When an idea reaches critical mass there is no stopping the shift its presence will induce. ~ Marianne Williamson

I am choosing just one word (instead of a list of resolutions) to be a touchstone for the upcoming New Year. I encourage you to also follow this concept rather than choosing to follow tradition and make a list of New Years resolutions.

The concept of Word of the Year is something I learned from Christine Kane.

It has been one of the most brilliant tools I have used to turn a long list of commands, which would most likely not get done, into setting an intention for the year.

Since I started using the Word of the Year (WOTY) tool four years ago, I usually started playing around with various words around the 1^st of December.

The beginning of this month was no exception.  I had already started to put into motion some drastic steps that involve my business as well as my personal life that will take place in 2014.  I knew that this New Year is going to be one of monumental shifts for me.

It stands to reason then that the first word I played around with was paradigm.  What a very cool sounding word, don’t you think?  As is my way, I looked up the definition, and when I did that, the word no longer sat well with me.  I still thought about it to see if it would settle.

One morning I was having a conversation with one of my clients, and we started talking about my choice of WOTY and she started going into this long dissertation about how there might be a better choice for me (have I ever mentioned I love it when my clients get verbose?).  She was so kind to let me arrive at the point on my own after her most wonderful explanation of how she saw me and what she felt would encompass the changes for me in 2014.

With her help, I arrived at metamorphosis.  Another cool sounding word (kind of weird to say though) and I promised her I would sit with it for a few days to see if it resonated with me.

I came back a few days later, again, the word just not sitting right.  I was in awe of her view (she knows me well!), however, it wasn’t something I felt I wanted to guide me through the year.

I then thought about transform.

Do you see a pattern here?

I do.  Every word I have chosen since I started doing the WOTY involves some sort of change:  Emerge, Empower, Jubilee, Liberate

I got to thinking a few days ago, why am I so interested in change?  Why do I want to always change myself in some way?  What is on this elusive other side that I have not yet grasped?

I have done a lot of self-growth over the last 4 years, and sure, I know there is a lot more to come … I know in life there is no arrival.

I had to really ask myself, what is this focus on change?

Then the word shift started to play around in my head.

What a word with many meanings!

It can be an action word: to transfer from one place to another or change gears

Or it can be a noun: the act of shifting

When I think of the possibilities of using that short little word in all aspects of my life, I actually become giddy.

The role of the word for 2014 that I prefer is one of action.

Best described, I think of driving my first car (71 Convertible Fiat Spider) which was a 5-speed. I started off in 1^st gear, and I imagine the life that started back at the end of 2009 when I left my marriage to embark on my journey as a single working Mom.

I was in forward motion and I shifted into 2^nd gear.  I was starting to achieve momentum, my business was building, I was setting up my home, and I was easing into this single life with grace.

I knew, even if it was subconsciously, that in order to take full advantage of that beast that was my car, I couldn’t stay in 2^nd gear, I had to continue to shift, accelerating a bit more, making a concerted effort to get where I want to go.

Now, here comes 3^rd, and then 4^th gear, and I have plenty of momentum and I can stay there a long time just moseying along in 4^th gear.

But where the real beauty comes from the ride of that incredible car is when I am in 5^th gear, riding down the highway with the top down towards whatever destination I have my heart set on.  That is where extraordinary things happen.

It’s time for me to shift into high gear.

Shift in my thinking and work more on my personal relationships.  That includes those that I encounter online, my support group.  Over the last couple of years I have let my connection to my readers slide. It is time to shift it back up to high gear, joining others in fantastic adventures to wonderful destinations.

Shift in my perspective and learn to listen more to and accept what The Universe is telling me.  Tuning up my spark plugs and making sure the battery is fully charged and I am gassed up and ready to go with the fuel that keeps me in sync with my Higher Power.

Shift my business into a state of maximum efficiency and energy.  Take all the things I have learned over the past few years and implement them so that I am working smarter, not harder.  Taking care of all the rust spots and giving the chassis a new coat of paint and then maintaining that will be a priority.

Shift into self-care.  Making sure the vehicle is in tip-top shape by routinely checking the tires, the oil, the fuel, the engine, the battery, the fuse box, whatever needs done to make sure the ride is without incident.

There you have it.  My Word of the Year.

Care to share yours?  Do so by adding to the comments below.  Looking forward to seeing your responses!