Resolutions. Promises. Declarations. Now is the time when we all start thinking about the ways we can improve ourselves in the year ahead. Whether it is not taking work home at night, losing weight or making every soccer game for our kids, we enter this season with great optimism and a renewed sense of urgency to commit to change.
Over the years, I have tried many techniques for my own personal improvement initiatives. I have limited myself to one single goal for the year (learn to use chopsticks effectively), to classifying all my goals into meaningful categories (family, wellness, professional, new frontiers, etc.), to apps on my phone to keep my goals at my fingertips. Sound familiar?
A couple of years ago, I tried a technique based on a very simple principle: selecting three words that will define your goal path for the year. The idea came to me courtesy of Chris Brogan (www.chrisbrogan.com), a leadership consultant and best-selling author. The idea is simple: pick three words that will serve as the guiding light for you that year. It is a method that enables you to move past the rudimentary practice of goal setting and instead focus on larger themes that will help you make meaningful, lasting changes. Brogan describes it best: “Instead of saying ‘I want to lose 30 pounds’ and then forgetting about the goal a day later, I might have something like ‘green’ that reminds me to eat more plant-based foods at every meal, or similar.”
I have found this approach works well, and it is one that I feel compelled to share with others. I will use my own three words from 2014 to explain how it works: Surrender, Temple and Voice.
Surrender was intended to keep me focused on letting go of the little things that were zapping my energy and chipping away at my relationships — did I really need to refold the towels that my husband just finished so the linen closet would look pretty? Probably not. That went for things at work, too. Despite being a manager for a while, giving my employees the opportunity to “own” their projects does not come naturally — not because I don’t think others can do the job as well as I can, but because delegating is simply not my first reaction when I am presented with a new project. It is a definite area of continuous evolution for me as a manager.
Temple was about self-image. For years, I hated my freckles and skin so fair that I gave Snow White a run for her money. Well, that fair skin and those freckles are not going anywhere so it was high time I learned to love them.
Voice was the most difficult of my words this year, but incidentally, it turned out to be one of the most rewarding. I have always had a reputation for being a phenomenal writer, both in personal effects as well as professionally. Over the course of three years, I had lost the passion for both and along with it, my physical speaking voice. And so I purposed to regain that voice in 2014. I made myself get in front of the mic at company meetings and events. I spoke up on conference calls, and if this article can serve as a proof point, I have reclaimed my written voice as well.
The three-word goal methodology has worked well for me to make enduring changes. Sure, I set milestones along the way, but I do not find myself throwing in the towel (or refolding it) the way I would if my single, albeit S.M.A.R.T. goal, fell by the wayside. Every day presents new challenges and the three words provide a simple framework for me to address them. This approach has let me create a mold for how I want to live better, and grow into that shape throughout the year, regardless of what each new day may bring.
What will your three words be for 2015?
Kim Garcia is Director of Marketing for PSA Security Network. To request more info about PSA, visit www.securityinfowatch.com/10214742.
