The One Word Project

The One Word Project: This post is INTENTIONAL

- Mel

Continuing on the theme of goals this week… This word was self-selected through a series of goal-setting exercises in March. This theme of intent kept coming up like a random word generator lottery winner.

intentional one word project

Definition of intention, per Merriam-Webster:

1 : a determination to act in a certain way : RESOLVE
2 : IMPORT, SIGNIFICANCE
3a : what one intends to do or bring about
b : the object for which a prayer, mass, or pious act is offered
4 : a process or manner of healing of incised wounds
5 : CONCEPT
especially : a concept considered as the product of attention directed to an object of knowledge
6 intentions plural : purpose with respect to marriage

“The process or manner of healing of incised wounds.” OUCH. PSA: Do not google the differences between lacerations and incised wounds.

The thesaurus tells me that I am calculated, willful, and deliberate. I am nothing if not determined, despite my weaknesses and wounds (using as a metaphor for emotional scarring seems apropos here despite MW wanting to grammar correct me). I am intentional – even if I DO NOT PULL IT OFF (emphasis stolen from Vocabulary.com). I am excited by challenge, to achieve something new, change for the sake of change, and ultimately determined to see things through. I am not always a success. That’s OK. I think I’ve lost sight of this in the last few months, distracted by my safety behaviors of escaping and avoidance to prevent me from judgment of others – and worse, rejection from them.

So, what is my overall intention? To stick with something, ask for help when I need it, and see through the difficulties to finish what I started. Yes, I’m looking at you, grad school.

What is the One Word Project? I asked some people in my life to describe me/sum me up in one word to explore areas of strengths and for personal/professional development. I plan to make this part of a regular (and evolving) series and will continue to ask those around me to participate. Read other One Word posts.

The One Word Project: Sister #1

- Mel

I individually asked my three sisters to send me one word that describes me best. Two immediately responded, the third responded a few days later. One questioned whether her hyphenated word fit the parameter of one word. Another texted me THREE words – which I made her choose one. JUST ONE. GAWD.

I love my sisters, and their responses typify their personalities and made me feel proud in a unique way on how they viewed me. Their selection provoked me to consider my relationship in context of their chosen word, too. I am trying to reflect on the word as seen through their lens. For this post, I’m starting with my Second-in-Command – the sister just below me in the “I was born first” hierarchy.

Her word is: Impossible. Just kidding, it was AMBITIOUS.

Sister 1 Text - Ambitious One word Project

I would be remiss in not posting her initial reply: Passionate… ??? Cultured… ambitious… [JUST ONE!]. She responds Impossible!!! It’s perfect. (She genuinely responds Ambitious in a later text; however, this was a fun experiment.)

She is the first in our family to get a graduate degree, and here she is calling me ambitious. The nerve.

When image searching “ambitious” this picture was in the results and I cannot stop laughing:


The first bite is always the hardest, kid.

The definition of ambitious is the belief in oneself that they will achieve what they desire and determination to satisfy high aspirations. Yeah, that is certainly me!

The thesaurus tells me that I am also aggressive, determined, earnest, energetic, enthusiastic, and resourceful. All of these I would argue define how my ambition bolsters my will to succeed. Sure, I get lazy and bore quickly, but this is where looking towards my next challenge reignites my goal focus. And yes, my sister was also spot-in in saying “impossible.” I have a tendency to be too self-focused, single-minded, and stubborn, and is the source of much of the reflection and personal development that I’ve been working on this year.

Related: I love this idea of writing an Ambition Letter related to high goals (despite only anecdotal evidence). The first rule of goal-setting is writing it down! {via Fast Company}

Extra reading: Why ambitious goals may help {via Headspace}

What is the One Word Project? I asked some people in my life to describe me/sum me up in one word to explore areas of strengths and for personal/professional development. I plan to make this part of a regular (and evolving) series and will continue to ask those around me to participate.

Post note: What I love right now about this exercise, is that when someone responds, I simply tell them “thank you.” And I haven’t yet had anyone ask me why. No one has asked me to give them a word in return. This is a really fun experiment!

The One Word Project: FIERY

- Mel

One of my best friends – I’ll call her E – and I met when we both were transplanted to Pittsburgh and very probably originally connected online via Twitter. She brings youth to my “old lady” perspective and in a lot of ways we couldn’t be more different. And that is exactly why, I believe, that we connected so strongly and why – even after both relocating to new cities – we are still friends today.

Her response when I requested my word via text was: Fiery.

Now, when requesting my word, I didn’t prompt for reasons or provoke with any follow-up questions, I just sat with the word and reflected on why this important person in my life would describe me as such. I LOVE THIS WORD. And I feel it is a clear descriptor of my tenacity to keep moving, to question everything, and do such with passion. I really, really hope it’s not because of my Irish temper or my hair reverting back to a childhood tint of red, which I spend hundreds of dollars per year trying to reject… my Irish roots, I mean, my hair.

What?!

I consulted the thesaurus to give more dimension to my word: combustible (last I checked, I was not literally on fire; though I like to figuratively burn things down), passionate (yep, me!), excitable (very much), and intense (not emotionally intense, but strong in my opinions and often too serious). E and I also ended up working together in Pittsburgh, and had the extreme joy at being able to plan her wedding shower. She was around when I was fired up to go back to school in my 30s to finish my undergrad and my seemingly-endless efforts to find a marketing & communications job (which took me THREE YEARS). She knows how intensely passionate I get about personal causes and principles. She has also probably been exhausted by my excitability. 🙂

How I plan to use this word in the future: I think sometimes we all can lose sight of why we do something – or why we started something. Reflecting on what fires me up – or makes me fiery – will help tie my projects and goals back to my passions and purpose. I need to keep perspective on what originally got me excited to pursue something in the first place and be OK changing my goals if my fire burns out. Also, maybe, not burn things down so much?

fiery sriracha one word project

BE LIKE THE SRIRACHA KETCHUP.

What is the One Word Project? I asked some people in my life to describe me/sum me up in one word to explore areas of strengths and for personal/professional development. I plan to make this part of a regular (and evolving) series and will continue to ask those around me to participate.