After praying about where God would have me focus my time and attention this year, I came up with my own three words for 2009. They are:

1. Friends
2. Writer
3. Infants

Friends
It seems at every turn in the last few months, I’ve come across books, speakers and testimonies that all highlight the power of positive friendships. As a result, in 2009 I am nurturing a few key relationships with women who understand who I am and the call that God has on my life. I am being vulnerable by sharing my hopes and dreams as well as my fears and failures, trusting that God will use these ladies to sharpen me and bring me into the place of His choosing. It may not seem like much of a business strategy, unless you’ve read Vital Friends, The Power of Who or Say Yes to No.

Writer
I’ve been writing since I was 12 years old – stories, diary entries, devotional thoughts and more. Last month I wrote a post about two women who, independently of one another, affirmed God’s call on my life to write. You can read about that here. In 2009, I am spending more time writing what God has laid on my heart. I am also intentionally developing relationships with people in the writing industry – writers, publishers, agents, editors, publicists and more. Admittedly, I’m not quite sure what God has in store but I fully believe this is a strategic step in line with my calling and purpose.

Infants
I like beginnings – starting new things. It’s actually fun when I get to work with a new business owner or a ministry leader embarking on a new journey. In 2009, I am working with leaders looking for new ways to engage people. So far I’ve:

• Provided leadership coaching for new business owners
• Offered social media consulting for chamber professionals and their members
• Helped ministry leaders develop new opportunities to make broader kingdom impact

My Three Words
Friends. Writer. Infants.

I’m using them to help me stay focused on specific areas of my business. These are the words that will help me use my time most effectively and make sure I don’t get too far off the intended path. Throughout the year, I’ll keep you posted on how I’m doing.

What about you?
What priorities have you identified for 2009 and how are you staying focused? If you had to determine your own three words for this year, what would they be? And what advice or feedback would you give me for 2009, based on the three words I’ve identified?

The Background
In the last two months, I’ve started running. Well, more like jogging/walking. This is HUGE for me because even as of now, I’ve never run a complete mile in my entire life. When I was in high school, we could choose between chorus, PE or band. I chose chorus, three music classes my senior year.

Some say I’m blessed because I have a high metabolism and a long, used to be thinner build. I’ve never really had to exercise nor watch what I eat. Until 40. I’m 43 now and for a variety of motivations, I want/need to take care of myself.

In April I took Archie, our golden retriever, to the vet for his 1-year check up. He weighed in at 93 pounds. Our vet said Archie needed to loose about 5 pounds and he needed more exercise. She was right. Truth be told, so did I.

I started out walking in the mornings or afternoons, whenever I could find the time, and I probably got in a mile or two. Fast forward to run/walk/jog in intervals and I’m up to 3-4 miles.

Today’s Run
I woke up tired and almost decided to forego the run but then was determined not to loose momentum. I ate a light breakfast, had coffee (caffeine is really helpful) and drank plenty of water. After I dropped Morgan off at camp, I came home. Archie and I headed out at 9:37. It was probably already close to 80 degrees.

We started slowly, then picked it up and ran a bit. Walked a bit, ran a bit, etc. Before long, I started to get overheated. My skin was hot and red. My scalp and arms had that cold tingly feeling. So I slowed down and took a few rest stops along the way. I popped a couple of icebreaker sours in my mouth to get the juices flowing again and just remembered to pace myself.

Determination
Despite the fact that I was hot, really hot, I continued to push myself to make sure I didn’t quit/give up, call a friend and ask her to come get me.  I even ran a little bit up the second to last hill before I got home. And it felt good! Not physically, of course, but mentally/emotionally.

When I got home, my face, chest and arms were RED! I stretched in the cool of the AC, lay in front of an additional fan, drank lots of water and snarfed up a banana. Before long I was feeling great.

Lessons Learned

• Don’t delay your goals. With summer heat and humidity kicking in, I have to be more intentional about getting out earlier in the mornings.
• Be prepared. I wore heat wicking clothes, good socks and shoes and I had my cell phone with me. I took mints/gum to help with dry mouth. I even took Aveeno lip conditioner with sunscreen in case my lips started to dry out.
• Listen to yourself. I was in tune with my body and realized I was getting too hot.
• Adjust based on variables. Even though I started out with a decent pace, I had to adjust due to the heat/humidity. And I had to do this on the fly.
• Evaluate. As I reflect on today’s run, I can see what went well and how I can improve next time.
• Celebrate. Even little steps forward are progress towards the overall goal. Oreos and milk for afternoon snack!

What mistakes have you made recently and what have you learned from them? If you’re a runner, what other advice would you give me? Is any of this helpful for where you are with your own goals? Leave your comments below.

• Vulnerability - these are folks I’ve known for a while. I trust them enough to be honest with them about how much money I want to make and what I want my life to look like. I can be vulnerable to them.
• Invested – we care about one another. It’s not uncommon that one or more of us will get a call during the week to see how things are going. “Are you making your calls?” “How are those pages coming along?”
• Consistency – we meet every week. It’s not an on again, off again group. (We do make allowances for school holidays, sick children, business trips, vacations, etc.)
• Accountability – each week I have to share what I’ve done the previous week. Not doing what I said I was going to do previously is hard. I don’t want to let these folks (and myself) down.
• Big Girl Panties (or Big Boy Underwear) – we come each week, expecting hard questions and aren’t afraid to get beat up a little bit. Don’t come to lunch if you’re not willing to let someone give you constructive feedback.
• Results – because we are fully engaged in the process, we’re all seeing positive results, not only in business but in life.

It’s nearly time for lunch. I have to grab my notebook and get out the door to go to Charleys. We’re there most Mondays at lunchtime. Say hello if you’re in the neighborhood.

Do you have people who hold you accountable for reaching your goals? If not, why not start an accountability group today?