3 Words To Guide Me in 2018

BROADER AND LAYERED
Once again I have chosen 3 words to guide me as I begin a new year. I also have goals written for my business and some personal goals. Yet, I have found a lot of power in choosing 3 words to guide me each year. They are posted on my computer, my refrigerator, my bathroom mirror, and placed on the bottom of all my PowerPoint presentations that I do. Goals are great and tend to be very specific. My 3 words are broader and have layered meanings to them.

PUTTING IT OUT TO THE UNIVERSE
Having these words visible throughout my day and in a variety of physical locations keeps them fresh in my mind. The power of the universe is great and by focusing on 3 words and what they mean to me…and seeing those words throughout my day, is sending a message to the universe and myself that they are important.

FEELS RIGHT
So how do I find my words? Or better yet, how do my words find me?

I have been taking a ‘tech-free’ retreat day at least 4 – 6 times a year now. This is a day that I spend out of my office, away from my house, where I journal, draft blogs, meditate, think, go for walks, read books and journals, and simplify my work life for the day.

At my retreat in November, I reviewed my journal for 2017 to see if there were any themes that came out to me. I discovered and wrote down 7- 10 words. For the next month I spent some time thinking about those words…the meaning of the word in a variety of contexts…how it felt…

Over time the words reach out to me.

Here are my 3 words and a little about what they mean to me.

REACH:
As I come up to my 6th Anniversary of being full-time with Peak-Careers Consulting (Feb 3), I feel that this is the year to push myself a bit and to stretch for some new things in my business and life. I want to do some webinars this year and convert my YouTube interviews to PodCasts so that more people can listen to them. I am quite proud of these 15-20 interviews with a wide variety of people.

There are other areas of my business and life that this word will apply to as well and I will probably be surprised at what other areas it percolates into.

CAPACITY:
Along with reach comes a realization that I do have a capacity issue. How many seminars can I run at one time? How many blogs can I write? How many career coaching clients can I see each month? How many different social media platforms can I be on? How many FCD classes can I teach each year? AND provide quality content.

Capacity. This was an issue raised by a person from SCORE a few years ago, and I’ve never forgotten it.

Providing quality content for career practitioners is what I am most proud of and want to continue to provide. To do so requires a real awareness of my capacity.

I have had a Virtual Assistant, Jessie, for 2 ½ years now, one of the best moves I ever made. In 2015 I really thought I could not afford to hire a VA. But the reality was (and is), I could not afford to NOT hire someone to help. She has really helped with my capacity. I now have two people helping me with Peak-Careers, freeing up time for me to write and deliver services.

Whenever I find something on my “To Do” list that keeps moving from day to day, I ask myself, can someone else do this for me? Because the reality is, if it keeps moving down my “To Do” list, it is probably something I don’t want to do.

CONSISTENCY:
I realize the importance of routines now more than ever. Dr. Nancy Schlossberg’s Transition Theory speaks to the impact of any transition on a person’s roles, relationships, and routines.

My morning routine is what sets my day up. I start most days doing a Qi Gong practice. I have two different ones that I mix up and it begins my day with focusing on my body and mind…stretching, moving, and being mindful about the moment. I then journal about whatever is on my mind both personally and professionally. This too helps focus me for the day.

Consistency is also important in my writing, delivery of content, newsletters, blogs, and everything I do for Peak-Careers. People in the Peak-Careers community are looking for information to help them in their work and I have a style that works for me, that they like as well. It is important that I be consistent in what I do so people know who I am and what they can expect from me.

What words do you want to ‘send out to the universe’ this year?

Look for my interview next week with Chris Brogan who is the person who turned me onto this “3 Words” practice.

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Jim Peacock is the Principal at Peak-Careers Consulting and writes a weekly career news email for career practitioners. Peak-Careers offers discussion-based online seminars for career practitioners focused on meeting continuing education needs for CCSP, GCDF and BCC certified professionals as well as workshops for career practitioners and individual career coaching. He is the author of A Field Guide for Career Practitioners: Helping Your Clients Create Their Next Move

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