Leverage Your Strengths in 2023

If you've been with us for a while, you know that at the end of each year, I'm a fan of picking a few words for the upcoming year. They express how I want to feel, be and show up during the year and keep me focused and on track as the year rolls along. My words for 2022 were Energetic, Optimistic, Fruitful, and Blessed. They have served me well, and I am truly grateful for all the beautiful people and things that showed up this past year. 

For 2023 I have settled on Open as my single word of the year. I picked this word to remind me of my desire to be open-minded and open-hearted. Open to new ideas and ways of learning, doing, and working with and relating to others. The world is changing at supersonic speed, and being more open is one way to help myself keep up.

Applying a little visual thinking is a great way to generate words that resonate with you. At the end of 2020, we went through a couple of visual thinking exercises to create a list of three positive, forward-focused words for the coming year. If you missed them, you can find them here and here. Want to pick a word or two or three for 2023? Read through the articles, then grab your pens and play along.

Another great way to kick off a new year (or any new endeavor) is to practice visual appreciative inquiry (AI). Drawing out a simple story of when you were at your best in the past helps you leverage your strengths as you begin something new. By using AI, you may recognize strengths you weren't aware of previously. You might try this before an interview or prospecting meeting, before updating a web profile or marketing materials or just for yourself.



Step 4: Put it all together. Review all your storylines together. The final result is a complete picture of ways you have leveraged your strengths in the past. Now you can move forward with a clear sense of when, where, and how you work best and leverage those strengths as you move forward.