citius altius fortiusLast week, or perhaps it was the week before, one of my friends asked (on Path, which I’m new to but find very enjoyable) what one’s three words for 2012 were.

At the time, I responded, “Citius, Altius, Fortius.”

I’ve always loved the Olympic motto, and “faster, higher, stronger” could be applicable to anyone, not just athletes. And there’s poetry to them, which I don’t think we spend enough time on in our world of prose, IM shorthand and text-length comments.

On the face of it

“faster, higher, stronger” conjures up – for me, at least – images of runners poised to break the tape, blurs of speed and adrenaline, the “thrill of victory, the agony of defeat.”

As I thought more about it, though, I realized I’m not so sure I want those to be my three words for 2012. My life is already fast-paced enough; instead of making it faster, I’ve been trying (and mostly succeeding) to slow it down. Sure, I want to aim higher, and be/grow stronger, but I’m not sure I want to deal with the stress that comes with the overall package.

So I’m revisiting my three words. I haven’t settled on a trio yet. There’s “attention, intention and retention” that I’ve been thinking of lately…

Attention – to everything I do in equal amounts.

Intention – as in intentionality of purpose.

Retention – not just in a literal sense, such as good clients, income, etc., but of what is meaningful … and which also means, on the flip side, letting go of what’s not.

Those three are resonating with me, but will have to sit in my head, heart and gut a while longer before I know they are the three.

Then again, perhaps they’re not three discrete words, but a series, a phrase or a question. “I’m all in.” “Here and now.” “Change the world.” I don’t know.

[Did you get that last one?]

What about you? Have you settled on the three words for 2012 that will be your motto, your mantra, your raison d’être? Or, like me, are you still looking for them? Do share, I’d love to know.

Image: Patrick Hoesly via Flickr, CC 2.0