DELIGHT

MAGICAL

PRESENT

Just before Christmas, I joined Rob Hatch and Chris Brogan’s Owner Group at their annual #My3Words ceremony and zoom party. My Three Words is a practice I picked up from Chris (author, speaker, digital strategist) more than a decade ago. I continue to find this the most consistent and powerful way to succeed in the year ahead. Using three words as your yearlong guide works far better than New Year’s resolutions that quickly fall by the wayside.

Having three words as the lens I look through daily has simplified decision making and improved my forward motion on all projects I choose to initiate or participate in. In 2022, my words were Transform, Scribe, and Fluid.

How did I do?

“Scribe” was the easy word. As a photojournalist and business strategist, I found it easy to combine words with images for greater impact for community causes. “Scribe” kept me honest and publishing work each and every week. 2022 was one of my most productive years.

Last year, I set out to participate in projects that would transform communities for the better and I found roles in the media that put the spotlight on positive news. The more uplifting, the greater the number of people given hope and taking positive action for the future. The non-profit Maine’s First Ship (MFS) launched their reconstruction of the first English ship built in the Americas – the pinnace Virginia. Our monthly focused update raised awareness of the project and 5,000 people attended the launch, far exceeding the initial hope that “maybe a thousand might show up.” Finishing out 2022, I have just completed a collector’s edition booklet of the yearlong project.

Lastly, “Fluid” saved the day. Frequently. Better than “going with the flow,” “fluid” offered agility under pressure. My big wins, as Debra Eckerling always asks about -MFS visibility, completing ten full years which is120 installments of this – my business column – the Boston and Maine Connection and licensing more images for business and community use than any prior year.

Onward then to my 3 words for 2023:

DELIGHT – well defined as creating great joy and satisfaction. Think of the pleasure on a child’s face when you delight them. Transfer that feeling to your everyday interactions and see what happens. Delight can often be unexpected but always well received. This is the type of joy I will work to bring into each of my days.

MAGICAL – has raised its hand a lot, of late, saying “choose me.” The magical feeling in the positive sense of serendipity and unexpected delights. Another positive emotion of joy and feeling good. All of my best engagements have had some presence of magic and delight and while the words mean different things, they offer clues to what to look for in life satisfaction in the year ahead.

PRESENT – as in “being present” in all that I choose to do. I often talk about learning and sharing new tools and methods but looking back on a long and successful work history, I can see clearly that being fully present is the most important thing I can do and the most important gift I can bring to my family, my friends and my community.

2023 will be a building year. There is so much coming at each of us every day in so many ways that a good re-thinking of priorities and where to draw the line to things that can wait is in order. Have you thought about what you will do better and differently in 2023?

Please reach out and share YOUR 3 words with me. I am eager to learn how your past year will inform this next one.