At the start of every year, I choose My 3 Words to help guide my direction and goals in the year ahead.
If you’re unfamiliar with the My 3 Words concept, it was created by Chris Brogan, who, since 2006, has chosen three words to serve as a guide for the year ahead.
I have found the My 3 Words concept to be a simple yet powerful subconscious motivator for ensuring you’re heading in the right direction through your actions and decisions.
For instance, let’s take a look at My 3 Words for 2023 and see how they affected last year for me.
The Results of My 3 Words for 2023
At the start of 2023, I published My 3 Words for 2023 And My Year in Review.
Of course, you don’t have to share your 3 words, but I find that by putting my intentions out there, they help others understand my motivations and intentions for the year ahead.
My 3 Words for 2023 were:-
- Share – Share my story, my knowledge, my routines and habits, and my contacts, to help others via writing, videos, podcasts and books.
- Slow – Politely decline more. Do less. Think and reflect more. Seek out opportunities to get into “the flow” during work and play. Lose yourself in the activity without clock watching. Embrace a slower pace of life with more fun and more downtime.
- Student – Be curious. Try new things. Seek out tuition and training to aid my learning and development. Be humble and open to being taught as a beginner.
So how did those words impact my 2023?
Well, 2023 was definitely a year of growth for me, and in hindsight, the above three words did provide structure and guidelines for my daily decisions.
Share
Ever since I started writing my blog way back in 2005, and like many other content creators I’ve spoken to, I wondered who could possibly be interested in what I have to say?
Well, almost 20 years and 10,000+ articles, videos, podcasts and books since 2005, and it seems quite a few people!
Looking back on 2023, I do wish I’d made more time to share more of my personal thoughts on life and business too. In 2024, I’ll expand upon this theme by doing more writing, videos and podcasts around my own systems and routines in personal productivity, personal development and growth.
Sharing my mental health
However, the biggest win under the “share” banner, was that after many years of being encouraged to speak openly about it, 2023 was the year that I stood on stage and talked about clinical depression and my mental health challenges.
The response was incredible, and I realised that by sharing my story, I could help others who are struggling with their mental health too.
(A personal thanks to my friends Gemma Telford, who was the first to encourage me to speak up, and the wonderful folks at both CompTIA and SuperOps, who gave me the public platform to speak on this important topic).
Back in 2016, I wrote my book The IT Business Owner’s Survival Guide which contained a lot of subtle mental health strategies and insights.
Of course, what I really wanted to do was to write a book focused on mental health, but back then, the timing didn’t seem right.
Fast forward to 2024, and conversations about mental health are thankfully now commonplace.
Therefore in 2024, I’ll continue to share by writing a book on mental health for geeks like me. If you’d be interested in contributing with your own story or thoughts, please get in touch.
Slow
In 2023, I declined more paid speaking work than ever before and decided to focus exclusively on speaking work with those clients who retain my services as an advisor.
I also expanded Team Tubb with some strong hires to help continue our goal of becoming a media company, and to lighten the load on me personally.
In terms of thinking and reflection, I continued my daily journaling and hired a new life coach to help me unpick some big challenges.
On the fun side of slowing down…
- Claire and I did a Ghost Hunt at Newcastle Castle Keep
- We visited the Doctor Who exhibition at the National Museum of Scotland
- We joined friends for Europe’s Strongest Man
- Claire and I enjoyed a relaxing week in a beachside cottage in Filey
- We visited the North West Computer Museum
- I visited the Crash Live show for ZX Spectrum enthusiasts
… and many more fun activities!
So, I certainly slowed down somewhat, doing less work than in 2022.
But did I slow down enough?
Probably not.
Instead of using the time I’d created for myself at work to get into “the flow” (and perhaps do more sharing, as above) I found myself doing more busy work.
This is definitely a type of procrastination!
So, going forwards to 2024, and at 47 years of age, I have to be more conscious about slowing down and doing the right things.
Student
If I nailed any of my 3 words in 2023, it was this one!
I totally threw myself into seeking out new opportunities for learning, unusual classes and new teachers.
The goal was to cultivate my beginners mind, and to ask uninformed questions of smarter people than me.
Well, early in 2023, I gained a Diploma in Cryptozoology, and this was the beginning of a journey into the esoteric and spiritual.
I did a number of courses with The College of Psychic Studies in London.
I’ve always considered myself a sceptic when it comes to certain subjects like spiritualism and mediumship.
However, rather than being as “woo woo” as I thought, I found they underpinned my self development journey.
For instance, I’ve always meditated, but in 2023, I also visited The Harmonic Egg.
But, it wasn’t all peace and tranquillity, as Claire and I also smashed our way through a Rage Room. 🙂
In terms of reading, my Goodreads profile shows me I read 31 books in 2023.
These 31 reads including many books on topics I’d previously not have explored.
On a professional level, I engaged a couple of new, world-class expert coaches to help me with subjects I knew very little about.
I also attended events such as Atomicon and the B2B Marketing Expo to listen to experts and learn from my peers.
So, yes, I definitely embraced the word Student in 2023, and fully intend to continue doing so in 2024!
However, as we head into 2024, what are My 3 Words for the year ahead?
My 3 Words for 2024
My 3 Words for 2024 are:-
Recharge
I give myself permission to stop, rest and recover.
I will prioritise recreation, leisure, fun and amusement by enjoying entertaining games, new experiences and the company of good friends.
Time spent recharging is not a luxury, but a necessity.
Reset
I will build a solid foundation for myself through consistently doing the basics well.
I will prioritise forming healthy habits, regular routines and building frictionless systems that serve me in business and life.
Adventure
I will be curious and explore new experiences, people and places that will help nourish my mental and physical health.
These experiences will help fuel me to build the strength of mind and body I need to enjoy the life I want to.
Thank you to the following people for helping me decide upon my 3 words for 2024!
Plus, of course, my wife Claire!
How to use your 3 Words
Think of your three words as a guide.
As a result, you can review your 3 words to help you make decisions.
For instance, I have my 3 words printed and pinned to my main work desk.
Additionally, I write my 3 words down every time in my journal.
Plus, I have a smartphone wallpaper that displays my 3 words for 2024.
(There’s a nice Canva phone wallpaper template that can help you).
The words act as a daily reminder to myself of the direction I want to head in.
If you’re interested, you can also see how my 3 word process has developed.
For instance, I published My 3 Words for 2022 and How They Motivate Me.
However, if you’d *really* like to learn more about the 3 words process then go to the master!
The originator of my 3 words, Chris Brogan, gives an excellent overview of My 3 Words on his blog.
What are YOUR 3 words for 2024?
Now, it’s over to you!
What are your 3 words for 2024?
As always, I’d love to hear from you. You can get in touch with me, or share more about your words in the comments below.
For example, do feel free to share a link below to a blog post with more about your words.
Plus, if you need some inspiration, other people can help!
Check out folks who are already sharing their 3 words on social media with the hashtag #my3words.
I wish you a very healthy and happy 2024!
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Richard Tubb is one of the best-known experts within the global IT Managed Service Provider (MSP) community. He launched and sold his own MSP business before creating a leading MSP media and consultancy practice. Richard helps IT business owner’s take back control by freeing up their time and building a business that can run without them. He’s the author of the book “The IT Business Owner’s Survival Guide” and writer of the award-winning blog www.tubblog.co.uk
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