What 3 Words Will Guide You to Success in 2023?

It’s my tenth anniversary of using Chris Brogan’s “My Three Words” planning exercise to set myself up for success for the next year.  Like many, 2022 was a year of uncertainty, and this approach kept me focused on my priorities through most of the twists and turns I faced.

Here is how Chris’ technique works: After setting your goals for the year, select three words that will keep these aspirations top of mind and align your actions with achieving them. At the end of the year, assess their effectiveness before starting the process again, incorporating new learnings.  

2022 marked a fresh start after dedicating three years to creating my book, Change on the Run. To make good decisions about new opportunities, I chose words that would help me evaluate options.  My three words to guide me to success for the year were activate, breathe and outcomes.

Activate was about creating conditions where I could think objectively.  Being at the top of my game requires physical and mental regimens that are difficult to do consistently.  They include running, weight training, time for reflection and dedicated research.  It’s incredible what you can accomplish when you relentlessly stick to a plan.  My regimens gave me confidence through my assessments and dynamic client assignments.

Breathe refers to pausing before making commitments.  I have difficulty saying no to requests for change management support, which creates two risks: overextending my firm’s capacity and having to pass on new assignments that better align with my skills and expertise. Breathe was a reminder to pause and thoughtfully consider each opportunity before saying yes (or no).  It worked well until it didn’t.  In September, I fell into old behaviours and lost control of my calendar.  I quickly got back on track but suffered the consequences of my actions.

Outcomes prompted me to use consistent evaluation criteria for new engagements.  I was inspired by Marshall Goldsmith’s advice to “make sure that the benefits are truly worth your efforts” before doing something.  This word was a big help in defining and following a set of assessment questions for each opportunity.  I passed on a few speaking gigs and consulting assignments because they didn’t fit my parameters.

This year has been one of the best for pursuing my goals. Posting the three words on my monitor kept them top of mind except in the early fall when I let busyness distract me.  Next year I will also write them out daily, as recommended by Chris Brogan’s business partner, Rob Hatch.

I am looking forward to 2023. I have some exciting assignments, and I will be a kidney donor for a close friend.  My three words to guide me to success are room, reconnect and begin.

Room refers to holding time on my calendar to accommodate the rescheduling of commitments. I am conscious of the shifts I will make around my operation and client assignments, and I can’t inconvenience others through an overcommitted calendar. 

Reconnect reflects my desire to check in with family members, friends and former colleagues whom I haven’t seen in years. I have been thinking about Isaac Newton’s quote, “If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants,” and I don’t want to wait to say thank you. My Change on the Run podcast was an excellent vehicle for reconnecting with peers, and I intend to reach out to more people who have made a difference in my life.

Begin is a motivator to move into new territory, personally and professionally. The opposite of growth is stagnation, and I want to challenge myself to take on new experiences, build new skills and meet new people. This is a year for new beginnings, and I intend to be in the right mindset to see and pursue them.

Working through the My Three Words exercise has helped me define success for 2023. It has also given me tools to align my behaviour with achieving them. I know I will assess my accomplishments in December, and I am confident in my roadmap to accomplish my goals. 

Ten years of using the My Three Words planning exercise has helped me achieve many of my annual goals. You might want to try it to see if it works for you, and might even have a tenth anniversary, too.

#goalsetting #planning #personaldevelopment #change #leadership #management #business #my3words

What 3 Words Will Guide You to Success in 2021?

Have you noticed that many recent articles discourage people from setting yearly goals because they often are abandoned? I don’t think year-end goal setting is the issue; it’s the absence of mechanisms that keep people focused on achieving them.

This is my eighth year using Chris Brogan’s “My Three Words” approach to personal goal achievement. It’s a simple and effective way to honour your aspirations for the year. Here’s how it works: After setting your goals for the year, select three words to guide your thinking, actions and behaviours to accomplish them. Keep these words visible and refer to them often, especially when deciding how you spend your time.

I place my three words on my monitor stand, so they stay top of mind. Last year, I experimented with writing my words every morning on a Buddha Board canvas that my son gave me. The daily kinesthetic connection with the words significantly increased their utility. I realized this when I skipped this step for a few days and was more easily distracted. I regained my concentration once I re-established this morning ritual. 

My primary goal for 2020 was to finish writing my second book, Change on the Run, and prepare it for publishing in 2021. The three words I chose to guide me to achieve this goal were precision, forward and enjoy.

Precision was related to the quality of my writing. My book is about 80/20 solutions to common change challenges, and being economical with words was a must.  I needed to make every word count and delete the ones that didn’t add value. Thinking about being precise was a tremendous help. It forced me to push past good sentences to create better ones. I remember reviewing chapters and saying to myself, “you haven’t nailed it yet.”

Forward was about making continual progress. It can be challenging to write while completing work assignments. When they overlapped, I didn’t stop working until both were moving in the right direction. After a setback or delay, I would ask myself, “Okay, how are you going to move forward.” It was tough at times, but I knew I had no option.

Enjoy was a new type of word for me. I intended it to remind me that my path can be as fulfilling and pleasurable as reaching my destination. I have a habit of focusing on a goal and missing out on the enjoyment of achieving it. Although this word helped me occasionally pause to appreciate the writing process, deadlines consumed my thinking.

My primary goal for 2021 is to create awareness of Change on the Run so that everyone who needs quick advice to survive their workplace uncertainty can see if it is right for them. The publishing date is March 2, so goal delivery starts today.

The three words to guide me to success for this year are reach, partner and share.

Reach will push me to maximize my book’s awareness for people who have a role in a change initiative, have little change experience and even less time to learn. “How else can I spread the word” will be a daily consideration.

Partner is a prompt to be on the look-out for potential partners so I can make the greatest positive impacts. This ambition spans beyond Change on the Run to consulting assignments, peer communities and school collaborations. Before the holidays, I had an engaging conversation about how change management will shift in the future, and I am keen to help shape it.

 Share is a reminder that I am happiest when helping others. I want to reserve time to mentor and teach so others can progress on their paths. I am determined to make time to share my knowledge and experience through mentoring and teaching.

I hope you try the “My Three Words” exercise. If you do, take your time when picking your words. It’s an excellent way to confirm the goals you want to achieve.  

So, how about it? The end-of-year goal-setting articles don’t have to apply to us. What three words will guide you to success in 2021?