Use your three words as your compass for the year.
Are you someone who makes New Year’s resolutions? If they work for you, great. Since some statistics note that as many as 80% of people who make resolutions have already forgotten about them by February, I have looked for other ways to set intentions for the year.
I came across Chris Brogan’s 3 words for the year and have been using this model for a few years. The words serve as a way to reflect on how I want my life to look and they serve as a north star to return to over and over again over the year.
Once again I conceived my words, and here they are for 2020:
Experimentation.
This year is about trying new things and breathing fresh air. I’m taking a beat box improv class. I’m going to host regular dinners at my apartment. I’m planning to add singing – one of my passions – to my life in a more consistent way. I’m going to serve on a non-profit board.
What becomes more clear to me every year is this: I am sowing seeds now for what my life will look like 3 years from now, 5 years from now. I want to throw a whole of seeds into the soil and see what it’s like when the wildflowers bloom.
One more thought: when you try new things there is a chance they won’t work out. That’s why I love the concept of experimentation. You can’t fail, you’re just trying. When you try and fail you ask “what went wrong?” When you experiment you ask “what did you learn?” I am embracing that question in 2020.
Generative
I have always had plenty of discipline to get my work done. Like many driven people, I am not so great at restoration. And yet, my most creative ideas come to me during the times I give myself downtime. Those are also the times I feel the most connected and aligned.
To be more generative I am resolving to create more whitespace. I want to find more time in nature. And I will consciously seek out people who are good at renewal.
There are also some practices I will create around this word, most importantly getting more sleep, building a consistent meditation practice, and journaling.
Systems
As always, I need something to keep me on the rails. I like things that are repeatable. I like activities that promise more reward with less effort. Systems do that.
Some of these are behavioral. For example I now have 3 different assistants and I am getting better at delegating work. We are also going to document how we do things so we don’t have to re-learn them every time.
As a columnist I interview great people and write articles about them. One system I’m going to get better at is figuring out how I can share that incredible information with more people by publicizing it through multiple channels. I’m also committed to learning new technology that will help me handle tasks more easily. I’m experimenting (see what I did there?) with trying to learn one new technology every month and with getting my friends who are great at technology to teach me.
What’s your 3 word resolution for 2020?
