Have you ever seen a dumpster fire?

Me neither, but I couldn’t escape them this year. It seemed every year-end roundup or TV montage made mention of the dumpster fire that was 2016.

They couldn’t be more wrong.

Sure, 2016 had some pretty big lows. Deaths to important figures, a nasty election that left all involved worse for the wear, and tragic news around the globe.

Fortunately, though, your hands are clean. You had zero impact on these events. (Maybe you played a tiny role if you live in Michigan, Wisconsin, or Pennsylvania . . . but you get the point.)

The world you impact is in front of you: the people in your life, the work you create, and the ideas you put into the world.

If we sit back and simply respond to changes instead of actually creating change, the world will not be the way we want it.

That’s why my word for 2017 is agency.

Seize Agency in 2017

Every year I conduct an annual review to reflect on what went well and what didn’t go so well. (Here is the 2016 annual review I just completed.) Then, I take all of those lessons to create goals, which I summarize in one word. This year, that word is agency.

In 2017, I need to seize agency.

In our families, communities, and work, we have the power to make change. We have agency. This year, I challenge you to take it.

There could not be a better word for my year professionally. I run an agency. That word always meant a digital marketing agency to me, but as I reflect on the year, I realize the important double meaning of the word.

Our agency exists to give agency. I originally started 9 Clouds with my brother John to help people learn to use technology — in short, to give them agency.

We knew that if small businesses in South Dakota couldn’t effectively use technology, they had no shot at competing in the world.

Today our team does the same for auto dealers through our services, for small businesses through our blog, and for entrepreneurs in our community by blazing the trail and creating activity that helps build the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

In your personal and professional life, seize agency in 2017.

9 Clouds on our annual team retreat (photo courtesy of John Nelson Photography).

Visualize, then Create

Your word for the year is your North Star. It is one word to write on a Post-it Note, stick to your fridge, or pin to your Momentum launch screen that will immediately move you toward other goals you have for the year.

In addition to the single word, I also write a description of what the upcoming year will be like. By visualizing the year to come, we are more likely to make it happen.

Here’s 2017 for me:

2017 is the year of agency. At the end of 2017, my business will be the best in the world at what we do and have a clear path of continued growth. My personal writings will lead to a defined project. My family will all explore our interests and have agency to imagine a wide variety of future possibilities.

Your visualization of the year to come should be based on the summation of specific goals in a number of categories. These categories are based on Chris Guillebeau’s original template and include things like writing, business, family and friends, service, travel, spiritual, health, learning, and financial.

I won’t share all my specific goals here, but I’ll give you a quick summary of each category, both for accountability and to inspire you as you conduct your own review.

• Writing: Do a little, frequently.
• Business: Focus our services, and keep the business growing and building mastery.
• Family and friends: Take time for activity, and plan more one-on-one time.
• Service: Host an awesome party for my community.
• Travel: Plan memorable trips.
• Spiritual: Average 30 minutes a week in disconnected spiritual time.
• Health: Combine exercise with parenting.
• Learning: Put my phone away, and pick up my Kindle more. Avoid news and read more content with depth.
• Financial: Grow income with product development and speaking engagements. Create a plan for debt payments so that we can more freely give and live.

Make 2017 What You Want It to Be

2017 is already underway, and it can be a great year — if you make it so.

You have the agency to make your goals a reality. Take time to reflect on 2016, and conduct an annual review so that you have a North Star for what you want to achieve.

If we can learn anything from 2016, it’s that the world is not going to change for us. We need to make it so. Get started in the community around you, where you have the greatest impact and interest in creating positive change.

Here’s to 2017. Thanks for reading and joining us on this journey.

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