My three words for 2025

05 Jan, 2025

Every year I select three words that will serve as guideposts for my efforts. If you’re unfamiliar with the exercise, it’s something that Chris Brogan started in 2006.

I take time to reflect on the past year, what worked and what didn’t. I try to gain a clear picture of what I want the next year (and beyond) to look like.

Looking beyond is a critical component. I may use these words for one year, but they are integral to building a foundation for my life and future work.

Sometimes, the words come from specific goals I’ve established. Other times, I jot down words that catch my attention or explore a list of core values that inspire me.

How to choose your words

I started this practice in 2012. Back then, my three words were: “Listen. Act. Inspire.” I picked these simple words and they served me well. One of my best years ever.

I listened to others, and I learned something new. I acted on this knowledge and inspired others to learn from my experience. It was a positive growth cycle.

A few tips for choosing your words:

• Pick words that mean something special to you. Don’t worry about explaining them to others. They’re meant to guide you forward.

• Try to choose positive words over negative ones. Also, try to make them actionable. I recommend verbs over adjectives since they encourage you to focus on the positive action instead of the result. That’s one of the greatest lessons I’ve learned from doing this exercise over the past decade.

• Make your words visible throughout the year. Keep them handy on your phone, in your journal, at your office, etc. Bonus: write them out every day!

• Choose 3 words (not 4 or 5) that will serve as your guideposts for the year ahead. Three is a magic number. And less is better.

The simpler the word, the more powerful it is. My favourite word (so far) has been “ask”. That word opened a lot of doors for me and served me well. (In 2015, I tried to be smart and chose “kaizen” as one of my three words. That wasn’t a very good year.)

Ready to see a few more examples?

My three words over the years

I hope that by sharing these words with you, I will inspire you to embark on your own journey.

Feel free to use any of these words for your own benefit. Here’s to a healthy and prosperous new year!

• 2012: Listen. Act. Inspire.
• 2013: Live. Learn. Do.
• 2014: Dream. Create. Explore.
• 2015: Well-being. Kaizen. Leadership.
• 2016: Start. Observe. Adapt.
• 2017: Growth. Self-respect. Contribution.
• 2018: Simplicity. Primility. Creativity.
• 2019: Jump. Recharge. Improvise.
• 2020: Ask. Build. Sleep.
• 2021: Move. Think. Connect.
• 2022: Block. Finish. Breathe.
• 2023: Process. Win. Shine.
• 2024: Accept. Commit. Direct.

My 3 Words for 2025

2025 is the year of hope. The world is uncertain, but each day people wake up and try to make it better. Here are my three words that will help me bring more hope to the world.

1. Trigger 🚦

What triggers me?

I'll be looking at cues in my environment (external), but also at my emotional responses (internal). For instance, having the gym bag at the front door signals that it's time for me to go to the gym. Loud, unexpected noises startle me and can also make me scared, angry or annoyed.

Becoming more aware of my emotions - recognising them, labelling them, and finding ways to manage them - is key to discovering my triggers.

Changing cues in my environment can make it easier to choose healthier options, e.g. eat more healthy foods, go to the gym and so on.

2. Practice 🎯

What do I want to practice?

This year is all about practice, practice, practice.

I will be practicing CBT with patients for the first time in-person, at two different clinics. By focusing on the practice (the reps, the sessions), I will get better at it. Yes, it will be uncomfortable at times, but it will also be rewarding.

Have fun, choose your mindset (remember: everyone starts out as a beginner) and keep practicing! You will get better :)

3. Balance ⚖️

Is my life in balance?

Balance is a fascinating theme for personal growth. Most of us struggle to juggle the lifestyle compass: there are so many different areas to work on! But balance helps us keep things in check, and re-adjust our lives as needed.

I want to get better at balancing my own life compass during 2025.

I know that finances and work are two areas I will need to pay attention to during the year, but also building and maintaining relationships, working on my health (keep going to the gym, eating more healthy foods and having a balanced diet), but also writing on this blog and reading interesting books.

The list is long, and I'm struck by how precious time is. I need to prioritise and find a balance that works me, right now, given my set of circumstances.

I am so grateful to have spent quality time with family and friends over the holidays, something I no longer take for granted.

What words would be meaningful for you to have an eye on this year, to help you improve the quality of your life? Please let me know, I'd love to hear about them :)

Celebrate the year of hope

We live in uncertain times, where we have a need to come together and help each other. Hope is about having faith that things will get better.

We could all benefit from learning about triggers (and showing compassion and understanding that what we do may very well set off other people), practicing our skills and looking after our emotional and physical health, as well as finding balance to our day-to-day life. Here’s to the year of hope!

#personal growth