Episode 38 - One Word For 2022 - a podcast by Charles J. Infurna, EdD

My One Word: Focus

A few years ago I was reading an article on Jon Gordon’s (one of my favorite authors) website about how each year he selects a word for himself to emphasize for the upcoming year.  Of course I thought that was a fantastic idea and quickly decided to begin a similar tradition of selecting my own word for the year.

My word for 2022 is Focus.

I’ve written about the skill and concept of Focus for quite some time.  If you have followed along over the course of the past few months, I’ve written extensively on the topic.  I won’t go into that much detail about the five specific aspects of teaching someone the skill of focus.  This year, however, I feel it is a good time to select Focus as my word.  I’ve selected it for a multitude of reasons.

First, with so much on my plate this year (professionally and personally) I feel it is most important to concentrate on what is most important to me this year.  On a more personal note, I had three goals I wanted to accomplish in 2021; 1) complete a Half-Ironman race, 2) finish two other shorter Triathlon races, and 3) compete at a body weight under 260lbs.  Needless to say I didn’t come close to achieving my body weight goal.  I got close at 267lbs., but definitely not close enough.  The Half-Ironman race I was registered for was canceled due to COVID-19 (out of my control), as were the shorter races I had on my calendar.

Second, and most important on a professional level, is to concentrate and emphasize more time with Forza Athletics.  Similar to my personal goals, I also have professional goals that I try to accomplish each year.  I’ve had some relative success writing and publishing peer-reviewed research papers.  Since I graduated from St. John Fisher College in May 2017, I have had a peer-reviewed research paper accepted for publication.  I had two accepted in 2020 that were published in 2021.  I had one accepted in 2021 that will be published in 2022.  This is one I’m really proud of and I hope it will assist coaches in further developing and understanding how important it is to have a sound coaching philosophy and is based on your values and what is most important to you.

With Forza Athletics, I’m going to Focus more time and energy on helping support high-school, collegiate, and post-collegiate throwers.  I’m going to do this by providing more relevant content that will assist throwers in achieving their own unique and specific goals.  Everyone is different, has different ideas, and a different path on how to get there.  I want to illuminate that path for those throwers.  I want to help them realize their dreams.  Identifying a goal is great, sharing that goal with others holds us accountable, and having someone illuminate the path towards achievement is powerful.

Since launching my Holistic Coaching program, I’ve had athletes from all over the world reach out to schedule a consultation to discuss their goals.  I want to continue to assist those that are looking for something a little different, that doesn’t quite fit a “box”.  When all things are equal during a competition, it is the athlete that is more mentally prepared that has the edge on their competitors.  I want to provide that edge to new, aspiring, and seasoned throwers.

Those are the aspects of my life that I’m going to emphasize in 2022.

What is your one word for 2022?

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