My 3 Words for 2020
A few years ago I began choosing a set of three words to help me focus on my personal growth and goals for the coming year. It’s a concept I first heard about from my friend (and sales guru extraordinaire) Anthony Iannarino who has been doing this since 2013, who in turn heard about via Chris Brogan, who originated the concept and has been choosing his three words consistently since 2006.
Chris describes the three words practice has a guide to help make better choices and take better actions through the year. When you’re not sure what to do, you can weigh your options against your three words to determine if they align with your intentions. If you’d like some advice on how to choose your three words, I recommend that you read Chris’ article on the topic. It’s his game — he knows the rules better than anyone else!
Here are My 3 Words from past years
Please note I like alliteration (so far my 3 words always begin with the same letter), and I enjoy a personal challenge of going through the alphabet and choosing words that begin with the next sequential letter.
My 3 Words for 2020
TIME
The past couple of years have involved losing people who were very close to me. I put me in a pretty deep funk of depression where I think I just wasted a lot of time being sad. It was a struggle to be productive at almost any useful level. As I progress through those feelings and get back into the waking world, I realize more than ever that Time is the most valuable non-renewable resource. When it’s gone, it’s gone. This year I will pay more attention to where my Time goes, and where (and with whom) I choose to invest it.
TRACK
I think Track fits nicely with Time, as I’ll be doing a lot more of time tracking in the new year — but I also mean Track in terms of monitoring which projects are succeeding and which projects are failing. I want to know which efforts are producing results (revenue, personal growth, experience, etc.). I’m definitely not Don The Spreadsheet Guy, but I do agree with the quote from Socrates (or Plato, depending on your source) that concluded “The unexamined life is not worth living”. Track simply means I will be spending a little more time examining the things I do in life.
TODAY
My third word of 2020 brings my choices full circle because it also deals with time. Today will remind me that I need to deliver gratitude, value, and ideas to my friends, family, and clients everyday. My first word reminds me that Time is fleeting, but my third reminds me to cherish each day of it. I’ve begun using something called The Monk Manual (you can download a free printable copy of it here). It is a tool to help my track (there’s that word!) my efforts and priorities on a daily basis. This process will help me recognize my opportunities to make the most impact on myself (and others) every single Today.
What are YOUR 3 Words for 2020?
I love hearing what other people have chosen as their three words (and their reasons why). If you decide to write a blog post or simply share your three words in social media, please tag me in your post — I’d love to know who else is playing along with me this year (and I’ll send you some positive vibes to help you reach your goals).
