Last year, I started following in Chris Brogan’s footsteps by doing a blog post called “3 words.” (Here’s this year’s post by Chris.)
Here’s a few others to check out:
- Mitch Joel
- Christopher Penn
- C.C. Chapman
- Cecily Kellogg
- Gloria Bell
Now that you get the concept, here are my 3 words for 2014, but first…
My 3 words from 2013
My 3 words last year were: Hungry, Focused, Breakout. I think I managed to live each of these three themes successfully in 2013.
I played 2013 with a ferocious hunger to win and extreme focus (enabled by technology, medication, and intense commitment).
Breakout wound up taking on a slightly different form than I anticipated. The biggest reason is that even though I worked at it all year, I think the actual breaking out, happened in the last 2 months of the year.
My 3 words for 2014
My 3 words for 2014, much like last year, could be words for life, not just a single year. But to be words for life, the words first need to be the theme for a year (because there’s no way I’m going to stop being hungry, focused and aspiring to break out).
Balance
Last year, I took my first vacation in 4 years. It was significant.
- I remembered why I work so hard in the first place.
- I was reminded that life is about more than work.
- I was haunted by the impact that my workaholism may have had on my marriage.
- I was shaken by how little quality time I’d actually spent with my mom, my dad and step-mom, and my dog.
This year I want to be more balanced. Work must be one component, not the only component.
I also spent a lot of this past year building systems so that I could do more of the work I enjoy, and less of the work that I don’t. Delegating more effectively should allow me to feel more balanced.
Growth
This year, we grow.
- We grow revenue
- We grow our team
- We grow our client list
- We grow our impact on the world
This year, everything grows.
Love
Sure, this is a universal one, right? Here’s why I’m choosing love as a theme for this year.
Last year was both an amazing year for me and a tough one.
My marriage fell apart and I got divorced (both good and bad). Divorce (obviously) can have a profound impact on your emotional state. As a result, I don’t think I put nearly enough love out into the world.
My other 2 words are destined to fail if I do not put more love into the world.
I cannot feel balanced if I am not loving to those around me. My friends deserve more, my family deserves more, my dog deserves more, and equally important, I deserve more.
I cannot grow if I am not injecting more love into my work. I already put my heart and soul into what I do, but I know there is more. I left some in the tank last year and I’m not doing that again. This year, I play til I’m on empty; that great and delightful emptiness.