Three is the Magic Number is a three part micro series focused on goal setting for the New Year (and beyond).  

In my last blog post, I teased #My3Words. Today, I’ll explain what that means.

I read about the concept in Flourish by Claire Emerson. She learned it from her friend Chris Brogan. 

The words are like guides. They keep you on track to achieving your goals. 

They direct your actions, your decisions. Like a form of self-management. 

Use them to prioritize how you spend your time – at home or at work, on the go or taking it slow.

When in doubt, ask yourself, “Does this align with my three words?”

Use them as your North Star to navigate the upcoming year. 

Chris explains how to choose your words in this short blog post. You’ll find mine below, along with a summary of what each represents.

Think you might give it a try? 

I’d love to hear what your three words are. Leave a comment or tag me on social (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn) using the hashtag #My3Words.

Here are mine.

Enlighten

Illuminate the dark corners of your mind. Expand knowledge by digging deeper on topics of interest, like:

• Professional Development and Personal Growth
• Psychology and Human Behaviour
• Finance and Wealth Management 
• Music, Writing, and Creativity
• Wellness and Mental Health

Diversify wisdom. Learn from different people and in different ways. 

Seek agency. Learn from yourself – your successes and your failures, your smart judgements and poor choices. 

Thirst to understand your partner. Every intimate detail. Their deepest desires and darkest fears. Their dreams. Learn it all to help you better connect, communicate, and nurture your relationship.

Be a humble learner. Be open to different perspectives, especially if they compete with yours. Be flexible, willing to change your opinion as more information is gathered. 

And be an honest teacher. Share what you discover along the way, without the fluff or the superiority. 

Engage

Be present. Stop waiting for what’s next and connect to the moment.

Put yourself out there. Participate in networking opportunities, join communities, and be part of the conversation.  

Actively listen, even if you’re not interested in the topic. Offer valuable dialogue and don’t dismiss what’s important to others. 

Don’t let knowledge remain idle. Learn and reflect, but don’t forget to turn lessons into actions.

Keep your growth in motion. 

Engage the mind. And the body. Be more in tune with how you’re feeling, mentally and physically. Adapt accordingly.

Do more of what you enjoy. More of what your family and friends enjoy. And find new things to enjoy with your partner. 

Seek out new experiences.   

Experience

Don’t just expand your mind, expand your experience.

Step outside your comfort zone and try new things. Food (plant-based, maybe?), activities (like karate lessons), whatever. 

And travel. A lot. Be an explorer wherever you can go – in your own backyard or the world abroad.

Take it all in.

Thanks for reading, folks. 

Read Part 2 of Three is the Magic Number.

*feature image by Andrea Longarini (my partner in life)