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3 Words for 2021

3 Words for 2021

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I’ve been following the practice of choosing “My Three Words” at the beginning of the year for some time now. The idea comes from Chris Brogan, who started in 2006 with “Ask. Do. Share” as his guiding words for the coming year. This is how he describes the process:

The My Three Words idea is simple. Choose 3 words (not 1, not 4) that will help guide your choices and actions day to day. Think of them as lighthouses. “Should I say yes to this project?” “Well, does this align with my three words?”

The words only need to have meaning for you and that there’s no need to define them. However, I like to write a few words about each one, just so that I don’t forget what I was thinking at the time. You can also check out my 3 Words from past years.

Making your 3 words public is good for one’s accountability and the feedback can be enlightening. So without further ado, here is this year’s alliterative collection:

Receptive

Recognizing that I become very comfortable in routines, it’s important not to block out new opportunities. Without discounting the value of time-tested processes, I will be open to new options.

Recovery

Almost everyone has been in difficult circumstances for a while now, and long periods of dis-ease often come with long recovery times. I will allow myself and those around me the understanding that everyone responds to these struggles in their own way and time.

Renovate

When things have been torn apart, it only makes sense to put them back together with improvements. At this point in time, there are areas where change is possible, if not inevitable. As life goes “back to normal”, ask the question: how can this be made better?

The message we should be hearing about masks: An aviation parable

The message we should be hearing about masks: An aviation parable

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In a bygone time, I was a professional pilot, flying corporate and charter aircraft. At my home airport on the central coast of California, there was a senior pilot – I’ll call him Jim – who flew a six passenger jet for a locally based company. Jim had logged over 20,000 hours of flight time and was a mentor for many younger pilots, myself included. I have been thinking recently about a conversation I once heard him have with a rather inexperienced pilot, about our airport’s instrument approach.

For those who don’t know, an instrument approach allows planes to land in bad weather. It’s a skill that requires special training and licensing, and a thorough understanding of the published procedure for each runway at each airport. The procedures are developed, tested and documented by the FAA.

The procedure that Jim was being asked about is called a Localizer approach. It uses a radio signal to align the plane perfectly with the runway but doesn’t provide electronic guidance vertically. Most of this particular procedure took place over the ocean but once on final approach, the pilot must monitor the instruments to know when they have crossed the shoreline and can descend to the “minimum descent altitude” (MDA), which in this case was 460’ above the ground. If the runway doesn’t come into sight after a predetermined amount of time, the landing is aborted and the “missed approach procedure” is flown.

All of this is a long preamble to the question that Jim was asked by the young pilot, which was, “How much below MDA can you really go on the localizer approach?” To which Jim promptly replied, “If you go one foot below 460’, you’re gonna die.”

Now, I knew that Jim’s answer wasn’t strictly correct, and that there had been many a foggy night when his jet made it back to the field when other planes would have missed the approach. But because he knew that his advice would be respected and followed by less experienced pilots, he would never suggest deviating from the published procedure from the experts at the FAA.

The COVID parallel

Whether deserved or not, our elected officials speak with the voice of authority. Their words are heard and their examples followed. They are responsible for choosing the best advice to give for the well being of their community. In times as uncertain as these, they should be delivering the clearest, simplest recommendations for people to follow, based on expert opinion. And the message from the experts – epidemiologists and public health departments – has been remarkably consistent for the last several months: Maintain social distancing, wash your hands and WEAR A MASK.

These things are true whatever your opinion about the role of government or your political party preference. They are true regardless of which businesses are open, how many people are allowed to sit inside at a restaurant or whether our kids are in school.

Yet the message we get from most public officials is that all of this is optional. You get to choose which of these guidelines to follow and, who knows, maybe everything will turn out just fine. They make it sound like there is no expert opinion because the experts say things that they don’t want to repeat.

So how about this for a good, clear message, across the board from public officials: The best things you can do to protect yourself and your community from a potentially deadly disease is to wear a mask, stay socially distant and wash your hands frequently. Period, end of statement.

Sure, you’re unlikely to die from COVID-19 because you don’t wear a mask, just as you’re unlikely to crash if you sneak down to 300’ on the localizer approach. But those in positions of authority should be promoting the safest approach, not the riskiest.

3 Words for 2020

3 Words for 2020

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I’ve been following the practice of choosing “My Three Words” at the beginning of the year for awhile now. The idea comes from Chris Brogan, who started in 2006 with “Ask. Do. Share” as his guiding words for the coming year. This is how he describes the process now:

The My Three Words idea is simple. Choose 3 words (not 1, not 4) that will help guide your choices and actions day to day. Think of them as lighthouses. “Should I say yes to this project?” “Well, does this align with my three words?”

Chris says that the words only need to have meaning for you and that there’s no need to define them. However, I like to write a few words about each one, just so that I don’t forget what I was thinking of at the time. As an example, you can check out my Three Words for 2019.

If you’re interested in trying your hand, here are a few more tips from Chris:

  • Don’t make it a phrase. “Publish the book” is a terrible choice. “The” is wasted.
  • Try to make the words actionable. “Expand” is better than “bigger.”
  • The more utilitarian the word can be, the better. These words have to be your compass.
  • Stick with the 3 words all year. Every time I’ve changed one a month or two later, the year mucks up. I can’t explain it. But I can report it.
  • Years where I’ve tried “fancy” words with layers of meaning, I lost the thread. Use plain words, maybe.
  • BUT the words don’t have to mean anything to anyone but you. Don’t worry about explaining them.

Making your 3 words public is good for one’s accountability and the feedback can be enlightening. So without further ado:

Uplifted

Because I can’t control events but I can control my response to them. I will probably never be a “everything happens for a purpose” person but I also don’t want to accept negativity as a default response. There is still much to be uplifted by in the world.

Constitution

Care and feeding of my body may need to change in the coming year. I need to make sure that I continue (or return to) what has worked in the past, as well as maintaining awareness of my current physical state.

Resource

Provide and expand on the talents and skills that I can provide to others. There is value in applying past experience to current needs but sometimes new solutions are needed. In those cases, I can acquire new knowledge, or choose to refer to another resource.

And you?

If you have 3 words that you’d like to share, please leave them in the comments.

3 Words for 2019

3 Words for 2019

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For the past several years, I’ve been following Chris Brogan’s practice of coming up with three guiding words for the coming year. Chris wrote a post about his 3 words for 2018 but here’s the basic idea:

Pick any three words that will guide you in the choices you intend to make for the new year. They should be words that let you challenge yourself as to motives and decisions. They should be words that help you guide your actions.

The idea behind there being three words (and not five or seven or one) is that you can create a kind of “triangulation” between three words, such that they can stand alone and work together.

Sharing your three words gives them a little added impact and hopefully stimulates some discussion. Here are mine. I add a few words of explanation to them, so I don’t forget what I was thinking when I picked them.

Sufficiency

How much is enough? Where are my resources? What balance of “stuff”, money, experience, friendships and family are sufficient to my needs?

Invitation

Reaching outside of familiar bounds to be exposed to new people and ideas and making them welcome.

Renewal

Using skills gained through long time experience for different purposes. I am lucky enough to enjoy using the skills I have; they need to remain relevant into the future.

Your turn

If you feel inspired to pick three words of your own that you’d like to share, please leave them in comments.

3 Words for 2018

3 Words for 2018

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For the past several years, I’ve been following Chris Brogan’s practice of coming up with three guiding words for the coming year. Chris wrote a post about his 3 words for 2016 but here’s the basic idea:

Pick any three words that will guide you in the choices you intend to make for 2016. They should be words that let you challenge yourself as to motives and decisions. They should be words that help you guide your actions.

The idea behind there being three words (and not five or seven or one) is that you can create a kind of “triangulation” between three words, such that they can stand alone and work together.

Sharing your three words gives them a little added impact and hopefully stimulates some discussion. Here are mine. I add a few words of explanation to them, so I don’t forget what I was thinking when I picked them.

Community

Community is more than just conversation. Strong communities are built over time around shared values and interests. Creating a physical coworking space is an ongoing effort that will continue throughout 2018. Attracting others who want to play in this space is my challenge and opportunity.

Justice

It’s time to take the concepts of fairness, equality and “doing what’s right” beyond personal interactions and apply them to a larger community. This means making judgements that not everyone will agree with. It means bringing ideas before diverse groups of people and advocating for ideals. It means taking a stand.

Listen

Everyone operates within their own view of “how things are”. Those views may complement or conflict with my own. All views are worthy of understanding and consideration. The choice to incorporate them or not remains mine.

Your turn

If you feel inspired to pick three words of your own that you’d like to share, please leave them in comments.