Last year my son, Mark, introduced me to a blog by public relations professional Christopher Penn. Around New Years Day each year, he chooses three words to give him focus for the coming year.

So on New Years Day, I chose three words to give me focus for 2014:

notice, serve, and appreciate.

I tried to notice people more than I have in the past. I still centered on myself more, but keeping the word “notice” in the back of my mind helped.

People heard the word “serve” much more in my daily interactions. I regularly made it a point to ask people how I could serve them. That’s not a word people are used to hearing outside of the hospitality industry. Yet I have to admit, it’s much easier to ask, “how can I serve?” than to pitch in and serve.

The word that proved the biggest challenge, and the one I need to work on again next year is “appreciate.” My appreciation needs to begin first of all with God, who is the rightful king of the universe and the ultimate author and provider of everything I enjoy.

That leads me to three words to give me focus for the coming year:

connect, appreciate, and thank.

The word “connect” was inspired by one of the responses to my Facebook post last New Years when I asked friends to give me their three words. Our good family friend, Diane Kendall, wrote about a word that can change your life, the word “present” – to be present with the Lord, people, and circumstances. Recognizing my tendency to withdraw into my own world, the word “connect” points to the present world around me and the people in it.

To appreciate is a specific way to connect with God’s world and the people and things in it.

Then ideally, this appreciation will be expressed. So the third word is “thank.”

The three words differ from resolutions in that they are not framed as specific goals or objectives, but rather they are aspirational values, things that I seek to integrate as core values in my life.

With that in mind…

What are your three words for 2015?