My Three Words for 2015
Have you come up with some new goals or resolutions for the new year? If yes, you may want to consider putting them in writing.
Writing down your goals will significantly increase the likelihood of your achieving them. As Brian Tracy eloquently states, “Goals in writing are dreams with deadlines.”
3 Tips to Boost Your Success at Reaching Your Personal Goals:
- Add an accountability component to your plan (such as regularly updating a friend, mentor or colleague on your progress)
- Make a public commitment to your goal(s) (such as writing a blog/facebook post)
- Establish your goals the SMART way, that is:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Achievable
- Realistic
- Time-bound
Why 3 Words for 2015?
Chris Brogan first thought of the idea that you come up with three words to represent what you would like to accomplish or work on during the year, as an alternative to your typical resolutions, back in 2006.
I came up with my first three words last year. The process of coming up with these words was not only an enjoyable and thoughtful experience, but also a source of inspiration throughout the year that helped me make some headway on some of my objectives.
My 3 Words for 2015: Clear. Reach. Embrace.
Clear – both my mental and physical space of clutter. Doing so will enable me to have a more relaxing environment to have both more clarity on my goals, as well as the ability to focus my efforts on achieving them.
“When we clear the physical clutter from our lives, we literally make way for inspiration and ‘good, orderly direction’ to enter,” as per Julia Cameron.
Reach – for projects/tasks and connections beyond my comfort zone. I want to try new things and look at mistakes as a natural part of any learning/new process.
Anne Lamott wisely states: “You have to make mistakes to find out who you aren’t. You take the action, & the insight follows: You don’t think your way into becoming yourself.”
Embrace – myself, as I am, imperfections and all. This will require self-acceptance and loving-kindness (or self-compassion).
According to Sandra Bierig, “To accept ourselves as we are means to value our imperfections as much as our perfections.”
Lastly, please see the above watercolor picture for a visual representation of my three words. I hang the picture up where I can see it first thing in the morning and last thing before I go to bed.
You may want to try hanging your three words, or a visual representation of them. It makes remembering your goals/intentions very easy!
Wishing you all a happy and healthy new year!
Hello Dorlee,
I like that in addition to your powerful 3 Words, you offered tops to ‘boost success at reaching your personal goals.’ All 3 of your tips are meaningful, and whether someone applies 1, or all 3 of the suggestions, they will be more successful than if they simply utter 3 words and walk away for the rest of the year. I know for me, writing things down reinforces them, so blogging, posting on Twitter and Facebook and such help me gain traction.
As to your 3 words:
“Clear” and the explanation you provided truly relaxes me, which is in line with your goal “to have a more relaxing environment” while also being more clear on your goals and achievements. Having met you here (at your blogs) as well as voice to voice via Google Hangouts, I sense your harmonious, calming spirit blended with deep and rigorous intellect; so, blending the two while decluttering the mental and physical space to “make way for inspiration and good, orderly direction to enter” sounds powerful and exciting!
Moreover, “reach” is a wonderful way to describe trying things outside your comfort zone. While I think you already are adept at this, I think striving to do more and be willing to put yourself out there (to make mistakes even, possibly) is admirable and even, at times, intoxicating).
In regard to your 3rd word, I cherish the idea of “embracing” oneself in all of our glory (imperfections and all). The Sandra Bierig quote is thought provoking, as I don’t often think of embracing my imperfections. Thank you for sharing.
Finally, your watercolor representation of your 3 words – and the fact you display it where you see it first thing in the morning and at night before bed is a terrific idea. I still haven’t implemented it, but one of these days (or years), I will. When I do, I will have you to thank for the inspiration.
Wishing YOU a happy and healthy new year as well!
Jacqui
Hi Jacqui,
Thanks so much for your kind and thoughtful feedback. Yes, anything that we can do to reinforce/remind ourselves of our goals, will only help us succeed at achieving them!
Your idea of writing them down is actually a more powerful method than our just using a computer or smartphone to do so. There is a deeper thought process taking place with the handwriting of your thoughts/goals vs. typing them.
This has been found in studies comparing students studying and/or participants of meetings using both types of note-taking methods and in both situations, the amount of information retained, absorbed and understood was far greater for the hand note-taker vs the electronic note-taker.
I love how well you captured and relayed what I’m aiming for with my three words. I feel that they are 3 big goals so I will be very happy if at the end of 2015, I will have made some progress on all three (and actually, I must confess, I’ve already started on two of the three). I will keep my fingers crossed and my picture hanging up for continued positive momentum 🙂
I can’t wait till you decide to take a paintbrush and have some fun. I think you’ll really enjoy it!
Wishing you a wonderful 2015,
Warmly,
Dorlee
Hi Dorlee,
Love your watercolor! The creativity and inspiration should help keep your goals visible!
My three words are: Fresh. Discoverable. Discourse.
I’ve referenced your piece in my blog post!
Cheers for embracing the uniqueness of you in 2015!
Hi Hannah,
Thanks so much. I’m so glad that my watercolor image resonated with you.
I too love your visual representation of your three words on your post!
Fresh. Discoverable. Discourse. It seems like we were on similar wavelengths with two of words/goals! Looking at your post, I see that you chose “fresh” to represent uncluttered and “discourse” as in “speak.”
In other words, your “fresh” is almost a part of my “clear” goal and your “discourse” part of my “reach” objective with respect to individuals, although I’m more in terms of connection and I think you probably are referring to presenting.
Thanks for sharing your three words and referencing my piece in your post!
With much warmth and appreciation,
Dorlee
Dorlee, I have found that when you write your goal down, it makes a difference. I think making a picture representing my goal would keep it in mind daily. In past, as I wrote down weekly tasks I made sure I included at least one step that would move me toward my goal. This helps ensure I am moving forward to meet that goal.
I also liked the fact that you are “reaching for projects beyond your comfort zone.” Doing this made me a whole different person as I took a journey to earn my doctorate.
Hi Robyn,
Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts about what is helpful in terms of helping one achieve one’s goals.
I love your idea of adding in at least one step towards your goal within your tasks for the week. It is truly a way of ensuring you making progress towards your goal.
Thank you for sharing how you were reaching beyond your comfort zone during your PhD journey. In what way(s), may I ask do you feel that the reaching made you a whole different person?
I imagine that doing so increases one’s confidence. Perhaps it also encourages further reach. In essence, each mastery of a challenge facilitates the next one…
Thanks again!
love your 3 words and the collective harmony of your selections. My words for 2015 are Fearless, Voice and Dazz (http://cooldeb.com/3-words-2015). Here’s to 2015!
Thanks so much, Debbie, for sharing your kind feedback as well as your three words for 2015!
Fearless, Voice and Dazz – a very interesting combination
Fearless as in ready to shake things up; voice as in taking a stand and dazz – you introduced to a whole new word/concept!
Wishing you a wonderful new year!
Hello Dorlee,
Love how your art is your guide for 2015. I thought of you when I saw this quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson: “In art, the hand can never execute anything higher than the heart can imagine.” — and you have such a gracious heart!
My 2015 three words are:
Apollo – He is the god of light, poetry, music, healing, and prophecy. A reminder that we thrive not through one thing, but many. This is a year to reach out, discover the new, and incorporate that into our being.
Abundance – Let’s see the world as a bright expanse of lush, green, giving field. From this view, our actions will naturally warm and become nurturing and empathetic.
Aliveness – More of this please: “Everything is of interest to a person who is truly alive, whether it’s a challenge, a loving moment, a bucket of grief, or a glimpse of beauty” ~ Daphne Rose Kingma
Btw, I hope you won’t mind me referencing your post and your art in my upcoming post (to be published by month end) — thought I’d take the cue from Hannah Morgan!
Hugs,
Jackie Yun
Hi Jackie,
Aww, thank you – I most appreciate you and the Ralph Waldo Emerson quote you shared.
I love the three words you chose: Apollo, Abundance and Aliveness. They seem quite apropos the wholehearted way you approach, appreciate and take in life!
I can’t wait to see your post (and no, I won’t mind your kind reference – I’ll only be most flattered!).
Wishing you only the best for the new year in all the realms you are aspiring to discover, nurture and experience!
Hugs,
Dorlee