It’s day 9 of the new year and over the past week I have been bombarded with that age old question, “what’s your new year’s resolution?”, and I have been inundated, online, with unsolicited advice on how to fulfill some of the more common resolutions. So once again, I got out my notebook (somehow this old-fashioned method just seems more official.) to make the list. As I flipped the pages to find a blank sheet, I came across my list for 2010 and glanced through them. Ugh, about three-quarters of the items were not accomplished, and worse, they were at the forefront of what I wanted to get done this year.
“The definition of insanity: doing the same things over and over but expecting different results.” Albert Einstein
This time of year can be conducive to a couple of things, 1) micro-examining your life and 2) feeling depressed about certain aspects of your life. Every year it’s the same cycle: of making resolutions, breaking them, chastising yourself for not following through, forgetting about them, and then bringing them up again at the year end. Einstein may have been on to something; it is insane.
After reading my list for 2010 I was a bit perplexed as to how I was going to achieve my goals, but I was excited when I finally came across an idea that will break the cycle: choosing 3 words that will be my guiding pillars for the year.
I am a techie nerd and a social media addict, so I am constantly exposed to ideas from people who are leaders in their industry. One of my favorites is Chris Brogan. His words have inspired much of what I do to enhance our site, and yesterday his post titled, “My 3 Words for 2011”, opened my eyes to a viable way to actually make the changes I want to see in my life.
As you read Chris’s post, I want you to think about the positive changes that you can make in how you deal with living with vitiligo.
The post below is re-printed with permission from Chris Brogan.
Every year, I come up with three words that will be my guiding pillars for what I will focus on in the coming year. Instead of resolutions, which don’t usually help me very much, I work hard on using these words as a lighthouse for my actions and efforts. Here are my 3 words for 2011:
Reinvest. Package. Flow.
Reinvest – I will reinvest in my efforts in all areas of life that matter to me. I won’t phone it in. I have some fitness goals. I can’t keep playing at it. I have some financial goals that will be met. I have community goals that require me to reinvest in my projects and not take on new things.
Package – I just wrote about packaging the other day. Essentially, I’m going to get my own marketing house in order. I’m going to make sure things make sense, make sure they are easy to understand, and make sure that the right people know about them. Packaging will have other meanings, too, but this one is important to me in 2011.
Flow – In the last few months of 2010, I came to realize that I’m still doing too much. I went into redrawing mode yet again. One thing I have to do much better in 2011 is manage flow: that state of working on the most important stuff and eliminating distractions. I’ve cut a lot out of my original plans for 2011. I’ll surely cut a little more. The end result? Things will come out much better. I’ll have less stress. Things will flow nicely.
3 Words Aren’t Goals
The three words idea is built so that you can have something to reflect upon. As you know, goals should be SMART ( Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely). The way you use the two together is that you think up goals that will match up to your words. For instance, one goal of mine in 2011 that ties to “reinvest” is to lose 50 pounds over 10 months. 5 pounds a month is specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely.
There you go.
And You?
What are your three words for 2011? How will you guide your actions?
My 3 words are: action, focus, simplify