Kidding! If you know anything about me, you know that’s a foolish question. I don’t set New Year resolutions. I choose three words for the year, as author Chris Brogan taught me to do.
The best thing about it? It’s fun! Each year, I get to reflect on my three words from the year past and set three entirely new ones. I get to look back on years past and see how they turned out based on the intentions held.
In the sections that follow, you’ll have the opportunity to learn from my reflections for 2022 and new intentions for 2023. But don’t forget – you’re not here to sit on the sidelines and watch. You’re here to get on the court and get in the game. Don’t bounce off this page without setting your three words for the year, promise?
Reflecting on My 3 Words from 2022
Intention – In 2022, I got to discover the importance and power of setting an intention for every conversation or meeting. You could comb through my blog archives from last year, and you’d probably find that this was a recurring theme. Intention serves as the underpinning of every conversation. It steers and guides it. And sometimes it fulfills on itself all on its own, by the mere act of creating it. But if you’re lacking intention, the conversation will tend to idle and derail.
Recognition – I was looking for a breakthrough in recognition, and I think I found it. I can talk about being an award-winning composer or best-selling author, yet all these things are in the past. It’s good to be proud of your accomplishments, and I will hold onto mine, but it’s easy to set up home in your wins instead of staying hungry for more. I discovered that recognition is all about staying hungry for more. You’re as good as the last thing you worked on.
Love – I had to think hard on this one. What breakthrough did I have in love? 2022 was a year of upheaval and adventure, but in a lot of other ways, it was the same as years past. And what I realized was that I had a breakthrough in seeing myself as lovable. I don’t mean that as in “look how amazing I am – I sure am lovable.” I mean that more in the sense of, I now know myself as someone who could be, and can be, loved. My chance meeting with a prospective girlfriend showed me that. It’s crazy how much doubt I’ve had surrounding this simple truth.
My 3 Words for 2022
Ease – I’m starting to feel like my ship has been righted, and I’m pointed towards my North Star. I do have goals, and I am up to something in life, but I’m not looking to force any outcomes this year. I’ve given up on choosing words to force outcomes too. I’m not going to fight an uphill battle with the universe. Last year, I talked about upheaval, and guess what? I ended up going through upheaval! Words really do have power. But I’m not asking for 2023 to be easy, I’m looking to navigate everything that comes my way this year with ease.
Laughter – Life is better with laughter. It’s more fun. It’s more enjoyable. Even heavy burdens can lessen with laughter. I love to laugh, and I have fun making others laugh too. I may not be a comedian, but I have sometimes thought of it as one of my “hidden” callings. Maybe I could incorporate my sense of humor into what I’m already doing more. That would be a novel idea.
Train – I chose this word intuitively, and I don’t know what to expect. It just felt right. Whether it’s moving through challenges as though a freight train, or training others to become the leaders they’re fully capable of becoming, I see a lot of potential with “train.” It’s not a word I would have naturally chosen, but rather something I gravitated towards. Now I get to be in discovery of how the word will set the tone for 2023.
Further reading on setting yourself up for success in 2023 and helpful prompts are available in my Start Your Year the Right Way, with convenient notetaking space built right into the resource. Setting yourself up for a powerful year is but a click away. Let the discoveries begin. Start implementing profitable practices into your own life now.
Final Thoughts
Do you want 2023 to be a breakthrough year? Of course, you do! Are you ready to embrace change in your life? Having come this far into this post, I have no doubt you’re sharp and ambitious. Do you need help navigating the path ahead? I don’t know a single successful person who would have said “no” to such a question on their way to finding their path in the world. Which is exactly why you should get in touch for personal coaching. Now. Let’s see if we’re a good fit to work together.
For many, 2023 could not have come fast enough. Doubtless, the last couple of years have been trying.
Regardless of what might be going on outside, though, I have always made it my mission to go inside to better myself, and that includes plenty of thinking and reflection time, especially during the holiday season.
In this guide, I share 10 fresh holiday reflections to ring in 2023.
Past Reflections
I didn’t share my holiday reflections last year thinking the article would become so popular, but it seems I’ve found a pulse. Moving forward, I will be sharing my holiday reflections annually.
We all know there are 52 weeks in a year. If you produce weekly content (whether blog posts, podcast episodes, or videos), then you’ll have created 52 new opportunities to show up in front of your audience this year.
For years, I’ve averaged 48 podcast episodes per year (with The New Music Industry Podcast), though some years I’ve come in a little under (like last year).
When I reflected on this, I realized that I basically didn’t publish during the holidays, or if I was especially sick or busy.
This is a good argument for planning your content well in advance of publishing it. If you have metrics to tell you which of your posts or series have resonated with audiences most, take advantage of that data.
Unless you’re publishing more aggressively, you’ve only got about 50 opportunities per year to show up for your audience. Don’t waste them.
Where I got this: Personal reflections
2. Make Everything a Seminar
I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s started far too many content and product initiatives. There comes a point where it’s simply not sustainable anymore.
In reflecting on this, I realized that I was reinventing the wheel more than I cared to admit. I was trying to create fresh content for every initiative.
Moving forward, I intend to create everything as though it were a seminar. That way, it can be transformed into other types of content more readily.
A blog post can become a newsletter article. A newsletter article can become a podcast episode. A podcast episode can become a video. A video can become part of a course.
Although you won’t find me publishing the same content across different platforms simultaneously, the result should be greater consistency in frequency, tone, and message.
This will require a high degree of intentionality and planning, but it should prevent me from running around like a headless chicken making new things for so many different channels.
Where I got this: Personal reflections
3. Decide What to Start & What to Stop
What you choose to do is just as important as what you choose not to do.
You may be starting new initiatives in 2023. But what will you be stopping to make room for the new, more critical initiatives?
If your “start” list is longer than your “stop” list, you’ve got a problem. Adding more on top of what you’re already doing is a sure way to end this year feeling overwhelmed and unaccomplished.
Take some time to reflect and make a list of projects you will be starting and stopping this year. Then, return to the list fresh, and keep chipping away at it until you’re left with the activity that excites you most.
We don’t need more stressed and overworked people in the world, we need more people who are on fire for their passion.
This year, I’m looking at blowing up my business so I can focus more on what counts. More on this in another post.
Ever since my business coach suggested that I begin finding a pathway to becoming a celebrity a few years ago, I’ve been reflecting deeply on the topic.
Influence is the new currency, and being influential means becoming a celebrity, even if only to your most diehard fans. Marketing god Dan Kennedy talks extensively on the topic.
But a recent episode of Dan Kennedy’s Magnetic Marketing Podcast finally put this into perspective for me. In Mastering Authority Marketing With Adam Witty, Dan and Adam talk about becoming a local celebrity. Aha.
Trying to become a worldwide celebrity, even a national celebrity can be quite difficult. Becoming a local celebrity on the other hand? If you can write a column for a local print newsletter, be interviewed on the radio once per month, and appear on local TV once or twice per month, you can create your local celebrity status relatively quickly.
I’m amazed how long it’s taken me to reach this conclusion, though.
5. Use Smart Summaries for Increased Article Engagement
In this video, copywriting expert Jim Edwards explains the concept of “smart summaries” from the book, Smart Brevity.
The idea is that whether it’s a long-form article, podcast episode, or video, you can make your content easier to skim and more engaging by covering off these items before you get into the meat of it:
Attention-grabbing headline
One sentence summary of the big idea
One sentence on why the content matters
Three to four bullets with subpoints
Call to action
You’ll see me experimenting with this form in 2023!
“More than ever,” says Jim Edwards, “this idea that you’re about as old as you think you are, is becoming true.”
Most people work for retirement, but entrepreneurs almost never do. They realize how boring and unfulfilling it can be to have nothing to do, to have no purpose and no mission in life.
As an entrepreneur, it’s easy to get caught up in “artist” mode, creating things you want to create instead of listening to what your audience wants and creating that. You end up leaving a ton of income on the table when you don’t focus on the customer’s pain points.
This reality has finally landed with me in a meaningful way. Thanks James!
8. If You’re Going to Think About How Bad it Could be, Also Think About How Good it Could be
It’s human nature to think in terms of what could go wrong. But this is not a balanced approach to thinking.
If you’re going to think about just how bad it could get, you’d need to even the scale by thinking about just how good it could get too. Otherwise, you’re not weighting the scale evenly.
The only thing that’s holding you apart from what you want is you see it as something that’s bigger than you.
But it doesn’t matter whether it’s a successful business, incredible relationship, fulfilling spiritual life, or otherwise. The only reason you don’t have what you want is because you have it that it’s at a higher vibration than you are.
But nothing could be bigger than you. You are bigger than everything. And because you’re bigger than everything, you can attract and create whatever you want.
10. Your Content & Sales Copy Should Have the Same Tone
“Ideally, there should be no difference between the voice of your content and the voice of your sales copy,” says Jim. “If you’re writing changes when you’re selling something, people can be weirded out by it.”
Wow. That makes a lot of sense. One of the reasons our sales copy fails to connect, then, is when we’re being inauthentic – when we’re trying to do something with our copy we don’t usually do with our content!
What did you discover from my holiday reflections?
Did you have any breakthrough insights of your own?
What changes will you be making in 2023?
I can’t wait to hear your thoughts.
P.S. If you’re looking for a guide to help you with your holiday reflections, you’ll love Start Your Year the Right Way, which features plenty of prompts to help you unlock powerful insights in your own life. Pick it up now to leap forward in art, business, and life.
As I shared the other day, I’ve been thinking seriously about a change in direction, specifically in my work life. Chiefly, I’m not happy about one of my partnerships, and I’m going to be letting it go.
I’ve had to think long and hard about my next steps, as I will need to replace a good chunk of my income.
The answer I’ve arrived at surprised even me, because I’m looking at doubling down on two to three avenues, with one of them being podcasting.
Why is that surprising? Because, at times, I’ve felt a little burned out on podcasting (especially in 2022).
But for some reason, I haven’t quite been able to shake the image of myself talking into a microphone (while capturing the sessions on video). As one of my friends pointed out, I am good at it, and I have a ton of experience behind me.
Doubling down on podcasting will doubtless mean creating far more content, not just for one podcast, but multiple podcasts. And I have shared a little bit about one of my new projects earlier this month.
Even with all the burning out, I’m honestly excited about exploring the outer reaches of what’s possible with podcasting again. I’m tired of stagnating and getting nowhere with some of my endeavors, and I could be wrong, but I feel like the only thing between me, and my goals is more visibility. If people knew me and knew about my products, the puzzle pieces would begin to fall into place.
There is no other content channel – at least none that I’m aware of – that allows you to distribute your content to so many places at once without a ton of manual labor. Apple Music, Amazon Music, Spotify, and many others. And, if you’re thinking about live streaming your show (as I am), you can easily roll destinations like YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter into your mix too.
So, I’m declaring 2023 the year of the podcast. I’ll be exploring every possible avenue for collaboration, syndication, and monetization. Join me on this journey, won’t you?
The Leading Musician Coach
Hey! I’m author, entrepreneur, and musician David Andrew Wiebe. Learn more >
