Did you make any New Year resolutions this year?
It’s half past January - are you still sticking with them?
Tough isn’t it?
Have you set yourself any specific goals for the year ahead?
I don’t know about you but I sometimes find it tough to decide on specific goals. It’s not that there aren’t a million things I’d like to achieve but it can be hard to drill down and work out what the things are that really matter the most.
Sure you could write an enormous list of New Year resolutions or goals but chances are there would be just too many to have a chance of them being upheld or met.
So you then get to thinking ‘What are the most important things this year?’.
My fellow members at The Content Marketing Academy introduced me to this great article by best selling author and CEO of Owner Media Group Chris Brogan.
Motivational words
In it he he explains his ‘3 words practice’, recommending that you choose three words to ‘use as guideposts for your chosen path in the coming year’.
What a great idea!
As Chris explains, your selected words should be in the forefront of your mind all year, influencing your actions and aligning your decisions with whatever it is you’ve set out to achieve.
I love that. Three little words to anchor you to your goals. Three little words to help you create a life with intent, all year long.
It got me thinking that you could apply the same principle to any specific area of your life that you wanted to give focus to this year - your home for example.
Decision making
How would it be if you picked three words that you aligned all your ‘home’ decisions with this year?
The way we decorate our home, the way we lay out our garden, it’s all just an extension of ourselves. It’s about us putting on a public display that tells people who we are or in many cases who we’d like to be.
What do you want your home to say about you this year?
Who do you want to be?
The rules
Now there are rules in this process! Chris lays out the lessons learned from years of experience in his article. You should definitely check them out to make sure you give yourself a fighting chance of success.
For the year ahead my 3 ‘home’ words would be -
Photographs
I have many blank white walls in my home and many wonderful memories captured on images which sit, buried deep, in my photos app. It’s time to bring them together and get the best of them on display.
This word also reminds me to cherish the moments we spend, throughout the year, with family and friends. One day that’s all they’ll be - a memory, a snapshot in time captured in an image, either displayed for all to enjoy or existing only in the recesses of our mind.
This year I’m going to appreciate those moments as they happen.
Order
Definitely a more practical one this. Like most of us I’m sure, there are areas of my home which need a good clear out and where order needs to be restored.
This word will also influence my buying decisions throughout this year. ‘Do I really need this?’ ‘Is this ultimately just going to add to more clutter in my home?’. Marie Kondo - you and I will be getting reacquainted this year!
Retreat
For various reasons, this may turn out to be the year of the ‘Staycay’ for me. With that in mind, I want to make sure my home has plenty of areas to retreat to and be able to switch off or chill out for a while - potentially for a few days at a time!
Whether that’s a cosy corner in winter to curl up in (cue steaming hot coffee and a Netflix binge) or a restful garden recess in summer. A spot to hide out in while getting lost in a gripping page-turner.
This word will also instil gratitude in me this year. My home as a retreat. It’s safe, warm and (for the most part) free from conflict. Turn the news on any day of the year and it’s clear that not all humans on this planet have that luxury. I plan to be grateful for my retreat and my ability to dress it as I choose, every day of this year.
My thanks to Chris Brogan for sharing his ‘My 3 words’ process with us all and sparking my own take on it. If you enjoyed reading his article, check this out for your chance to hear more from him in person!
What would your 3 ‘home’ words be for this year?
Comments
3 words – Rationalise – Repurpose – Relax
Rationalise – like everyone we have too much stuff. So in preparation for a potential downsize, as well as enjoying our home to the max while we still have it, now would be a great time to declutter and make the best of our space.
Repurpose – for example, the dining-room table isn’t used much apart from breakfast and the odd dinner with friends. So why have I been using the floor next to my desk next door to lay out my VAT receipts? Why do I work on my laptop on my lap in our subtly lit lounge while hubby watches the football when I have a lovely bright dining-room with a big table next door? And the conservatory is a great space for relaxing – when I remember to sit there!
Relax – I want to be able to relax over coffee with my cake books and magazines upstairs in my beautiful cake consultation room. It’s not just for visiting brides-to-be, I should be using it for me so I can lose myself in the latest trends in cake design.