the links and join Alece’s community.
I dare you.
Thought I’d pop into your zone while waiting for the Joy Dare app to download and update on my idevice… and here you are being all thankful too! I’m feeling the same urge for (I love how you put this): a “simple sense of action”. Thanks!
Great minds think alike! : )
Loved this post, I’d kind of been stumped/detached from the whole resolution thing this year. There’s the ones I make every year, the ones I accomplished last year, and the ones I’ll make in a few months that I don’t know about yet. So I read your post and wrote out several words for me to focus on this year, and I’ve set on the word: Passionate. In God, in my Family, at my job, in my writing, for my friends. Thanks for always posting something relevant to what God is saying!
Thanks, Josh! I love your choice.
That’s a fantastic word! You can take it in so many directions. 2012 is sure to be an interesting one, that’s for sure.
Thanks!
Hope you have Switchfoot’s Dare You To Move on your iPod. It would be a great theme song for your word. I’ll have to think about this one. But I love the idea.
Check!
Dare is my One Word too!
May be have a daring 2012!
Wow! It’s good to have company with such a challenging word! Thanks for saying something!
I love that word! My word for 2010 was “brave” and it has followed me everywhere since then. My word this year is “shift” – I blogged about it today. I’m excited to see where our words take us – and I echo Serenity’s comment about that Switchfoot song. Perfect.
I thought of you, Katie, when I decided to choose a word this year. I noted how powerful your word was for you. I’m a little nervous about that, but I’m looking forward to the challenge!
If this post isn’t filled with gumption! I love Dare. What a motivating word it is.