Just One Word. What's Yours?

Those who know me well know that I am a voracious reader.  I love to curl up with a book and read the day (or evening) away.  My taste varies;  I'm often reading a non-fiction book in tandem with fiction.  I will often find myself in a season of what I refer to as "light" reading, especially if I've just finished something that took a great deal of energy and emotional investment, as I am prone to getting very involved in a good book.

Debbie Macomber is one of my go to authors for lighter fare - positive stories with happy endings and characters you can relate to.  Recently, I read her book, Thursdays at Eight, which tells the story of four friends who meet for coffee every week and share their lives.  The premise of the book is that they all start the new year by choosing a word to help them focus on their personal goals for the new year.  (Interestingly, she also has a book coming out tomorrow on this same topic - which should be arriving on my Kindle shortly!)

What a great idea...and yet challenging at the same time.  How can you find one word that sums up all the hopes and dreams you want to strive for in the new year?  I challenged a friend of mine to do this with me and then promptly forgot about it until she wrote me back today.  I've been pondering it on and off since.  In a way, it is similar to making a resolution or setting any goal, but I think it needs to be broader as well, which led me to thinking about what my goals really are for this year.  (Interestingly, I just started a daily Rick Warren devotional that has me thinking about that as well.  The context there is even broader, however - thinking about the next decade and what you would like to see happen in your life in that time.  The next decade?  Sometimes it is hard enough to think through until Friday!)

Anyway, I have several areas I would like to focus on for this year.  Rather than list them all here now, I'll simply pledge to talk about them here when the time is right and instead provide my word for 2012:  Purpose.

What's your word for 2012?