Reflecting on 2019's Three Words
It’s the time of year again, a chance for reflecting on my three words for this year, in preparation for setting my new words for 2020.
For anyone new here, this a process I learned from Chris Brogan – I’ve been doing it for a number of years now. The three words define my intentions for the year, setting a focus rather than specific resolutions.
As a reminder, 2019 was an ABC year - Aware, Brave, Creative. So, how well did the three words help me keep my intentions for the last 12 months?
Aware
I tried very hard to maintain this intention throughout the year but, like everything else, I didn't always achieve it as well as I would have liked. I was generally more aware of my own negative thought processes and tried to reframe and challenge them quite a lot. Overall, I'm happy with how this went - although it wasn't without a couple of distinct challenges earlier in the year. Let's just say that when you freak your psych out with some of the things your brain says to you, well you've got some things to work on.
As for awareness of others, there were some hits and misses with this one along the way. Like everyone else in the world, my brain can be very selfish at times, forgetting other people's challenges. There was many moments during the year where I felt very present with others and adapted to their needs. There were also a couple I know I dropped the ball on and could have done better. I liked having this intention and felt it really helped me with some of my relationships and doing my job.
Brave
The year started with a massive bang in the bravery stakes - see the circus performance post for more on that. In some ways, I kept it up by pushing the visual side of my business and putting that more out there in the world; being part of a panel discussion at the Hobart Writers Festival; and taking on a few other interesting challenges. I wasn't as successful in other areas though.
I put less writing out into the world than I had planned - including on this blog. I've thought a lot about that and when I feel vulnerable in my work I think I am inherently less willing to be vulnerable in other things (writing, creating etc.). I'm pushing this through into 2020 with a few interesting activities (more to come).
Creative
Again, this was a win for the visual/graphic work, but not so much in other areas. I planned to put more of my creativity into the world and, on the whole, I didn't do enough of that. The notes above apply heavily to this intention as well - you'll see a similar word in my 2020 words for that reason.
Overall, 2019 had some highs and a lot of lows for me to contend with. My health has continued to be a major challenge for me which has had a significant impact on my mood and ability to focus. I don't know whether that will improve next year, but I know I need to find a way to work better with it all.
I've decided to add something new to this reflection - three wins that stick out to me from this year.
Successfully completing the circus performance and feeling good about how it went.
A couple of graphic scribing events that now have people seeking me out for the work.
Connecting and reconnecting with some lovely people who I truly value in my world.
Tomorrow will be my three words for 2020. I'll have a few other posts in the next week or so as well, you'll understand a little bit more of that tomorrow.
How did your 2019 intention go? Regardless of how you set them, how do you feel about your achievements this year?