Leadership Lesson – January 2023: Find Your Word To Live By

This month’s leadership lesson is from JoVonn Givens, MPH, Task Order Director at Alliant Health Solutions, the QIN-QIO for Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, North Carolina, and Tennessee.

Find Your Word To Live By

“Today, make your word a priority in your thoughts and actions. Be open to the possibilities.” – Ali Edwards, designer and blogger

We hear the phrase “New Year! New Me!” every year around this time. We hear about resolutions that have been set, and if you are like me, you make resolutions but don’t always stick to them. I decided to make a shift a couple of years ago and come up with a word for the year. I reflect on the past year and decide what I want to accomplish in the new year. I put the word in the back of my planner as a reminder and vision board for the year. In 2022, my word was “Joy.” I sought joy in every situation, whether it was easy to find or not. I found that I didn’t sweat the small stuff. In 2021, my word was “discover.” I was ready to mark some things off my bucket list, and I did!

Over the next couple of weeks, I challenge you to think of the word you want to live by in 2023. It can be for your professional life, personal life or both. This is also a great challenge for your team so they can support and encourage each other. You could even come up with a team or facility word! Watch this video on self-care to help you get started. Here are some questions to ask yourself and your team to generate ideas:

• What do I need to focus on?
• What do I want to live by?
• How can I improve my professional and/or personal life?

There is no right or wrong answer. When you have decided on a word, feel free to share it with me at jovonn.givens@allianthealth.org, and I will share my word with you.

Best wishes for a healthy and prosperous new year.