My Three Words for 2016

My three words for 2013 were Platform, Lean, Tribes. “Platform” was something on which to stand. “Lean” was about efficiency and effectiveness. And “Tribes” was a nod towards relationships.

In 2014, my three words were Pivot, Frames, and Margin. “Pivot” was about broadening what I do beyond just sales. “Frames” was directed towards building out processes and methodologies. And “Margin” represented more uncommitted resources.

In 2015, I chose Order, Depth, and Lifestyle. “Order” was mindfulness, eliminating clutter, and disciplines. “Depth” was about going deeper in just a few areas and running down every rabbit hole. “Lifestyle” represented designing and living my life on my terms. 2015 was a breakthrough year for me in many areas, driven in whole or part by the progress I made in the prior two years.

Now, onward to 2016, with vim and vigor.

Growth: The idea behind three words is that you use the chosen words as themes that cut across multiple areas of your life. I have selected “growth” because it is defined as “developing” and “increasing.” It also means reaching another, greater level. This theme is the frame for my entire 2016.

Multiplier: If you increase the multiplier, the number you are multiplying against, the variable is increased. For example, 5 x 3 = 15. In this example, 3 is the multiplier. But 5 x 12 is 60. In these examples, the number 5 hasn’t changed, but the multiplier has. I chose the theme of “multiplier” because there are some resources that cannot be changed. In 2016, I am going to work on increasing multipliers.

Focus: This word has some useful definitions. First, it can mean the center of interest or attention. But it also means clarity, like when you “focus” a camera. Both definitions are useful. If something has your focus, that means everything else fades into the background or disappears. The word for me is a reminder to go narrow and deep, allowing the non-essential to fade from view.

That’s my 2016. I stole this riff from my good friend, Chris Brogan. He’s been doing this exercise publicly for ten years. You can read Chris’s 2016 post here.