I’m an intermittent practitioner of the “My 3 Words” exercise, which is one of many ways to think about what’s ahead in the new year.
It turns out that this is the fourth consecutive year I’ve undertaken the “My 3 Words” exercise, started by Chris Brogan in 2006, has been for me an attempt to build some consistent practices into life.
I almost skipped this year. Fortunately, some things started working for my business in the second half of 2023. I want 2024 to continue on the same path, and I did not feel the need for three words to help me focus.
And then my first word popped up. Momentum.
Applying Energy to Keep It Going
Heading into this year, my digital marketing business has picked up some steam. I’ve got some processes and tools in place that I didn’t have a year ago.
“Momentum” reminds me that I’ll need to sustain the effort it took to get things moving in the first place. I like the path the business is on right now, and I want to keep it going, keep building the momentum.
I have to thank Seth Godin for inspiring my second word. Initiate.
A Different Approach to Creativity
For me, to initiate is a creative effort to do the things your gut tells you to do. It’s not merely trying something new that someone else suggests or offers. This is about taking something inside of me and putting it out into the world.
I hope this manifests in a couple of ways this year. First, I want to lean on my own experience and expertise to guide clients this year. It might mean trying some things that go beyond “best practices” without being sure of the outcome.
Second, I’ve got some projects that have been hiding in the back of my mind for a couple of years, and “initiate” will help me bring at least one, maybe several, into daylight.
Word number three didn’t come fully into focus until I sat down to write. Extend.
Reaching Out
You could say it’s related to the first two. It first came to mind as I looked for a verb form of momentum. I went flipping through the thesaurus (yes, I keep an actual thesaurus printed in book form by my desk) and finally landed on “continue.” Meh, that’s boring, but among the synonyms for continue I noticed “extend.”
I set it aside as a possible replacement for momentum and continued to mull a third word. “Connect,” “reflect,” and “accept” were among the finalists, but again, meh.
And so, moments ago, it occurred to me that “extend” encompasses the connections I hope to continue making, the effort required to build momentum, and the energy required to initiate.
And the word “extend” invokes an image of reaching out and stretching, trying to grow just a little bit more, like a sunflower stalk pushing for an extra inch.
That’s the 3-word lineup for 2024: Momentum. Initiate. Extend.
They’ll be written on a sticky note and posted aside my computer screen as a daily reminder.
How about you? Do you practice the My 3 Words exercise? Or choose a one-word theme for the year? Let me know!
Mark Whittaker, a Pittsburgh-based online marketer, helps small businesses and start-ups find customers with search and social media advertising, content development and digital marketing strategy. Write to him at mark (at) whitmarkdigital.com and subscribe to his fortnightly email.