This is my thirteenth year of using Chris Brogan's "My Three Words” planning exercise to achieve my annual goals. It helps me take stock of the past year, set goals for the next, and identify what I need to do differently to earn them.
Chris’s
approach is a simple and effective way to stay focused on your priorities as
you manage your commitments and the distractions vying for your time. Here are
the three steps you follow after setting your goals:
1. Identify how you must think and behave to achieve your goals.2. Select three words that will remind you to use these enablers.3. Display these words where you will see them daily (e.g., phone screen, monitor, mirror).
In
last year’s post, I said, “This year is a big one for me.” It was. My goals
were a mix of professional and personal aspirations. I committed to writing the
first draft of my next book by December 31, to sleep better, and to appreciate my
experiences, rather than speed through them. The three words I chose for 2025
were Daily, Sleep, and Savour.
Daily was about reaping the benefits of consistent effort. Specifically, I focused on daily writing, exercise, and a healthy diet. My mantra was “consistent action,” which pushed me to write, work out, and eat well daily.
I
worked on my new book every day, and submitted my manuscript a month early,
which felt great. I went overboard with exercise in the first six months,
working out seven days a week. It may sound admirable, but I didn’t allow my
body to recover, which caused injuries. I snapped out of this habit after
watching a Mark Wahlberg TikTok clip where he said, “I am training
smart now…I put as much emphasis on rest and recovery as on intensive
training.” I dropped to five days a week and am injury-free.
I
learned that the cost of regimentation is flexibility, variety, and excitement.
As the year progressed, I tried to imagine living the rest of my life following
rigid routines. I felt like a robot on a mission, trading spontaneity and
adventure for accomplishment. Having a “no misses” mindset took some of the
life out of living. I realize that goal achievement is a dynamic process that
flexes with your changing environment.
Sleep was about improving the quality
of my rest. I track my sleep scores nightly on my Garmin watch, which are
rarely good. I didn’t know there were so many ways to have a poor night’s
sleep. Most mornings, I read reports highlighting poor REM or deep sleep, awake
time, or an imbalanced sleep pattern.
I
pounced on this goal on January 1, adopting the regimens recommended by experts
like Peter Attia (Outlive) and Andrew Huberman (Huberman Lab podcast). The good
news is that I improved my nightly average sleep score from 69.0 to 71.7. The
less-than-good news is that each score was a mystery. Some mornings I felt
great after a poor score and vice versa. With little correlation, I didn’t know
what to improve.
My big learning was that regardless of the routines I followed – consistent sleeping and waking times, no caffeine after 11 am, melatonin before bed, etc. – stress remained a disruptor. Working through problems or worrying about them decimated my REM and deep sleep scores. I learned a good lesson about fully assessing opportunities and taking on too much.
Savouring
my experiences was harder than it sounds. Focusing on the present while
multiple deadlines loomed in the future was a constant challenge. My son, Sam,
introduced me to a self-awareness app called “Waking Up,” which helped keep me
grounded in the present. When I was stressed, I used the app less, which
reinforced my future-based thoughts at the expense of my attention and
appreciation. I have more work to do in this area.
My
goals for 2026 are focused on publishing my next book. When People Throw
Wrenches is scheduled for an early October release. The three words I have
chosen to realize my vision are Instinct, Circle and Pause.
Circle refers to the circle of influence
I have through the publishing process. There will be restrictions outside of my
control that I will need to roll with. As the Stoic Epictetus said, “Make the
best use of what is in your power, and take the rest as it naturally happens.”
I am conscious of how much time and emotion I invest in things I can’t control.
Not this year, if I am successful.
Pause refers to creating space between
new information and my response to it. The isolation that comes with writing
was making my beliefs feel fixed, which is ironic, given that my book is about
managing behaviour during change. I must switch back to openness and
possibility as I partner with an expert publishing team. Their creativity, guidance,
and changes will produce the book I aspired to write
The My Three Words exercise helped me achieve my 2025
goals, deepen my self-awareness, and uncover behavioural lessons. It has also helped
me define my three goals for 2026 and how I must think and act to accomplish
them. A bonus benefit is that I am revved up and ready for another big year.
If you are looking for a way to set yourself up for
success in 2026, the My Three Words process might work for you.
Phil
#My3Words #goals #goalsetting
