Let’s review. For 2017, My Three Words were:
- Focus
- Action
- Simplify
In the course of thinking about my words for 2018, I’ve landed on these three:
- Simplify
- Lead
- Balance
Simplify. The previous two times (I missed 2016) I did this exercise, Simplify made the list. And for good reason: I still feel like I’ve got too much stuff. I really want to get down to the essentials. I think I’ll feel much better if I can get rid of some things over the next few days before I head back into the office. Clothes, books, papers, general clutter. Ugh.
It’s also about getting better at NOT adding things. An important aspect of that is learning to simple art of saying No. But in order to get better that this, I’ll probably need to work on mindfulness/meditation. Clarity will be key if I’m going to distinguish between what’s important and what’s not.
Lead. Much of this is about being a better leader. It’s what Weeksville and my staff need. But I’m not fully clear on what I mean when I say “be a better leader”. Better at what? Some areas might include:
- Staff development
- Marketing
- Fundraising
- Solidifying partnerships
- Gaining a greater POV on the business
- Go deeper int the financials
Weeksville’s going to take up a lot of my time and focus. But it can’t be 100%. There are other things I’ll need to devote time to, other people I’ll need to be present for: My wife, my kids, my mom. Friends and community, even.
Which is where the last word comes in.
Balance. Keeping it all in perspective: Work, family, community, health. Health is particularly important for me. This will involve both regular exercise and taking myself to doctors. No, there’s nothing wrong: I just want to keep it that way.
Particularly after seeing the too-soon passing of Reggie Osse (age 53) and his former law partner Ed Woods (50), I hope a lot of Black men will take our health–especially preventable illnesses–more seriously. And isn’t that really simple? Just go for regular physicals.
Look, I just turned 50 last year. It’s time to stop acting like I’m young and invincible. Truth is, I never was. I was just lucky. The greatest gift we can give our families and our communities is our health. Ask anyone who’s lost a loved one too soon, and they’ll probably tell you that they’re rather have that person here than to live with their memories.
