Here is my look back on 2019.
I love the end of the year.
Everyone is mentally checked out. The offices are half-empty.
I love the quiet.
During this peaceful end of the year, I try to take the last two weeks in December to reflect upon this most recent trip around the sun and spend some time thinking about the upcoming one.
I will typically make a list of my priorities and goals, and write down some strategies for accomplishing them. I’ll write my three words post and reflect on my three words from the current year (both posts coming soon).
One of the more important and practical things that I do each year, is making a list of topics that I would want to write about or otherwise create content about. This is a fun process because it allows me to free-associate different ideas, and just play around a bit.
If you do anything like this I would like to recommend a few resources for you. All of these were generously created by Chris Brogan (also the creator of Three Words).
- Published Sept 19, 2007: 100 Blog Topics I Hope YOU Write
- Published July 18, 2008: 50 Blog Topics Marketers Could Write For Their Companies
- Published Mar 17, 2009: 20 Blog Topics To Get You Unstuck
While these are older resources, they still hold some timeless ideas for you to play around with. I plan on going through these ideas, crossing off any that are outdated, and looking for ways to use some of these post ideas and starters to share some ideas that are important to me. I plan to add them to my editorial calendar so I can get to work.
If you don’t have an editorial calendar already, I suggest you join Notion, and download the content calendar, publishing and promotion schedule template that I created.
Or, you could go one step further and join the Superhero Institute for free and get a lot more than just one template.
Before I release my three words for 2020, I’d like to look back and my three words for this year. My three words for 2019 were leader, helpful, self-care. As these are not goals or resolutions, I only really have my subjective opinion on how well I lived these three words.
I’ll start with what I think I did the best with:
Self-care
I don’t think I’ve ever made such a conscious effort to take care of myself as I did this year. While my physical health is less than ideal, I do feel that my mental and emotional health is as good as it has ever been. For too long I tried to put all of the weight of the world on my own shoulders. I tried to muscle through anything. I refuse to ask for help, or even admit that I would need it. But, this year I made a concerted effort to give myself the space to need help, to be broken at times, and to let others be there for me. I began meditating more often, I got a therapist (thank you CFR), and I let myself actually enjoy some rest and relaxation.
Even though the year is over, I do not plan on giving up my focus on self-care. Not this coming year, not ever again.
Leader
I worked very hard on being a leader this year. In some ways, I feel as though I succeeded admirably. However, in other ways I’m embarrassed by my ineptitude.
We all have blind spots. We all make stupid decisions at times. None of us are perfect. And as obvious as that may sound, I still struggle with that realization regularly.
I am not the world’s greatest leader, but I aspire to be better every single day as it relates to my ability to show up and serve the people that depend on me. During my time at the agency, I had a lot that I felt proud of as a leader but I also have a lot to reflect on. Any missteps in how I took feedback, or how I gave feedback will be something I will mull over and try to grow from. Any of the ways in which I let my ego get in the way of helping my team grow, will be another opportunity for me to learn and grow.
Understanding how to be an effective leader will be a lifelong pursuit of mine. I look forward to sharing everything that I learn along the way with you.
Helpful
Of my three words from 2019, helpful may be the one I am most unsure of. One of the primary ways that I described being helpful in my three words post, was about creating more content. Posting to social media more often, and creating more blog posts, videos, and podcasts. I did all of this to some extent, but nothing like how are used to. I’m still holding back. But more than that, I’m not really sure how helpful I actually was because “helpful” is kinda vague. I mean, I definitely thought about being helpful a lot. I generally try to be helpful for anyone that needs me. I know that my wife and her side of the family would probably consider me helpful.
But, when I envisioned the word helpful as a way to guide my year I was really hoping for a much larger and more noticeable impact.
Every Year: Opportunities
I kept my three words in front of me all year by making it my iPhone wallpaper. I will do the same thing this year when I pick my three words.
Every year is a new opportunity to grow and I wholeheartedly embrace it. I’m excited for 2020 and, with a few exceptions, I’d say 2019 was pretty awesome.
I always want to acknowledge Chris Brogan for the Three Words movement. It’s truly made an impact on my life over the last 6 years that I’ve done it and I plan to continue to do it every year.
