My 3 Words for 2016

Following the example of my friend Chris Brogan, who does this exercise every year, I decided to choose three words to help through my choices and projects for 2016.

In the past I tried coming up with new year’s resolutions. It never worked… They’re too vague and often are not followed through on.

In the last few years I focused on setting projects, or smart goals for each year.  They were better than resolutions! However, things can change a lot in 365 days, and while you can work hard to be very specific about your projects on January 1st, I found that within a few weeks I had found a better way to achieve a similar goal, and a project would have to be scrapped.

This year I’ll do something different: I’m focusing on three words.  They all start with “s” to help me remember.  Here they are:

Service

This is something I have been wanting to work on for a while. I want to get better at having a service mindset.

Left to my own devices, I have a tendency to want to be served. Yeah, gotta change that.

This is a virtue I want to work on, and I want to get better at it by choosing goals and projects that will help me exercise it.

And I mean service for the sake of service: I want to focus on serving others without an expectation of something in return.

Choosing to work at Automattic is something that falls right in-line with this.

My ongoing work with the Project Management for the Masses Podcast will also continue to provide me with an opportunity to serve others.

And of course, I can do a much better job at home by being more available to help Amy and the kids in whatever they need.

Simplicity

This is the year I’m getting rid of stuff.

I needed tons of tools, papers, folders, gadgets, vehicles, safety gear, and a myriad of other stuff before. Now, my current job requires only a laptop and an internet connection.

I’m looking at this new situation as an opportunity to simplify other areas of my life.

This will mean selling a few things, donating a few others, and trashing a whole lot of junk.

It also means I’ll be tackling fewer projects than years before.  I have recently realized that I’ve just had too much on my plate.  I pursued too many different goals, which led to too many projects, which led to a few more grey hairs.

This year I’ll keep it simple.

And finally,

Strength

I’ve been neglecting my body for way too long.  I’m feeling tired, with low energy, a bit fat, and just ooooold.

It’s time to change that.

This is the year I incorporate exercise to my routine. A combination of not being able to catch up with my kids’ energy levels and the amazing transformation that my friend Cliff has gone through, I feel finally that enough is enough.  It’s time to get moving.

I am going to start by hitting the gym twice a week.  When the weather gets a bit warmer, I will go back to running on a semi-daily basis and also will start doing some biking.

At the end of this year I’ll feel 1o years younger than I feel today.

I’m sharing this publicly so you can help me with accountability.

If you’re willing, please share below what you are working on in 2016.  I’ll be happy to keep you accountable as well 🙂