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?