As many of you know, I’ve been blogging roughly once a week for almost seven years now. One of my annual traditions is to use Chris Brogan’s “My Three Words” concept around the New Year. Chris discourages resolutions or extensive strategic planning, probably because of this thing called follow-through. Instead, he encourages his readers to simply identify three words that will serve as a theme for the coming year.
Last year, my three words were “Connect,” “Plan,” and “Uni-tasking.” These touchstones served me well. While I certainly wouldn’t give myself a perfect score for the year, I think I did a reasonably good job connecting with the people who are important to me, sticking to my plans, and uni-tasking more often (thereby multi-tasking less).
As I look ahead to 2017, three different words come to mind:

• Expand (Think bigger, grow faster, and stop sweating the small stuff.)
• Enjoy (Take time for those delicious moments that, unless seized, can disappear into the busy whirlwind of daily activity.)
• Truth (Say what I mean and feel. Engage in straight talk more often.)

Your turn. If you think the “Three Words” concept will add focus and meaning to your 2017, I encourage you to think them up, write them down and reference them throughout the year. If you’re like me, you’ll find that they serve as an effective and manageable compass to guide you through the next 365 days.

Authored by David Ackert