A few years back my friend Daniel Steinberg introduced me to Chris Brogan’s “3 Words Process” while we were experimenting with our own TinyChallenges podcast.
I sat down to write yesterday because writing (again) is one of the things I want to do for myself in the coming year. I decided that one day out of every week in 2019 (Sundays) I would use my currently-dedicated gym time to write, that way there would be no excuse about not having time - the time was carved out two-and-a-half years ago and healthily maintained as gym time. I didn't foresee a swap-out of one thing for another being the challenge it was. It totally was, though. I did NOT want to get out of bed yesterday.
Once I peeled myself out of bed I decided to write about 2018. I bored myself with my own words and thoughts after about 20 minutes and quickly distracted myself by checking-in on work. 3 hours later I was still working on work things that could've waited. I guess I'm a bit out of practice.
While I'm discouraged that writing didn't feel wonderful and freeing and like the only thing ever that I want to do for the rest of my life, as it used to... this, like many things, will take me some time to rebuild a recurring practice around and I choose to be OK with that.
I thought about my three words for a long time. At first, I had eight words and it was tough for me to focus on them long enough to prioritize them. I decided that today I will make time. So here's where I've landed (in no particular order).
...
Organize.
Since the launch and viral chaos of Picture This Clothing in August of 2016, almost everything else took a back seat. At first, the company completely took over our home. Eventually, we subleased a small space near our manufacturer, then in 2018, we took on a lease of our own and it's an amazing space!
My home, however, has never fully recovered. My mind has never fully recovered. This year I will get a handle on the many bits that feel like a straight-up 10,000 lb glitter explosion.
Expand.
In prior years it was a goal to make more space in my life. I believe I have done that to quite a solid degree since I started that journey in 2013. Creating space, in my own definition, was about hugging-in and focusing only on what is important. Clearing out the noise. Saying "no" more so that there is space to breathe, feel, and exist with pointed intention. Now it's time to expand mindfully within the space I have carved out. I made the mistake last year of expanding too quickly beyond the space. While that had some benefits, it also had some enormous negative consequences. Hopefully, this has been a well-learned lesson that bears no repeating.
Presence.
Relationships require cultivating, care, attention, and presence. I want to improve my presence in the relationships I most value. Life is too short not to put more focus here.
...
While I've never been much of a "resolutions" kind-a-girl, I'm a huge advocate for goals and writing things down - for me writing is the clarity of vision that defines doing versus not doing. :)
Happy 2019, friends!
Jaimee
A very quick recap of 2018:
With the exception of slowing down over Christmas break, I continued my streak of going to the gym at least 4 times per week. I’ll hit the 3-year mark of this routine in May of 2019.
Got an incredible office space and established our own manufacturing shop (we print, cut, sew, thread-clip, label, pack, and ship every single piece in-house) for Picture This Clothing free of any bank-loans or outside investment.
Invited to Shark Tank. Went and failed miserably. It will never air but was a great experience.
Experimented a ton (and had lots of fun) with videos for Picture This Clothing.
As far as I know, my kids and Ken don’t hate me and I think they’re all amazing.
Started speaking at conferences again.