Walk 10,000 steps a day. Read two books a month. Pledge to be better organized.
They're all great and worthy goals likely to be on many New Year's resolution lists for 2016, and of course, also likely to be broken as New Year's resolutions often are.
One way to a more rewarding year is a more realistic start.
That's the path one of my colleagues at AARP Foundation and his friends have taken. Instead of making New Year's resolutions, they share with each other their New Year's ReVOLUTION--their mantra for the year ahead embodied in a single word. Then a couple of times throughout the year, they "check in" and report on how well they're living up to that word.
I like this narrower focus so this year I am embracing the concept. But I can't just settle for one word, so I have chosen three.
The three words I've picked offer an opportunity to adjust my mindset. They represent a promise I can realistically keep. These three words will inform my thinking personally and professionally. They are a good fit for AARP Foundation as we create and advance innovative ways to help older adults struggling with poverty.
At the Foundation, we recognize that these vulnerable populations are often invisible. So the three words I have chosen as my mantra are: LOOK. SEE. ACT.
LOOK. To me, this means adopting a more active way of looking at the world. It means looking beyond what is immediately visible to find what may have escaped my attention. This is particularly critical in my work as AARP Foundation recognizes that vulnerable populations can be all but invisible.
SEE. I will be keeping my eyes open for the unexpected, whether it is collaborating with others in new ways or getting a clear vision of a problem and how to address it. Sometimes we look but we don't really see. The distinction can be small, but it is crucial. Seeing will be about perceiving opportunities in the landscape of the future. It will involve freeing myself from faulty first impressions so that I can better understand the real challenges people face.
ACT. This means carrying out plans, and making sure actions are deliberate and not reactive. It means being persistent and positive in the face of obstacles or setbacks. "Act" reminds me to be keenly focused on the outcome. That might seem obvious, but I think it's useful to have a constant reminder that what counts is not what we say, but what we do.
So there are my three words: Look. See. Act. I invite you to come up with yours. Make it or them your mindset mantra for the year. I'd love to learn what you've chosen and why. Sharing them will help them stick better--and help make 2016 a more fulfilling and purposeful year.