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It’s 2020 and an entirely new decade. A new decade is this big blank canvas, where I can dream up the next 10 years. Dream up the goals, the life, and the legacy I want to be actively creating.

In my sales and leadership keynotes I talk about the need in today’s world to design your legacy looking forward instead of looking back. From exactly where you are today, you can choose to be an active creator of your life and legacy.

That’s what I’ve come to look forward to about the One Word Tradition. Decision. Actively deciding on the anchor point I want to live by for the next 365 days. I keep a running list as the possibilities come to me, and at times it just looks like a list of words. But then there’s a moment. A moment where one word rises to the top.

In 2019 my word was Standout: to be someone with the courage to shine, to stand firm as a category of one, and to steer away from the shore.

And now for my 2020 word.

ADVENTURE.

This word jumped off the page as soon as I wrote it. I knew it was the word to start a brand-new decade.

As a young girl I would love to read about the world and faraway places. (Seriously, I remember reading the atlas.) I’ve always dreamed of travel and getting to experience other cultures.

Now I’m living that young girl’s dream. My husband Dave and I are traveling to Kenya for a safari in February. It’s my first trip to the African continent and truly an adventure.

We weren’t even sure if it would happen; in the middle of planning this trip over the past year with our friends, my dad became very sick. It was months in the hospital. I will always remember two points that were especially dark moments, because we didn’t know if he would even make it to the next day. I remember choosing to plan the adventure anyway — seeing what unfolds, and pivoting if we had to. (I’m very happy and grateful to share that he has made a pretty miraculous comeback…I’ll write more about the experience and what I’ve learned in a future post.)

How do I want to live out ADVENTURE in 2020 (and beyond)?

  • More travel to experience the world. Whether that’s business travel for keynotes and clients, through my board work with the Girl Scouts, or personal travel.
  • Continuing to grow clients in our flagship program, Strategic Selling for Professional Services. As an extension of that, the online platform will be launching later this year. More to come on that as well.
  • My new sales keynote video is debuting in the upcoming weeks, and I’m looking forward to sharing it with you! Months of capturing new video, and weeks of fine tuning, it reflects my professional mission to help you transform your sales culture, grow sales, and build high-impact leaders.
  • In my role as President of the Board of Directors for Girl Scouts of Ohio’s Heartland, we’re taking on a big adventure in 2020 and beyond. Our vision is a STEM and outdoor center of excellence. We call it Dream Big because it’s the legacy we’re building for our girl leaders of the future.
  • Practicing curiosity and looking for adventure in the every day. Adventure is personal and professional. It’s in the big trips and in the small interactions.

I’m learning that some adventures are planned, like our trip to Kenya. Some adventures happen because of outside circumstances. Those unplanned adventures are an opportunity to adapt, live in the moment, and grow from them.

As you start your new decade, I hope this gives you some ideas on creating One Word or a personal theme for yourself. When you reflect back, you might be surprised at how one word does make a difference for your path.