My Three Words for 2023

Before we start

If you are not familiar with the “My Three words for” process, I recommend you visit?My 3 Words for 2023 - CHRIS BROGAN?where?Chris Brogan?explains the process, his words for 2023, and you can see his 3 words going right back to 2006.

Thinking of three words for 2023

This is year two of the My Three Words exercise, one that worked well in 2022 and one I want to employ in 2023 to help guide my intentions, attentions and actions on a personal and professional level.

I have to say I found this year much more challenging than last year.?In part because I have attachment to last year’s words (Connecting, Flourishing, Focussing) and on reflection, because I needed to be in a state that was really open to exploring and considering my guides for 2023.??

It took some unpicking and preparing to get to this state. I want to thank Chris Brogan for his wisdom in this process. It was helpful to not only revisit his approach, but to ask for and receive his advice; once again Chris was his usual generous self??

I also realised that the struggle can be the the work, by this I mean, taking the time to deeply reflect on and consider with my many senses what will help guide me in 2023.?

So, here’s where I finally, and now comfortably landed.

Liberating.

I recognise that there are times when I hold on to things (thoughts, emotions, actions) for too long, or in ways that don’t serve me well.??I can be prone to ruminate more than I need to, or to revisit things for reasons that are not helpful (aka “picking that emotional scab”)

A big part of my support for the people I work with is helping to liberate them, this may be at a personal level, with their team, with a process, with technology – there are many dimensions to the things that can and do hold people back.?Part of this process is helping them to self-calibrate, to recognise where they are and to be able to access a greater range of choices, this is a form of liberating I will help them work on in 2023.

Amplifying

The focus for the last three years has been very much on building, starting two businesses, building a portfolio of clients, building products, building a network of partners, building new capabilities and confidences.?Now whilst none of these are the finished article (spoiler, they never will be) and I will continue to devote resources to develop them, I also recognise the opportunity to make more of what I have built/co built.??As examples, the Entrepleio? individual and team assessments have undergone rigorous development and testing and we’ve seen great results and satisfaction from the individuals and teams that have used them, we see more people coming on board and gaining value, but there is much more to be done in getting our solutions in the hands of more people.

For other clients, there is huge potential, so many things that they can do more of, building on existing and gaining new capabilities, capacities and confidences, the aim is to help them turn intention into attention and meaningful action.

Communing

This was the last of my three words, and on reflection, it was the one that was right in front of me all the time. ?I spent large amounts of time walking and reflecting much to the delight of my dog Ralph in the Snowdonia hills, free from distraction (including my go-to podcasts).?I realised that time communing with nature is a time that I truly relax, open myself up to new possibilities, recognise my own personal insignificance, and marvel in the brilliance the natural environment provides us.

I also recognise the value of communing with self, to really reflect and connect with thoughts, emotions, and physical state.

I also realise that whilst time on my own is healthy for me, time with others is hugely important, the time with family, friends, clients, partners, and people I just meet (btw - these are not mutually exclusive lists) is hugely energising, informative and generative.??I realise that my weekly 6x6 (meet with six new people and meet with six people from my existing network) is a huge help to my wellbeing, that budgeting for at least six “real conversations” (you know the ones where you utter or hear “I don’t know why I’m telling you this, but…”) really deepens connections.

So building on the amplification point, I will commune more.

So there you have it, my three words for 2023.???Do you do this sort of thing? would you consider it??If so, what are your three works for 2023??I love to hear from you

#my3words