OneWord365: When You Fall Short

This year, my lovely readers, many of you have watched as I set out on a brand new journey: OneWord365.  I picked one word - dream - to focus on and live out for all of 2013 in place of New Years' resolutions, which often make us discouraged or overwhelmed.

I posted all sorts of things at first - What To Do With Your One Word, My OneWord365 Journal, Why I Love OneWord365, How To Keep Your Word Alive, and lots more.  I've been thoroughly enjoying this new approach to life!

But even with this streamlined method of changing our lives and bettering ourselves, I've discovered there's still room for failure.

I don't like messes.  I'm an organizer, a perfectionist.  I'm not OCD, but sometimes I feel pretty close to it.  Disorganized papers, piles of books to be put away, dusty dresser top, personal items strewn about - all of these can be found in my room at some point or another.  But they really drive me crazy and bother me until I do something to make everything neat and tidy.

Guess what?  I failed.  I left a mess in my life.  It doesn't seem like a big deal or even a small one to most people, I'm sure.  But I set out to do something, and I forgot about it.  I didn't update my OneWord365 Journal for two months.  That, to me, feels like failure.  I fell short of a goal I set for myself, and a simple one at that.  I enjoy writing things down.  I shouldn't have forgotten!

Then I realized something.  OneWord365, as simple as it is, isn't always easy or neat.  It requires us to be transparent about both the good things and the not-so-pretty things that come about as a result of our participation.  It forces us to learn, to grow, to be flexible... to leave our clean, organized comfort zone.  While forgetting a journal for a while may not be a big deal, it was to me.  I didn't want to admit it, but here it is.  And this is what I learned.

I'm participating in Melanie's Monthly One Word Linkup Party.  Join us!