My 3 Words for 2016

At the end of 2013, I had an "aha" moment. I had been a long-time coach and believed in the power of positive words and messages. Until then, I had been setting new year's resolutions, usually to have them not met by the middle of January. I would feel like a failure, even though my brain was trained to use missteps as learning opportunities, I still felt like my goals were out the window before the season had even changed in the new year. I realized that even though I believed in mottos, words, and motivational phrases, I hadn't used them as a way to direct my yearly goals.

I had long admired Chris Brogan and Jon Gordon and their "words for the year," and in 2014 I decided to follow the model of Chris Brogan and choose 3 words to drive my thoughts, decisions, and actions for the year. The result? A wonderful year of "failures" and successes. Each success and failure became part of my journey within the parameters of my three words, and I had a much more meaningful, purpose-driven life.

Even after being called out by Jon Gordon in 2014, I stuck with choosing 3 words for 2015. The three words provide guideposts for me, especially when I want to become distracted or have to make difficult decisions. This past year has been a year of stepping outside of my comfort zone, creating flow and rhythm in my personal- and professional-life balance, and staying mentally, emotionally, and physically healthy. 

"Taking action in alignment with your true values and your deepest desires is the key to a happy an meaningful life."  -- Stacey Curnow

After much thought of what my goals are for 2016 and words that would be meaningful and powerful to me, I want to share them with you here as part of my accountability.

The first of my words is FOCUS. I have a very curious brain, and I usually have several projects going at once. I love learning, teaching, and sharing, and I've been told my brain is like a pinball machine inside my head. While I enjoy the pace and challenge of having several things going at once, I want to really do a deep dive into meditation and focus, and make sure that I am giving my very best to each project that I'm a part of. 

Another of my 3 words for 2016 is PURPOSE. Sometimes I have a hard time saying no (see FOCUS above), even when my actions would not be purposeful for others or myself. I want to make sure that in 2016 I examine all that I do so that I am bringing good into the world that is purposeful and impactful. While I am a very positive person, I want my actions to also have meaning and purpose for others and myself.

The third word for 2016 is DO. For me, this means "just take action." There are so many times that I don't know how to do something or I fear that if I do something it will be wrong, and it prevents me from doing. Not in 2016. I'm going to go for it. Whether it's trying something new with technology, sharing a new PD idea with staff, planning a road trip for my family, or building new furniture for my home... I'm going to take action. Be forewarned... I may try to drag you on my journey of doing, too. :-)

When Jon Gordon asked me to narrow down my three words into one, I chose INTENTIONAL, as it undergirded the other two words of Discipline and Balance for 2014. For 2015, BRAVERY would have been my one word, as it would allow me to step out of my comfort zone to create Rhythm and Fitness in my life.

As I review the three words for the new year, I truly have a hard time narrowing it down to only one word. I would say DO, but I don't want my actions to be without focus or purpose. So for 2016, I'm definitely choosing three words to light my path. 

I would love for you to share your one or three words in the comments and connect on Twitter or Voxer (@jennifer_hogan).

New Year's Conversation Starters {Free Printable}

Whether you're hosting a New Year's Party or having a quiet dinner at home with your family, you can enjoy these printable conversation starter cards.

They are designed as business-card size, so they can be printed onto business card paper or cardstock and cut into cards.

There are a total of 20 cards to get your group talking. Click the picture below to download the pdf. 

What Successful People Do Daily to Increase Efficiency & Productivity

Successful people have daily habits and routines.

It’s been written about by BusinessInsider, Forbes, and HuffingtonPost. We all want to know what separates successful people and unsuccessful people. Jeff Olson, author of one of my favorite books, The Slight Edge, says that we must do the simple things every day in order to be successful. 

If I told you there was no magic pill to success and that achieving it is something that each and every one of us can do, how would that affect your success?

One of my strengths is that I am efficient. I can (and do) get a lot done. 

I also follow the mantra, “If you’re going to do something, do it right.” 

My ability to accomplish a lot is not because I have a superpower or because I have unlimited energy. It all goes back to daily habits and routines, and it’s something I’ve been working on for a long time.

My mom did an incredible job teaching me the importance of routines. She had me to make my bed each morning during the school year and even during the summer and on holidays. She also had me to pick out my clothes for school at night before the next day. And even though my mom was a stay-at-home mom (she called herself a domestic engineer) most of the time I was in school, she got up every morning and was dressed head-to-toe (even if it just meant sweats and tennis shoes) and ready for her day. I learned by example of how routines are helpful to create a more productive day.

Another person I learned from was FlyLady. I discovered her system about 15 years ago. While on the surface it seems like a system for keeping your house clean, it actually is more than that. It’s about a lifestyle. It’s about creating habits and sticking with routines. It’s about being accountable to yourself and someone else. It’s about doing the little things so that they don’t get in the way of the big things.

 "It’s about doing the little things so that they don’t get in the way of the big things."

The first step in the FlyLady system is to clean your sink. Every night before you go to bed, you are supposed to clean your sink until it shines. "Such a little thing," you might be thinking. 

I encourage you to see if you can do it for 28 days. You see, when you do this for 28 days, it will become a habit. Something you just do without thinking about it. It becomes an important part of your nightly routine. 

It works your self-discipline muscle.

FlyLady’s system is about not just about keeping a home in order, but it’s also about clearing away the clutter so that we can be calmer, more in control, more productive, and able to make better decisions. Doesn’t that sound like qualities of a successful person?

How to create a daily system

1.  Start with one thing. One small thing. For example, Clean your sink every night, or make your bed each morning. Clean off your desk before you leave work. Do 50 crunches each morning. Write down three things you’re thankful for each night in a gratitude journal.
2. After a week, add another step to your system.
3. After a week, add another step.

After 28 days, re-evaluate your daily system. Is it making you more productive? Do you need to add another daily habit? Is there one you need to stop doing?

Here’s my system:

•  I plan our dinner menu for the week and create a shopping list from the menu. This saves us from extra trips to the grocery store during the week, and saves time with planning or deciding what we will eat during the week.
• Each night, I decide on and prepare my lunch for the next day. Also, I decide what I will wear to work the next day. This saves time in the mornings.
• I clean the kitchen completely each night before going to bed and set the timer on the coffee maker for the morning. This way, I get up to a clutter-free, clean kitchen with fresh coffee waiting on me.
•  Each night, I review my calendar for the next day. If there’s anything that needs to go on my to-do list, I create an appointment with myself on my calendar for the next morning and include my action items in the description.
•  I keep a project journal. In the journal, I have different ideas listed on each page. As ideas come to me, I lit them in the journal so that they don’t create clutter in my mind. As I come up with specific steps that are needed to bring the ideas to fruition, I add to the specific pages.

These are the five habits that create conditions for me to be efficient and productive. Do you do any of these are part of your daily routine?

How might educators use daily habits and routines to empower students and each other?

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The Power of a Teacher's Words

I got to spend some time this past weekend with a friend who has a four-year old daughter. She was talking about the difficulty of getting her daughter to try certain foods (I could certainly relate to this. I’ve got two daughters who don’t eat peanut butter!) 

She shared a story about taking her daughter to her husband’s parents’ house where she would be having lunch.  When they arrived, my friend’s daughter sat down to eat her sandwich. My friend’s husband asked his mom if there were any chips that his daughter could have with her sandwich. His mom replied that they had sour cream and onion chips, and when she said that, my friend’s husband said, “She’s not going to like those.” 

After that, my friend’s mother-in-law asked the little girl if she would like some chips, and she replied, “I don’t like those.” My friend was frustrated because her daughter was not open to trying new foods, and she was frustrated because she felt like her husband had planted an idea in their daughter’s mind that she wouldn’t like the chips even though she hadn’t tried them. 

It got me thinking about the power of suggestion and the power of words, especially to a child. As adults, we are usually more open to trying new things and forming our own opinions based on our personal experience. The power of suggestion is real, and it affects us at all ages. 

Have you heard, “No one in our family is good at math,” or “Diets never work,” or “This lucky rabbit’s foot will bring you good luck (in your interview, in the game, etc.)”? Words like these shape our actions, reactions, and perceptions about situations. They also remind us of our limitations. We tend to focus on those more than what we CAN accomplish. 

What about students? Do you think they’ve heard these before?

“You always forget your homework.” 

“This test will be the hardest of the year.” 

“You’ll never get to college at this rate.” 

“You’re either good at math or writing.” 

“Students these days just don’t read.” 

“I don’t think you even care.”

Students’ reaction to these statements may be more subtle than my friend’s daughter who outright agreed with her dad that she didn’t like the chips even though she hadn’t tried them. Students internalize their feelings and responses, all while creating expectations about outcomes. Students may consciously or unconsciously behave in ways that cause the statements to come to fruition. 

Psychological research scientists Maryanne Garry, Irving Kirsch, and Robert Michael found that, “the effects of suggestion are wider and often more surprising than many people might otherwise think … [with] real life implications. They added:  If we can harness the power of suggestion, we can improve people’s lives.”

Imagine if the only messages students heard from teachers were

“You can do this.” 

“Some of you may find the test hard; some of you may find it easy. I will do my best to help you prepare to be as successful as possible.” 

“I want to help you get to college. Let’s try this.” 

“Some of the best writers are engineers.” 

“Here’s a reading assignment that I think you’ll like.” 

"I expect better."

Teachers with a growth mindset don’t take failures personally and believe that there is room for improvement. Teachers with this mindset also believe that they can influence students in a positive way.  Let’s all be cognizant of the words we say (and don’t say) to each other and students.

Resources
R. B. Michael, M. Garry and I. Kirsch, Suggestion, Cognition, and Behavior, Current Directions in Psychological Science, Vol.21(3), pp.151–156, 2012