I came across a great idea about what to do instead of New Year’s Resolutions – choose three words that you can refer back to again and again to focus yourself on goals important to you in the coming year. Not only is this a lot easier to remember, they aren’t phrased as unrealistic expectations that you’ll probably fail at before the weekend is over. (“Go to the gym five times a week!”) I used to overcompensate by choosing goals I couldn’t fail at like “Don’t eat acorn squash at all this year.” Seems like it’s time for a better approach like this one.
I don’t think that there are many rules about how to do this. I would argue that they shouldn’t be words that are already fundamental to your everyday life to the point where I’d call them givens. So for me, I don’t think making ‘father’ or ‘husband’ one of my words would get me farther along the path, as if I’m not attending to those during the year, it’s a given that I’m too far gone for anything else to much matter.
I’d also suggest not making the three words into a phrase like, “Get stuff done.” The best ones I’ve seen are when people bring together three separate words that may not be that related to each other, each word describing a specific goal or facet of a goal. And don’t be an overachiever and develop different three-word sets for different parts of your life. Just three words for your entire life for 2010.
Examples I saw:
“Debt, Family, No” (develop a plan to get out of debt, spend more time with family and less with work, learn how to say no to people)
“Gifts, Awareness, Ownership” (try to see the gifts each person has regardless of anything else, be aware of all the possibilities happening around me, take ownership of my life and not blame things I can’t control)
“Sandman, Grace, Cayenne” (sleep more – the Sandman brings good dreams, show myself and others more grace and kindness, and spice up life some)
I’m still thinking about my three words for 2010. I’m pretty sure about one of them. Either way, I think I can survive a few days into the new year as I reflect on them more.
So, what are your three words for 2010?
Happy New Year! Thanks for all that you have shared with us and blessed us with over this past year! Here’s to a great 2010!
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- Trying to Get Perspective
- Simple Gifts
- Burnout
- I Have a Dream for Autism
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“Moments, Friends, Outlet”
I love this idea . . . a big reason is that three words are pretty much all I can hold in my mind at one time these days anyway.
MOMENTS
Be in the moment with Billy (3 1/2 and ASD) and Willow (his 10-month-old sister), rather than ruining a great game of “How Many Leaves Will Fit in My Shoe” by constantly thinking of all the crap I still have to do.
FRIENDS
Since Billy’s diagnosis, we’ve become a bit isolated, constantly afraid of social situations in which he’ll get overloaded and melt down and something expensive will get broken. This year, we’re going to just wear matching T-shirts that read “Hide Your Valuables” and consider people forewarned.
OUTLET
I’ve devoted myself to the kids 24-7 and put my writing career on the back burner in the past couple of years. I don’t regret that in the slightest, but I think it’s time to find an outlet so that I can stop having anxiety dreams about forgetting the words to a song I’m singing at someone’s wedding.
Happy New Year!