Three Words

I subscribe to a lot of blogs and newsletters. Most of the topics are about leadership and coaching because I’m always searching for new tools, tricks and tips as a way to upgrade my “utility belt”. If you immediately pictured Batman, you are a kindred spirit.  And although I would totally rock a cape, I think it is important to say that I am not comparing myself to Batman whatsoever. That would be crazy! However, I have always liked the idea that a big source of Batman’s power comes from the constant evolution of his tool belt. He scans his environment and develops new skills and tools to meet the challenge at hand. Leadership Enthusiast will be three years old this year and it’s my responsibility (to myself and my clients) to keep upgrading and improving in the same way.

A lot of what I’ve been reading is related to reflection and goal setting, it is that time of year after all. An intriguing idea in one of those blog posts was the argument to throw out your new year’s resolutions and replace them with Chris Brogan’s three words exercise. I encourage you to click on the link as it explains everything in more detail and frankly is just a short, fun read.

The process involves choosing three words that serve as your guideposts all year long. What’s critically important about selecting your three words is that they help you make choices that align with the changes you want to make. Since most new goals or aspirations involve creating new habits or breaking bad ones, the idea of capturing a few words that could help me make different choices seemed like a cool experiment worth trying and sharing. After taking some time to define my 2024 goals last week, I took the extra step of deciding on my three words:

ACT. This is my reminder that momentum is more important than motivation. Taking action is what matters instead of waiting until I feel like doing something.  Just Do It as Nike says.  How I feel is not relevant. It is what I do that matters and progress is always in the doing.

CURIOSITY. I wrote a bit about the power of curiosity in my last musing. Being curious is one of my most powerful tools when coaching and facilitating because it brings deeper levels of understanding. This word will help me continue to ask, listen, test my assumptions, and help my clients do the same. No good comes from treating assumptions as facts.

INTENTIONALITY. Operating with intention and a clear vision of what truly matters is a huge aspect of accomplishing our goals. It is also a hallmark of every great leader. This word will help me crystallize what I say yes to, and more importantly sometimes, what I need to say no to. Intentionality will sharpen choices around streamlining where it’s needed because more space is really what I am after. Space to think, create, and nourish the areas of my business that gets me closer to my goals. 

So, there you have it. My three words for 2024, now neatly printed on a pink post-it note and lovingly placed at the bottom of my computer screen for me to read everyday. There is also the added bonus of my very own blog post to help with accountability. It was a useful, and dare I say, fun exercise that helped me enter this new year with a greater sense of clarity and purpose. I hope it does the same for you.

Now get after it!