Freaking Chris Brogan is being brilliant and making me think again. Sigh. He’s got a post up today that talks about defining your goals in three words. What I love is that his words aren’t completely concrete. They’re interpreted completely based on circumstance, and I’ve no doubt they’ll evolve as his work does this year.
So I thought I’d play along, breaking my own resolution not to write about resolutions, but with a bit of a different take. Instead of telling you what my goals are, I’m going to share three words I hope you’ll push ME towards this year, and then three words that I hope you’ll do something with too. Sound okay?
What I Hope You Ask of Me
Clarity. I want you to keep me focused on the things that matter to you and your business, not just the latest trends or topics that are floating around. I hope you’ll help keep my voice compelling, but distinctive enough that I make an impact on your world, even in little ways. And I’d love for you to keep forcing me to see the top of my desk. Regularly.
Activation. Make me prove it through action, not just talk. Push me to draw the real blueprint for marketing on the social web for businesses, and share it with you piece by piece. And keep telling me about the things you’re doing and who you’ve noticed lately so I can activate and empower others, too. We’re gonna need lots of us doing this if we’re going to move mountains.
Adaptation. Keep reminding me that there are different perspectives, and never let me rest on preconceived notions. Help me find the flow of things, and stay flexible enough to seize opportunities based on potential, not just proof.
What I’m Asking of You
Test. Test my assertions. Test your own. Test others. Don’t just take well-worded statements as truth. Put things in play, for real. Take failure as an opportunity to learn what doesn’t work. And tell us when we’ve got it all wrong.
Persistence. So many of you are telling me that you’re just starting, but don’t know where to begin. Keep seeking. Keep writing. Keep believing that you too have something important to contribute to me, to your business. Ask lots of questions (I’m always here), and be relentless in finding not just AN answer, but the RIGHT answer, whatever that means for you.
Build. The time for merely tearing down has passed. There are always flaws, missteps, and mistakes to be found. Let’s help each other do the hard work instead to uncover the things that are working, and build on them. Practice the “yes, and…” rule of improv to keep the momentum going. Leave the naysaying to those with nothing else to say.
Bonus: A Word for Chris
Horizons. Keep doing what you do, Chris, and never, ever let us settle for only the horizon that we can see.
So, come on. Play along. But don’t just do it here. Go comment on Chris’ post, because I just built on what he started. Write your own post. Take convention, and break the hell out of it.
Happy New Year, and howdy to you, 2009. Now then, where the heck did I put that hammer?
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I have three words, but I repeat one of them and make it my mantra:
Be helpful, be interesting.
As long as I feel like I’m doing those two things, I feel like I’m pretty much on track.
Dubbers last blog post..Why give music away for free?
I have three words, but I repeat one of them and make it my mantra:
Be helpful, be interesting.
As long as I feel like I’m doing those two things, I feel like I’m pretty much on track.
Dubbers last blog post..Why give music away for free?
Amber,
You have been awesome in the last three weeks as I have really taken Twitter seriously as a professional tool. You’re responsive, witty, and nice to strangers.
If you’re feeling charitable, take three minutes to read my three words. I’m trying to reach out to professionals.
You (all) have such great, real-time pragmatic knowledge. As academic researchers have done a terrible job letting you know what we’re doing. And some of us are doing cool stuff.
So, if you have 3 minutes, tell me what I can do to add value for you in 2009.
Sam Bradleys last blog post..3 Goals for 2009: Media Relationships
Amber,
You have been awesome in the last three weeks as I have really taken Twitter seriously as a professional tool. You’re responsive, witty, and nice to strangers.
If you’re feeling charitable, take three minutes to read my three words. I’m trying to reach out to professionals.
You (all) have such great, real-time pragmatic knowledge. As academic researchers have done a terrible job letting you know what we’re doing. And some of us are doing cool stuff.
So, if you have 3 minutes, tell me what I can do to add value for you in 2009.
Sam Bradleys last blog post..3 Goals for 2009: Media Relationships
I love your blog design by the way – this is my first time coming to your corner of the world, having found you on Twitter.
My three words are Explore, Blossom, Love, which I will explain quickly here and in more detail in a blog post later this week:
Explore – keeping my mind open to new ways of making my living, new people to connect to and new ideas to experiment with
Blossom – this means allowing the seeds of what I have planted in my first year in business to grow and thrive, by being more clear with my goal setting, continuing to build the right support system and doing what I need to keep my business alive in this tough economy
Love – to live my life doing work I love, to love those I am working, to have a passion and sense of purpose in what I do in my professional and personal lives.
I enjoyed your post. Happy 2009 to you.
Amrita Chandras last blog post..What Artists Have Taught Me
I love your blog design by the way – this is my first time coming to your corner of the world, having found you on Twitter.
My three words are Explore, Blossom, Love, which I will explain quickly here and in more detail in a blog post later this week:
Explore – keeping my mind open to new ways of making my living, new people to connect to and new ideas to experiment with
Blossom – this means allowing the seeds of what I have planted in my first year in business to grow and thrive, by being more clear with my goal setting, continuing to build the right support system and doing what I need to keep my business alive in this tough economy
Love – to live my life doing work I love, to love those I am working, to have a passion and sense of purpose in what I do in my professional and personal lives.
I enjoyed your post. Happy 2009 to you.
Amrita Chandras last blog post..What Artists Have Taught Me
FOUR words? Well, that’s just plain extravagant! (Tee!)
Great post, of course…
–Debs last blog post..A Sextet of Information
FOUR words? Well, that’s just plain extravagant! (Tee!)
Great post, of course…
–Debs last blog post..A Sextet of Information
I saw the tweet action on this yesterday, and decided to play along. I am going to share my words here, and tweet the explanations (click my name to see them!):
Discipline
Innovation
Independence
This ought to be fun.
@hdbbstephens last blog post..hdbbstephen: @labete I have a post going up tomorrow about the tickler file, going down to 15 folders: today, tomorrow, later + Jan-Dec
I saw the tweet action on this yesterday, and decided to play along. I am going to share my words here, and tweet the explanations (click my name to see them!):
Discipline
Innovation
Independence
This ought to be fun.
@hdbbstephens last blog post..hdbbstephen: @labete I have a post going up tomorrow about the tickler file, going down to 15 folders: today, tomorrow, later + Jan-Dec
Amber: am enjoying reading your 140 and long-form posts – thanks! Three words? (“backup your C-drive” doesn’t count, either; the hyphen is a problem).
Observe, Close and Strike.
Observe: watch, analyze, monitor, make assumptions that you are happy to discard (‘don’t fall in love with your typeface’).
Close: make decisions, decide what you are (and are NOT), filter – but come to closure.
Strike: execute, implement, ‘see the job at hand well done.’ Once you’ve made up your mind, ruthlessly execute. A great job at execution always beats a brilliant strategy half-done. As Mr. Morita used to say, ready, shoot, aim.
Looking forward to more in ’09. Thanks.
Stephen Dennys last blog post..Note to CMO: Nine Rules for 2009
Amber: am enjoying reading your 140 and long-form posts – thanks! Three words? (“backup your C-drive” doesn’t count, either; the hyphen is a problem).
Observe, Close and Strike.
Observe: watch, analyze, monitor, make assumptions that you are happy to discard (‘don’t fall in love with your typeface’).
Close: make decisions, decide what you are (and are NOT), filter – but come to closure.
Strike: execute, implement, ‘see the job at hand well done.’ Once you’ve made up your mind, ruthlessly execute. A great job at execution always beats a brilliant strategy half-done. As Mr. Morita used to say, ready, shoot, aim.
Looking forward to more in ’09. Thanks.
Stephen Dennys last blog post..Note to CMO: Nine Rules for 2009
The words I chose were empower, strengthen and engage. I will empower myself and others to be the best that we can be. I will strengthen myself and help others to strengthen the places we feel are weak. I will engage in learning and growing in new areas and offer assistance to others who choose to do the same.
Susan/Together We Flourishs last blog post..Thoughts Around the New Year
The words I chose were empower, strengthen and engage. I will empower myself and others to be the best that we can be. I will strengthen myself and help others to strengthen the places we feel are weak. I will engage in learning and growing in new areas and offer assistance to others who choose to do the same.
Susan/Together We Flourishs last blog post..Thoughts Around the New Year
Awesome concept. “Never settle for the horizon you can see” is my new life motto!
Awesome concept. “Never settle for the horizon you can see” is my new life motto!
Good advice. And I like the two-way, conversational approach you adopt, too.
Eamons last blog post..Best Blog Post in the Marketing Blogsphere – 2008?
Good advice. And I like the two-way, conversational approach you adopt, too.
Eamons last blog post..Best Blog Post in the Marketing Blogsphere – 2008?
I didn’t intend to use only words beginning with “E”, but they are the ones I’m focused on
Engage – those around me,including social media
Expand – my horizons and way of thinking
Enlighten – everyone I connect with
I didn’t intend to use only words beginning with “E”, but they are the ones I’m focused on
Engage – those around me,including social media
Expand – my horizons and way of thinking
Enlighten – everyone I connect with
Love this post!
My three ( besided the 3 for you ) Flow, Grace, Ease
Marks last blog post..Hey Tweeps, Your Wash is Done!
Love this post!
My three ( besided the 3 for you ) Flow, Grace, Ease
Marks last blog post..Hey Tweeps, Your Wash is Done!
It’d be remiss of me to use anything else but the same three words I did over at Chez Brogan, so I’ll use them here too:
Never. Give. Up.
No matter what you do, personally or professionally, keep asking questions. Keep pushing yourself, and don’t settle for the status quo. The day we give up – learning, experimenting, challenging, questioning, etc – is the day we may as well pack our bags and go home.
PS – bonus three words. Read Amber Naslund. 😉
Danny Browns last blog post..New Year, New Look But Same Old Me
It’d be remiss of me to use anything else but the same three words I did over at Chez Brogan, so I’ll use them here too:
Never. Give. Up.
No matter what you do, personally or professionally, keep asking questions. Keep pushing yourself, and don’t settle for the status quo. The day we give up – learning, experimenting, challenging, questioning, etc – is the day we may as well pack our bags and go home.
PS – bonus three words. Read Amber Naslund. 😉
Danny Browns last blog post..New Year, New Look But Same Old Me
Amber:
Nice post. My three words are:
Here – Knowing where we are at this moment
There – Knowing where we want to get to
Plan – Figuring out how to get from Here to There.
Amber:
Nice post. My three words are:
Here – Knowing where we are at this moment
There – Knowing where we want to get to
Plan – Figuring out how to get from Here to There.