Word Up 2023!
"Word up. It's the code word. No matter where you say it, you'll know that you'll be heard." Word Up, Cameo 1986
Happy New Year! I hope you had a restful and peaceful holiday. It sure comes on quick and is over in a flash. I packaged up 2022 with 96 blogs totaling 42,295 words. It was very rewarding, especially when I received feedback. 2022 was a great year on many fronts. Most importantly, I grew. You were witness to that growth, whether you knew it or not, through my weekly blogs. Growth was my word for last year. In January of 2022, I bought a small business and employed a handful of great people. I sure learned a lot about small business and of course my people taught me more lessons of leadership - you never stop learning and growing. Last year's word was, I confess, a bit easy. I was destined to grow whether I wanted to or not given the new space I was entering. 2023 promises more growth for me as I scale the business and, with my team, take it to new heights. The new year requires a new word.
Word up! If you recall my blog from last year, I used the same One Word concept from Rachel Olsen my wife Leslie introduced me to in 2021. Pick a word, not a resolution to commit to. A word is easy to memorize. The activities behind that word are, of course, more difficult but if you truly believe in the one word and believe you can commit to its intent, then you are on to something. It should be something authentic, chosen by you, not someone else. It should speak to your purpose and passion, and it should be realistic.
In 2021 I chose Persevere. We were in the middle of a pandemic and my leadership business took a hit. Thankfully, with the help of a few wonderful military spouses, I did persevere and I do so today.
So here we are, a year later and that 1986 song by Cameo is back in my head. "W-O-R-D Up!" For 2023 my word is Write. You might think that is an easy one. After all I write twice a week blogging along with various articles I write throughout the year. This year Write encompasses my goal to produce another book. I've written two and they were such a challenge and a pleasure for me. Book number 3, about crisis management and leadership, awaits. I've got a good portion of it done but I shelved it too often in 2022. To be fair, I was running a new business and I developed and hosted an exposition in Johnson City, called Salutes and Handshakes. I'll give myself a break. But not for this year.
I have several more books in me and, when asked what I would do if money was not an issue - if I could wake up each day and do what I loved most, I would write and speak. I service that passion through the writing and speaking I currently do, but it's not enough. Write it is. To show my loyalty to this word, Leslie and I will schedule a series of monthly getaways to shutdown the outside world and create - her with art, me with writing.
You'll still hear from me on Mondays and Fridays. Share my website with others who you think may benefit from my musings. And pick your own word for 2023. Word Up!
Make it Personal!
Rob
Rob Campbell