Once again, it’s time to reflect on the words I chose for 2018 and introduce the three new words building on those that came before for 2019. This year, they were Intentional, Simple and Focus. I am still working at living up to all of these. I am being more intentional in most areas of my life with two wonderful peer groups that hold me accountable and push me forward. These came out of Seth Godin’s altMBA program and represent the power of meaningful connection. I’m grateful to spend time each week with these amazing people bent on changing the world. They’ve also helped me with Focus although in our age of digital distraction, that one goes in fits and starts. Simple is simply hard.
What came out of a year of fits and starts and rebuilding was distilling my core purpose: Inspiring growth and prosperity through curiosity, creativity and collaboration.
As with each year and each set of words, it’s a marathon, not a sprint. Here’s where I’m going for 2019.
Audacity
This is about leveling up and playing bigger. It’s easy to play small and safe. Harder to be bold and decisive trying things that may not work. And I have certainly made my share of mistakes this year and learned from them. 2019 is about having the audacity to design and do the work I’ve envisioned and set as my long term goals. It’s about embracing the drive and initiative to aim higher, delivering more value than I than I ever thought possible. The audacity to believe I can make change happen.
Choose
In so many areas of life we wait to be chosen. We wait for permission to act. As the youngest of 5, I’m keenly aware of this. Conversely, there are so many choices available to us in every single area of life from selecting soap and toothpaste to how we work. This is about how I choose to organize my priorities each day / week / month to accomplish the goals I set out and do the most important work I can. It’s about choosing to focus on the work that makes a difference over the work that makes us feel good because we check it off a list. It’s about choosing how I show up to others. How I am present and focused. It’s choosing when to focus and when to be distracted. It’s about intentionally making decisions that build momentum rather than waiting for others to act. It’s about cultivating a mindset of possibility.
Zest
This is about living boldly and fully. It’s about being vulnerable and open rather than curated. It’s about leaving the curation for the gallery and allowing others to see and experience my true self. And it’s about living life in analog with gusto – taking in the mountain air, the ocean air. Training for and running half marathons. Zest is about living vibrantly and enthusiastically rather than on autopilot.