For several years my friend Cheryl Smith, star blogger Chris Brogan, and many others have suggested selecting three words as guides for each new year. In 2009, I prayerfully selected: focus, organize, and manage and they were exactly what I needed. Coming into that year I had WAY too many things on my mind and every facet of my life was confused.
What was particularly powerful was the way the words stood on their own while guiding a “flow” too. First needed focused my thoughts and actions. Then I organized my life within the boundaries of those focuses. Then I continually managed the organizational tools and processes in order to stay on focus. It was powerful and effective.
I’m not sure why, but I couldn’t get a clear vision of the words for 2010. I loosely used focus, organize and manage again and they worked again. Loosely.
I finally had the time to seek the Lord on words for 2011 yesterday and I immediately and clearly heard discipline, strength and ship-it. Perfect.
Discipline
This is an area in which I struggle the most and need to completely mail considering today’s official start of the 3rd phase of my life! For me it means doing the right things right. Getting on and sticking to a schedule while avoiding distractions – can you say e-mail and Facebook? It is also for all aspects of my life: spiritual, emotional, physically and financially.
Strength
This one’s more personal and self-respective in the sense that it’s primarily about self-image. So 2011 will be about moving in and pursuing a sense of strength both mentally and physically. Boldness, confidence and “exercising and strengthening my muscles” – literally and figuratively. I’m excited about getting healthy – literally and figuratively!
Ship-it!
This comes from Seth Godin and gets to the heart of what I must do this next year. I must act, move, create, build, write, etc., etc. And while this is in fact a “duh!”, my desire for unattainable perfection often gets in the way. “Ship-it” will remind me to…well, ship-it.
What about you? What are your three – or one, or six, or – words that will guide you through this next year?
