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2016 My Three Words

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I have been inspired by Chris Brogan’s blog that he has been doing for ten years where he chooses 3 words to guide him through his year. I have also spoken with my good friend Sabrina Woods about this in the past and decided that this year was my year to do this.

New Year’s resolutions and goals are great but I really like Chris Brogan’s idea of choosing three words that you can remember and that guide you in your decisions and thoughts throughout the year. As I approach my 4th anniversary of full-time with Peak-Careers Consulting, this exercise “feels” right to me. I’ve learned so much about owning my own business since 2012 and each year gets clearer to me. Each year I’ve grown and I can only hope that 2016 continues to that trend.

Here are my three words and what they mean to me.

  • HEALTH
  • FOCUS
  • MINDFULNESS
[Read more…] about 2016 My Three Words

My Three Guiding Words in 2022

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A couple of weeks ago, I took my “tech-free retreat” which I try to fit in monthly. My focus was on choosing my three guiding words for the upcoming year. December’s retreat was scheduled on a day that turned out to be our first real snowstorm of the year. Hence, it became a half-day retreat, not my typical full day one. I’ve lost access to an office I was using for my retreats, so I spent the morning at Selah Tea Cafe downtown Waterville where I worked on my three words for 2022.

I had planned to move to my other favorite coffee shop, Jorgenson’s Cafe, at noon, but they closed early. My next back up plan was to hang out in the Waterville Public Library on the 3rd floor which has a wonderful room with lots of windows looking over downtown Waterville…but alas, they closed due to the storm as well.

All was not lost as I still did lots of thinking and writing, and came up with my three guiding words for the year.

First off, let me share my words from past years. Each word still resonates with me at some level. They were important to me then and still are now as a clue to who I am and who I want to be.

2016 – Health ★ Mindfulness ★ Focus

2017 – Intentional ★ Authentic ★ Wellness

2018 – Reach ★ Capacity ★ Consistency

2019 – Reflection ★ Purposeful ★ Gratitude

2020 – Philanthropy ★ Rebalance ★ Strategic

2021 – Be ★ Kindness ★ Understanding

Here are my three guiding words for 2022 and a little of the reasoning behind each one.

Three Guiding Words: Balance Positivity Community

Balance

In 2020 I used “rebalance” which is similar, but as I looked ahead to 2022 and reflected back on 2021, I kept coming back to the guiding word of “balance.” A few years ago I was trying to rebalance, to make a bigger change. Now looking at this word the meaning feels more like balancing with smaller more permanent changes.

Like a few years ago, I am still interested in reducing the actual number of hours I spend working each week. My wife retired this past year and I am trying hard to spend more time with her. We have already gone to a number of matinees during the week, and occasionally taken some time off “just to hang out.” I want to explore this balance more in the upcoming year while continuing to add value in the career field.

Positivity

Ted Lasso inspired me on this one. Special thanks to my backpacking buddy, Howard who turned me on to the Ted Lasso show in September. I came home from our backpacking trip in Vermont and my wife and I watched both seasons this fall.

Ted Lasso is positive, unassuming, funny, and has a HUGE heart. Each episode had me laughing, crying, and often surprised at what happened.

Humor has always been a big part of my life. I want to BE a positive influence on others and I want to be as upbeat as I can every day. Life is too short to be any other way and the past couple of years have been difficult daily to navigate…sometimes I just have to stop reading articles and move on.

Community

As I think back to what I loved working on this past year, I found myself reflecting on the many zoom calls with people in the career field, many of who were thinking about going into private practice or exploring their own career development related to our field. I really want to continue to help other career practitioners and love the idea of figuring out where I want to spend my time in the career community.

I am also looking at my local community here in Central Maine to figure out where I might spend some time and energy. Of course, I also have a community of family, cousins, and friends that I want to continue to nurture.

In February I will share the process I used in choosing these three guiding words. Yes, it happened mostly on my retreat, but this year I did something a little different. I will also write more about what each word means to me in the coming months.

Have you chosen three guiding words for 2022?

If so, what are they and what do they mean to you?

Read how I choose my words this year.

Jim Peacock is the Principal at Peak-Careers Consulting and writes a weekly 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 and The Adventure of Finding Me in New Zealand. He is also the recipient of the 2020 Kenneth C. Hoyt Award from the National Career Development Association and the Mid-Atlantic Career Counseling Association’s Professional Contribution’s Award in 2020.

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INTERVIEW: Our 3 Guiding Words for 2022

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Another Peak-Careers INTERVIEW  talking about what are our three words to guide us are in 2022? Why do this? and How do we do it?

In 2016 I heard about Chris Brogan’s annual activity he did choosing 3 words to guide him throughout the year. Ever since then I have been choosing my words, writing them down in my journal daily, posting them in front of me, and thinking about them every day. Since then, a number of people in my network have joined me in this yearly process.

Guests today are (Sue) Soon-Lan Lee Switzer, a certified career development practitioner in Canada and Sheila Taylor,  a nationally certified career counselor.

*Read my blog on my 3 words. (Read Now)

Watch / Listen Now

Bio’s

Sue. Her full name is Soon-Lan Lee Switzer was born and raised in Korea and moved to Canada in November 2007. Sue is a certified career development practitioner, human resources management, and essential skills training as working at a college on the west coast of Canada as an educator and research project facilitator. Sue is currently completing her own studies in the field of student-centered leadership in higher education. Sue serves as Vice President of the United Nations Association of Canada in the Vancouver region. Sue is highly dedicated in the community to achieve the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals. [Her words are Hope, Presence, and Connection].

Sheila Taylor is a nationally certified career counselor. She works with high school and college students, and early career clients that are struggling to identify their vocation. By helping her clients move from frustration and confusion to become energized and hopeful, they are empowered to pursue careers that complement their strengths. For leisure, she and her husband enjoy traveling in a small RV in search of beautiful vistas and hiking trails. [Her words are Finish, Optimism, and Community].

Jim Peacock is the Principal at Peak-Careers Consulting and writes a weekly 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 and The Adventure of Finding Me in New Zealand. He is also the recipient of the 2020 Kenneth C. Hoyt Award from the National Career Development Association and the Mid-Atlantic Career Counseling Association’s Professional Contribution’s Award in 2020.

Sign up to receive my TOP 10 TIPS WHEN WORKING WITH AN UNDECIDED PERSON. You will also receive the career practitioner’s weekly email on a variety of career topics, industry news, interesting events, and more. (Sign up)

Interview: Following up on My 3 Words for 2021

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Instead of writing New Year’s Resolutions or goals, since 2016, I choose three words to guide me each year. In January of this year, I interviewed four people about how they choose their 3 words and what those words mean to them. I wanted to follow up with them on how their 3-word activity is going six months later.

If you have not watched the January interview, you may want to begin with that one to understand “How they choose them” and “what the words mean to them.” (Watch January Interview).

In this June interview, I asked them how it was going and if there were any surprises. It was so great to circle back with these folks and hear how powerful this activity really is.

3 Words to Guide
WATCH NOW

Note: You can read my blog explaining my guiding words and how I choose them this year. (READ NOW)

BIOs of the interviewees

Candina “Dina” Janicki is a Global Career Development Facilitator , Certified Career Services Provider, and a Certified Professional Resume Writer with a specialty in the Military Community. Dina works as a Project Operations Manager and Career Development Manager, aiding transitioning service members through the Microsoft Software and Systems Academy (MSSA). She has been a military spouse for 20+ years and volunteers her time to aid other military spouses and veterans through mentorship and career development assistance. She has also authored the article, “Opportunity Found: Chaos Theory for Military Spouse Employment” which talks about the Advantages of Chaos Theory of Careers for Aiding Military Spouses. (Opportunity Found: Chaos Theory for Military Spouse Employment (ncda.org)) . Connect with Dina on LinkedIn

Renée Beaupré White is passionate about helping individuals explore their interests and develop their skills. With more than 30 years’ experience in career counseling in higher education, Renee is highly skilled at assisting students and adults in career exploration, development, transition, and the job search process.  As the current Director of Career Services at Castleton University, her alma mater, Renee is also a part-time career coach at Proctor Jr. Sr. High School.

Rob Hatch is the co-founder and president of Owner Media Group, providing strategies and skills for the modern business. He brings a unique blend of knowledge and background in the field of Human Development with his experience as a successful business leader and executive coach, and his weekly newsletter is read by tens of thousands of individuals all over the world. As a speaker, trainer, and coach, Rob works primarily with business leaders and teams, guiding them through critical transitions in their organization. He’s the best-selling author of “Attention! The power of simple decisions in a distracted world.”

Jim Peacock is the Principal at Peak-Careers Consulting and writes a weekly 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 and The Adventure of Finding Me in New Zealand. He is also the recipient of the 2020 Kenneth C. Hoyt Award from the National Career Development Association and the Mid-Atlantic Career Counseling Association’s Professional Contribution’s Award in 2020.

Sign up here to receive my  TOP 10 TIPS WHEN WORKING WITH AN UNDECIDED PERSON.  You will also receive the career practitioner’s weekly email on a variety of career topics, industry news, interesting events, and more. 

Interview – Guiding Words in 2021

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Each year I choose three guiding words that I focus on each day. Sending this “out to the universe” and thinking about these words seems to create opportunities that build on each word.

Listen to this interview with four other people who also do this practice of choosing guiding words. Learn what their words are for 2021 and how they choose them.

powerpoint slide 3 words to guide me
WATCH / LISTEN NOW

Read my blog explaining my guiding words and how I choose them this year. (READ NOW)

BIOs of the interviewees

Candina “Dina” Janicki is a Global Career Development Facilitator , Certified Career Services Provider, and a Certified Professional Resume Writer with a specialty in the Military Community. Dina works as a Project Operations Manager and Career Development Manager, aiding transitioning service members through the Microsoft Software and Systems Academy (MSSA). She has been a military spouse for 20+ years and volunteers her time to aid other military spouses and veterans through mentorship and career development assistance. She has also authored the article, “Opportunity Found: Chaos Theory for Military Spouse Employment” which talks about the Advantages of Chaos Theory of Careers for Aiding Military Spouses. (Opportunity Found: Chaos Theory for Military Spouse Employment (ncda.org)) . Connect with Dina on LinkedIn

Renée Beaupré White is passionate about helping individuals explore their interests and develop their skills. With more than 30 years’ experience in career counseling in higher education, Renee is highly skilled at assisting students and adults in career exploration, development, transition, and the job search process.  As the current Director of Career Services at Castleton University, her alma mater, Renee is also a part-time career coach at Proctor Jr. Sr. High School.

Celeste J. Hall, M.Ed, currently works with the Virginia Community College System providing training and support to their state-wide career coaching program for students in high schools and community colleges.  Her education career includes classroom teaching and roles as a school counselor and career counselor in high schools and a technical center. She is currently a Trustee representing School Career Counselors and Specialists for the National Career Development Association. Celeste has been involved in the Virginia Career Development Association, her local counseling association, the Virginia Counselors Association, Virginia School Counseling Association and a member of the American School Counseling Association. She is a FCD and SCDA Instructor and holds both the CCSP and GCDF career credentials.

Rob Hatch is the co-founder and president of Owner Media Group, providing strategies and skills for the modern business. He brings a unique blend of knowledge and background in the field of Human Development with his experience as a successful business leader and executive coach, and his weekly newsletter is read by tens of thousands of individuals all over the world. As a speaker, trainer, and coach, Rob works primarily with business leaders and teams, guiding them through critical transitions in their organization. He’s the best-selling author of “Attention! The power of simple decisions in a distracted world.”

Jim Peacock is the Principal at Peak-Careers Consulting and writes a weekly 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 and the recipient of the 2020 Kenneth C. Hoyt Award from the National Career Development Association.

Sign up here to receive my  TOP 10 TIPS WHEN WORKING WITH AN UNDECIDED PERSON.  You will also receive the career practitioner’s weekly email on a variety of career topics, industry news, interesting events, and more. 

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3 Words to Guide Me in 2021

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Since 2016, I have chosen 3 words to guide me through the year, rather than doing a New Year’s resolution. I find the words somehow lead me to new ideas and actions. Often they are reinforcing thoughts important to me, but there is real power in “sending the message out to the universe.”  I distinctly remember in 2017 my word “authentic” continued to come back to me when other people would say to me things like, “what I really like about your work is it feels so authentic.” Yeah, that happened at least twice that year.

Once again, I spent time on my December day-long retreat to think about 2021 and the 3 words I want to guide me this year. As I reflected on 2020, I felt that my two words “rebalance” and “strategic” guided me well. 

“Philanthropy” did not live up to what I had hoped. I did provide more pro bono career coaching and I had begun to do some career development workshops for the local Boy’s and Girl’s Club and then Covid hit and put an end to that. I did volunteer at the local food pantry once, but was uncomfortable with the close quarters it required…I am just not ready yet. 

I reviewed my journal for the year looking for themes and words that repeated themselves. No surprise, COVID was repeated many times but there was quite a bit of writing about anxiety as well. With the pandemic, social injustice, and the divisive elections, my life seemed to have an undercurrent of anxiety all the time.  2020 is best viewed in the rear view mirror, I believe.

After much thought about the past year and where I want to be in the next year, I have landed on these three words to guide me in 2021.

Understanding ★ Kindness ★ Be

3 words to guide me

UNDERSTANDING

Understanding ★ As I think about our divided nation, I struggle with understanding the many friends and family who are so different from me politically. I try hard to see their perspective on so many issues, from Trump vs Democrats, mask vs no-mask, and more. I hope that this word will begin to guide me toward learning how they think, what they think, and what motivates them, in order to find some common ground.

The blatant social injustice that is going on in our country hurts me deeply. I have tried to better understand how I have been a part of that injustice in the past and currently, and what I can do to help change it in the future. I have made it a practice to read on this topic, watch TedTalks that enlighten me, and follow people who are speaking about this, like Baratunde Thurston and others, as a way to help me understand the issues. Understanding the issues is the first step in being able to make change.

KINDNESS

Kindness ★  “Be kind to one another” is how Ellen DeGeneres ended her talk show for years. It is a simple statement and simple to follow her advice. Along with understanding people, I feel like the word kindness will guide me forward even when I don’t understand. Maybe it will help me understand people better, maybe it won’t, but if I lead with kindness first and always keep it at the forefront of what I do, it will help me be a better person. 

There were times this year that I didn’t feel kind towards everyone. There were people saying and doing things that offended me and my first reaction was negative. I want my first reactions to be kindness first. 2020 was a very difficult year for so many people, financially, socially, mentally, and more. I want to do whatever small things I can to be kind to others and hopefully make their day a little bit better if I can.

BE

Be ★   This word spoke to me. I rejected it initially thinking it was too small and did not carry the meaning of my three words over the years. But then I realized the power of this word in guiding me daily through 2021. I want to be present more. I want to be in the moment at all times. I want to be authentic in how I approach life…in all things I do. 

For me the opposite of this word is the “shoulds,” the “want to do’s,” and the “maybe’s. ” As I thought about all the times I say to myself I “should” do something or I “want” to do something, I hope to take those future oriented words and convert my thinking to the present…to be here, wherever that is and with whoever I am with. I want to be me at all times.

Those are my three words for 2021 and below are my three words for the past five years. I have printed them off and tape them to my bathroom mirror, the fridge, my photocopier in my office, and I will begin each journal entry by writing them down before I start journaling. This way I start each day thinking about these words to guide me.

Here are my words from past years. I don’t think they truly ever go away. They were important to me then and still are now, as a clue to who I am and who I want to be.

2016 – Health ★ Mindfulness ★ Focus

2017 – Intentional ★ Authentic ★ Wellness

2018 – Reach ★ Capacity ★ Consistency

2019 – Reflection ★ Purposeful ★ Gratitude

2020 – Philanthropy ★ Rebalance ★ Strategic

Do you choose three words each year?
Would you like to try it this year?
If you do, please share them with me.

Jim Peacock is the Principal at Peak-Careers Consulting and writes a weekly 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 and the recipient of the 2020 Kenneth C. Hoyt Award from the National Career Development Association.

Sign up here to receive my  TOP 10 TIPS WHEN WORKING WITH AN UNDECIDED PERSON.  You will also receive the career practitioner’s weekly email on a variety of career topics, industry news, interesting events, and more. 

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