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My Three Words for 2014

chrisbrogan · January 1, 2014 ·

Ed Brogan, Bodybuilder and Soldier Every year, I go through an exercise where we take three words and use them as the central focus of your goals and efforts for the year to come. Instead of saying “I want to lose 30 pounds” and then forgetting about the goal a day later, I might have something like “green” that reminds me to eat more plant-based foods at every meal, or similar.

The idea is that the words you choose will go past being a simple goal and will become part of the way you identify yourself, and thus, a guiding light for your efforts.

How to Choose Your Three Words

Lots of people pick words that remind them to take a certain action, or to be a certain way. Over the years, I’ve used both methods. Sometimes, my words are a verb. Other times, they’re a bit more complex. The idea is to use the words as triggers for actions you intend to take, and maybe other actions you seek to avoid.

Maybe you want to publish your first book in 2014. That might make one of your words “published.” But the question is, will that remind you DAILY to take an action? Maybe you make the word “300,” as in “write 300 words a day, every day, with no excuses.” See how that works?

Choose three words that reflect every aspect of your life, if you can. If you work too hard on work, your home life and/or your health might suffer. Can you be more holistic in your choices? Maybe the same “300” that reminds you to write your words will elicit the “300” movie, with Spartan warriors, more abs than you can count, and a strong reminder to hit the gym every day. See? Now you’re covering two bases with one word. Heck, maybe you can write your significant other and/or your kids 300 little notes throughout the year to show you love them. Wow! That means you’ve got three parts of your life covered!

And this is important: it has to mean something to you. Who cares if others don’t get it?

My Three Words Of Years Past

2006 – Ask. Do. Share
2007 – Seek. Frame. Build. Bridge (yes, that was 4. It also was a less successful year.)
2008 – Believe. Loops.Farm
2009 – Equip. Armies. Needles
2010 – Ecosystems. Owners. Kings
2011 – Reinvest. Package. Flow
2012 – Temple. Untangle. Practice

Walt. Ender. Monchu

And now…

My Three Words for 2014

Lifestyle – I’m using this to cover my fitness/health efforts, my financial health, my choices in how I spend my time. It’s a big one covering much more than the word usually covers.

Monchu – The network is everything. I’m committed to doing even more for the people I serve in 2014. This is a huge focus for me, my business, my speeches, my pursuits. Oh wait, maybe you don’t know what the word Monchu means.

Black – As in “get in the black.” I don’t mean my finances (though I’ll be working on financial strengthening this coming year), but also my life choices, my ability to build the marketplace to achieve what I can help it accomplish. I mean to invest in my world and grow my capabilities. The general feeling when I say this word in my own head is “all is right with the world.” That’s the goal.

And Now, Your Turn

The very best part of writing this post is asking you for your three words. I’d love to know what YOU want to change in 2014, and how you’ll accomplish it. Feel free to share your three words below, or share a link to your own post about your three words (note: it takes me a while to approve any links in posts, so forgive me any delays). I’m so excited to hear what you come up with for YOUR three words.

And One More Thing

If you’re interested, over 300 really dedicated people have joined the Brave New Year project to expand upon their commitment to their three words, and to accomplish more of their goals in 2014. You won’t only learn all kinds of new actionable techniques for doing more of what you want to do, but you’ll meet 300 or more allies, all dedicated to helping you reach your goals. The friendships inside our little private community are starting to outweigh the value of the course.

Please consider checking out Brave New Year for that next level kind of success. But in any case, please share your three words. I’m eager to know!

Business, Community, How To

My Three Words for 2008

chrisbrogan · January 5, 2008 ·

bee Every year, I work on a personal framework for how I want to frame and then execute my actions. It’s not goal setting, because the goals can change. It’s not resolutions, because those are also end-states. Instead, these are ways to think that help me frame how I’m going to think about and then take action on what I’m faced with. Think of it as a set of tools that I will use to interpret and then interact with the world around me.
These are obviously personal. Yours would be different.
Believe, Loops, and Farm
Each word has more than one meaning to how I intend to use it. I do that on purpose. I think it’s tricky to remember too much at any one time, so I just want three words that act as “zip files” or icons for larger ideas. I can unpack the payload of the ideas for reinforcement, but I can also just use the words as reminders of all that I intend to accomplish through these words.
Believe
In the simplest form, I want to remind myself to believe in what I do. A little deeper, I want to use visualization to believe that things are what I wish them to be, and then construct my execution around these visions. For instance, when I approach getting a new job, I act as if I work for the target company already. I feel it in my belly. That makes me not waste time worrying whether I get the job. I’ve got the job. Instead, I use the conversation to uncover how well we’re going to work together. If it appears we won’t, maybe I’ll quit the job before the interview has even been completed.
There are other ways to unpack believe, but that’s all I’ll share for now.
Loops
Loops is a reminder on a lot of fronts. On one side, I have to realize the full circle of projects better. I have a lot of aptitude for starting things, but not as much to see them through to fully realized execution. In this coming year, I intend to better think out the “idea handles” I give my ideas, and make sure that other people pick up the ideas, and execute them to completion. I’m working with a team of professionals, and a team of eager learners. I simply need to present the full circle of my ideas, and make sure I check things out.
On another front, I need to close loops in my communication better. I can’t have 11 emails to make a meeting. I have to get it done in 2. Why? Because I’m processing over 600 emails a day right now (down to about 520 a day after turning off Twitter notifications of who’s following me). Loops reminds me to be wary of my communications loops.
Farm
This one is the noun and the verb. On one hand, I want to remember the “Law of the Farm,” that things take nurturing and that things need to be grown out of the mundane, the repetitive, and the carefully measured out moments of the passage of time. Because I’m a bit of a leap thinker, I get frustrated by this part of life, but I shouldn’t. Because it doesn’t change. Life progresses naturally, not at the pace I want.
On the other hand, I must be reminded to farm, to tend my gardens, to spend time in the fields, to consider what crops I’m cultivating, and why. What parts of my life matter to me and need tending, and which things need to be weeded out? Am I spending too much time in fields that don’t yield good return? Is there a marketplace for some of my efforts? How will I harvest?
Applying These Words
I’m carrying around a little note with all three words on them. I’ll have them posted on my laptop (when I get back home), and I’ll put them in a few key areas. Repetition of the message is important to me following my goals here. I’ll put them as a permanent visual so that I remember to pay attention to those three focal points.
As I go through decision making, I’ll work on improving my application of the three words to everything I’m passing through. For instance, if someone approaches me for a project, I’ll ask whether I believe in the endpoints. I’ll determine the full circle that needs to be in place if I implement the project, and I will consider whether this project will yield results, and what it will take to tend the project.
I’ve used 3 word tools since 2006, and have had year-after-year success. I’m not sharing my 3 words because YOU need to adopt the same words. I’m sharing the process, because you might find something useful in its telling.
What do you do to frame your thoughts? How do you decide things? What are your ideas on three words to guide your actions?
Photo credit, foxypar4

Social Media

My 3 Words for 2022

chrisbrogan · January 1, 2022 ·

What is My 3 Words About?

The My Three Words idea is simple. Choose 3 words (not 1, not 4) that will help guide your choices and actions day to day. Think of them as lighthouses. “Should I say yes to this project?” “Well, does this align with my three words?”

How to Choose Three Words

I started this process back in 2006. Back then, my 3 words were “Ask. Do. Share.” I picked these very simple words and they served me very well. One of my best years ever. When I asked questions, I learned. When I took action based on what I learned from asking, I made more ground and took over more of the universe. When I shared what I learned with everyone, I made connections and some friends.

Choose any three words you feel will guide you forward. I can tell you a few things about this:

  • Don’t make it a phrase. “Publish the book” is a terrible choice. “The” is wasted.
  • Try to make the words actionable. “Expand” is better than “bigger.”
  • The more utilitarian the word can be, the better. These words have to be your compass.
  • Stick with the 3 words all year. Every time I’ve changed one a month or two later, the year mucks up. I can’t explain it. But I can report it.
  • Years where I’ve tried “fancy” words with layers of meaning, I lost the thread. Use plain words, maybe.
  • BUT the words don’t have to mean anything to anyone but you. Don’t worry about explaining them.

Review Them Daily

The more you review your 3 words, the better. I have mine built into my daily planning guides and action stacks. I try using them for a mantra when I can. Sometimes on walks, I just repeat them over and over. I like to reflect on them and meditate a little with those words in mind.

Past Iterations of My 3 Words

2006 – Ask. Do. Share
2007 – Seek. Frame. Build. Bridge (yes, that was 4. It also was a less successful year.)
2008 – Believe. Loops.Farm
2009 – Equip. Armies. Needles
2010 – Ecosystems. Owners. Kings
2011 – Reinvest. Package. Flow
2012 – Temple. Untangle. Practice
2013 – Walt. Ender. Monchu
2014 – Lifestyle. Monchu. Black.
2015 – Plan. Leverage. Fabric.
2016 – Home. Shine. Win.
2017 – Move.Voice.Game
2018 – Ritual. Execute. Value
2019 – Station. Stacks. Movement.
2020 – Push. Structurequence. Package
2021 – Showrunner, Monk Options

And now, let’s look at 2022

My 3 Words for 2022

Scout – I don’t often choose nouns, but I do when I want to pack some pointers into words that will guide me through an intention within an identity. A scout fits my role as Chief of Staff at Appfire, because my job is to move ahead of the main troops, to survey the landscape, to recommend paths of action, and to communicate a cohesive plan based on what I bring back. In my profession, that makes sense. The most famous scouts in the real world were also very physically capable, so I’m tucking my obligations to get my health back into this word. It has to carry a lot. (And yes, “scout” is also a verb – thanks, Samantha!)

Co-Create – This idea is a lot more simple than scout: what do I intend to co-create with other people in any given situation? When I work with the Executive Leadership Team at Appfire, I tell myself certain things before going into my meetings. When I talk to owners with Rob Hatch, I set out to co-create a very different type of experience. Sometimes, with my kids, I get a bit lost in the actual intentions of the moment, so this relates to me there as well. My job is to co-create situations where my kids can grow and thrive, as best as I can.

Pluses – This one’s the hardest for me to explain to you because I’m still working on it. I’m practicing a concept that’s between “manifestation” and also intentional living, and as part of that, I’m learning how to spin up and maintain a flywheel of positive energy. The enemies to that kind of energy are many: people having a rough day, negative people, situations where you have to wait on others to catch up to a checkpoint, and on and on.

This idea, roughly, is to seek out the pluses (+) in every day’s opportunities. If I hit a wall or a roadblock, waste NO time, but instead go around, switch tasks, move to the next state of being. If something bad happens, shrug it off and find the next plus.

This one will be the hardest of all 3, but if I pull it off, all will go rather interestingly for me in 2022.

What Are YOUR Words for 2022?

It’s your turn: either type up a blog post, or share it wherever you like to share. Use the hashtag #my3words to find other people’s shared experiences, and if you’re a last minute person, don’t worry. Start when you’re ready.

See you in 2022.

Community

My 3 Words for 2021

chrisbrogan · January 1, 2021 ·

Thank BUDDHA that it’s 2021! Since 2006, I’ve been recommending that people choose 3 words to guide their actions and choices over the year to come. You’ve shared with me 14 years of your experiences with more to come, I want to share with you how this works because I want you to choose your own 3 words and share them around. (We use the hashtag #my3words when sharing so that others can find your examples.)

What is My 3 Words About?

The My Three Words idea is simple. Choose 3 words (not 1, not 4) that will help guide your choices and actions day to day. Think of them as lighthouses. “Should I say yes to this project?” “Well, does this align with my three words?”

How to Choose Three Words

I started this process back in 2006. Back then, my 3 words were “Ask. Do. Share.” I picked these very simple words and they served me very well. One of my best years ever. When I asked questions, I learned. When I took action based on what I learned from asking, I made more ground and took over more of the universe. When I shared what I learned with everyone, I made connections and some friends.

Choose any three words you feel will guide you forward. I can tell you a few things about this:

  • Don’t make it a phrase. “Publish the book” is a terrible choice. “The” is wasted.
  • Try to make the words actionable. “Expand” is better than “bigger.”
  • The more utilitarian the word can be, the better. These words have to be your compass.
  • Stick with the 3 words all year. Every time I’ve changed one a month or two later, the year mucks up. I can’t explain it. But I can report it.
  • Years where I’ve tried “fancy” words with layers of meaning, I lost the thread. Use plain words, maybe.
  • BUT the words don’t have to mean anything to anyone but you. Don’t worry about explaining them.

Review Them Daily

The more you review your 3 words, the better. I have mine built into my daily planning guides and action stacks. I try using them for a mantra when I can. Sometimes on walks, I just repeat them over and over. I like to reflect on them and meditate a little with those words in mind.

Past Iterations of My 3 Words

2006 – Ask. Do. Share
2007 – Seek. Frame. Build. Bridge (yes, that was 4. It also was a less successful year.)
2008 – Believe. Loops.Farm
2009 – Equip. Armies. Needles
2010 – Ecosystems. Owners. Kings
2011 – Reinvest. Package. Flow
2012 – Temple. Untangle. Practice
2013 – Walt. Ender. Monchu
2014 – Lifestyle. Monchu. Black.
2015 – Plan. Leverage. Fabric.
2016 – Home. Shine. Win.
2017 – Move.Voice.Game
2018 – Ritual. Execute. Value
2019 – Station. Stacks. Movement.
2020 – Push. Structurequence. Package

And My 3 Words for 2021 Are:

Showrunner – Not only do I mean this literally. I’m running The Backpack Show and at least three other shows in 2021, I’m using the concept of a showrunner to explain how businesses need to think about their brand strategically in all their communications, marketing, and interactions. It’s a big word for me in 2021, so I’m not worried that I’ll falter on it.

Monk – 2020 gave us the gift of a lot less noise. We thus could see where our lives were still a bit too messy. I plan to operate far more intentionally and simply in several areas of my life. For instance, I’ll get rid of my car entirely (Lyft’s fine for how rarely I need an actual ride). I’ll pare my wardrobe down to 6 of everything and just do a load of laundry on day 6. I’ll eat simply. I’ll meditate and journal (I started 12.9.20 and going strong so far.)

Options – Somewhere near the end of 2020, I reflected that “leadership is option management.” If your team has too many options, they lose focus and flounder. If they feel stuck (lack of options), they feel pressure and anxiety. I survived 2020 because of always seeking the option. Looking for a next move. Those next moves kept me housed and fed in 2020. I’ll do even better with my options in 2021.

Your Turn

Share your #my3words ideas on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, wherever. Spread them far and wide. This gets SO much more fun when I get to see your words and hear their meanings, and understand how you plan to make your 2021 amazing. Remember to use the hashtag so that all of us can find it. Okay?

—

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Marketing

My 3 Words for 2020

chrisbrogan · January 1, 2020 ·

Happy 2020! Since 2006, I’ve been recommending that people choose 3 words to guide their actions and choices over the year to come. With over 13 years of experience and more to come, I want to share with you how this works because I want you to choose your own 3 words and share them around. (We use the hashtag #my3words when sharing so that others can find your examples.)

What is My 3 Words About?

The My Three Words idea is simple. Choose 3 words (not 1, not 4) that will help guide your choices and actions day to day. Think of them as lighthouses. “Should I say yes to this project?” “Well, does this align with my three words?”

How to Choose Three Words

I started this process back in 2006. Back then, my 3 words were “Ask. Do. Share.” I picked these very simple words and they served me very well. One of my best years ever. When I asked questions, I learned. When I took action based on what I learned from asking, I made more ground and took over more of the universe. When I shared what I learned with everyone, I made connections and some friends.

Choose any three words you feel will guide you forward. I can tell you a few things about this:

  • Don’t make it a phrase. “Publish the book” is a terrible choice. “The” is wasted.
  • Try to make the words actionable. “Expand” is better than “bigger.”
  • The more utilitarian the word can be, the better. These words have to be your compass.
  • Stick with the 3 words all year. Every time I’ve changed one a month or two later, the year mucks up. I can’t explain it. But I can report it.
  • Years where I’ve tried “fancy” words with layers of meaning, I lost the thread. Use plain words, maybe.
  • BUT the words don’t have to mean anything to anyone but you. Don’t worry about explaining them.

Review Them Daily

The more you review your 3 words, the better. I have mine built into my daily planning guides and action stacks. I try using them for a mantra when I can. Sometimes on walks, I just repeat them over and over. I like to reflect on them and meditate a little with those words in mind.

Past Iterations of My 3 Words

2006 – Ask. Do. Share
2007 – Seek. Frame. Build. Bridge (yes, that was 4. It also was a less successful year.)
2008 – Believe. Loops.Farm
2009 – Equip. Armies. Needles
2010 – Ecosystems. Owners. Kings
2011 – Reinvest. Package. Flow
2012 – Temple. Untangle. Practice
2013 – Walt. Ender. Monchu
2014 – Lifestyle. Monchu. Black.
2015 – Plan. Leverage. Fabric.
2016 – Home. Shine. Win.
2017 – Move.Voice.Game
2018 – Ritual. Execute. Value
2019 – Station. Stacks. Movement.

And My 3 Words for 2020 Are:

Push – This one is so simple. Every day, push. Do something. Move forward. Push. Bring your efforts forward a notch. Even if it’s a little notch, do it. Contact some prospects. Swing the kettlebells. Make media. Push. I’ve got a good feeling about this word.

Structurequence – Yes. I made this word up. Yes, it’s cheating (kinda). Structure and sequence. The point is that structure doesn’t mean much without sequence. They go together. When I build structures for companies or myself, I need to bake the sequence into everything I create. Structure and sequence had a baby and this is it.

Package – I will do a much better job showing the labeling, the edges, the decoration, and the careful consideration of what I’m creating. This reminds me not to be so much an improv guy and instead be a polished guy. It tells me to put the extra effort in and wear the button down instead of the tee shirt. This one has been a long time coming.

Your Turn. What are YOUR 3 Words for 2020?

This process is a million times more fun if you share your 3 words as well. If you have a blog, I recommend writing a post and sharing it. If not, it’s okay. Just tweet or post on Facebook or whatever makes you cheery. Use the hashtag #my3words so that others (like me) can find what you’ve got to share. I love hearing people’s three words every year. It’s truly one of the best parts of every year for me.

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