• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content

Raul Colon - photographer, digital marketer & writer living on the beach in Puerto Rico.

I support causes by supporting individuals.

  • Earthquake Relief
  • Hire Me
  • My Photography
  • Get to Know Me
  • Talk to Me

My 3 words for 2016

January 1, 2016 by Raul Colon

raulcolon-photos-puertorico-2-5 My 3 words for 2016

Choosing my three words for this year was a bit easier than in the past.

The past six years I have been choosing three words to guide me through the year.

I place reminders of these words. By working with just three words, I have been able to change habits permanently.

I look back at the three words of previous years and some of them I apply almost every day. They became part of who I am.

The best thing about choosing these three words is that they should be easy to follow along.

Applying last year's (2015) three words was more challenging than other years. On another note they were great tools to make quick and precise decisions on certain issues.

raulcolon-photos-puertorico-1-3 My 3 words for 2016

Religious Traditions Behind Resolutions

There are religious traditions behind the New Year's Resolution concept.

As I found on Wikipedia here are a few:

  1. Babylonians made promises to their gods at the start of each year. They would return borrowed objects and pay their debts.
  2. The Romans began each year by making promises to the god Janus, for whom the month of January is named.
  3. In the Medieval era, the knights took the "peacock vow." At the end of the Christmas season each year they reaffirmed their commitment to chivalry

Why three words?

I am not a fan of traditions much less religious ones. I want something practical that I can apply throughout the year.

My friend and colleague Chris Brogan introduced me to this exercise years ago. Chris publishes a blog post every year sharing what his three words for the new year will be.

Applying the 3 Words Every Day

It might seem hard to choose three words but even harder to stay on track throughout the year. In the past, I have used a daily software reminder. I have also used text on photographs I have taken around my work space.

Finding a way to remind yourself over the year will keep you on track with your three words. It will make it easier to commit to them.

"Remember that your day is your week is your month is your year. Your success comes from each choice you make along the path. And it’s always your choice." ~ Chris Brogan

My 3 Words Over The Years

2011 – Renew, Focus, and Complete

2012 – Sharing, Purpose, and Organic

2013 – Brief, Fluid, and Control

2014 – Observe, Release, and Subtract

2015 – Selfish, Sharpen, and Publish

My 3 Words for 2016

raulcolon-photos-puertorico-1-9 My 3 words for 2016

Depth

I believe every interaction we have should have depth. Everything we do we should dig in deeper.

Some of the best experiences I have had during my life have been thanks to how deep I have dug myself into things.

The best relationships I have are because depth. The fact that I make sure those important humans in my life know they matter.

That I try to check up on them often.

As the year starts, I will be focusing my energy more on the people that matter. Those loved ones that I care about and the few I can call real friends.

The past few months I have received many surprises.  Individuals that decided to take their time and let me know I am important to them. I want to spread more of that out. I want to also remind close friends and family always of how important they are in my life.

The same with business relationships I want to keep. For new business relationships I want to make sure that if someone is going to do business with us, they understand the value we bring to the table.

That they also know how deep we go into the important issues. How our knowledge of business consultants and understanding technology can help them. How we rank based on experiences of working in diverse and forward-thinking environments.

Those who allow us to dig in deep and enable us to work our magic will receive the best benefits. They will also enable my team and me to feel a lot better about ourselves.

With understanding the depth of any issue or opportunity, I am sure I will be able to stand out from others. Even more importantly serve others with a lot of intention.

The results will be much better and the understanding of the complete picture a lot clearer.

raulcolon-photos-puertorico-1-1 My 3 words for 2016

Reset

The past six months we have reset many things at Limonade. I have also reset a few things myself on the personal side. They undoubtedly were challenging months, and we succeeded thanks to those changes.

There are bigger challenges for us to face in the next coming months. I want to make sure we can reset ourselves in a more efficient way.

By resetting I mean that every time we have a project we are able to complete the cycle . To get ready for the next project one in a more timely manner. To become a lot leaner in the way we manage all types of projects and daily operations.

WE run into an issue that we would rather leave behind. Make sure we reset quickly and move forward with the future opportunities in front of us.  As a small business owner, we sometimes waste too much time on issues we know we can't fix.

The project management platform we use forces us to reset the week's goals and tasks every week. It gives us a perspective on how the week ahead is looking and how we performed. I might have to apply this to other things.

That reset aspect will allow me to logically get ready for the work ahead. It will keep me away from not beat myself up when I don't meet a goal or two.  It is sometimes impossible to achieve very positive goals. Practical and smaller goals will allow us to reset and complete a higher percentage of them.

I also want to take a bit of time every morning to write and reset my thoughts by writing. I won't publish most of those writing.

I will be writing with the purpose to reset in a thoughtful way with my morning pages exercise.

A simple reset will allow us to ground ourselves. I help focus on the immediate challenges and objectives in front of us.

raulcolon-photos-puertorico-123 My 3 words for 2016

Visualize

My first small business was a dog grooming service I named RJ Pet Service. I was around 14 years old when I started it. Reading every book I could making sure I knew how to groom each dog breed I had as a client.

When it came to dogs without a breed, I remember it gave you some tips on how to create the right look for the dog.

The main point was that you should visualize how your end product (the groomed dog.)

So many times we jump into things and we think that others are seeing what we see. Even worst is when you can't clearly put your ideas on a screen or paper. What you consider to be a solution might create more problems if not expressed in the right way.

When we build our websites we have a 5 step creative process to help our clients see what we are seeing. It brings our customers and partners along in the process. If we did not meet their expectations, we can work along with them to make sure we meet them.

I also have to do a better job of explaining how we work to our newest prospects.

I have to work hard on creating better visualizations on how we work. Creating a clear picture of what the experience will look like if they cooperate with us.

On the personal side, I have to improve my planning. I have to get into the habit to stop what I am doing to visualize if the route I am taking will get me to the outcome I am seeking.

These visualization exercises will be used for my short term goal setting be it financial to fitness goals.

The pause and visualization will help me get to the goal. It will also help me not lose intention of reaching that goal.

raulcolon-photos-puertorico-120 My 3 words for 2016

Why 3 Words Vs. New Year's Resolutions

For years I had failed at keeping resolutions as many of us do.

The most common reasons participants fail their New Years' Resolutions are:

  • setting themselves unrealistic goals
  • not keeping track of their progress
  • forgetting about it
  • too many resolutions

Instead of creating a long, overwhelming list of items I can't follow through with, I rather use this method that has guided me for the past six years.

Choosing three words will allow me not to forget about it and track my progress throughout the year.

Are you choosing three words or stacking the odds against you when following through with a New Year's resolution?

Feel free to share your three words and your approach at starting a new year.

raulcolon-photos-puertorico-1-10 My 3 words for 2016

Filed Under: Featured, Top 3 Tagged With: 3 Words, New Year

My 3 words for 2015

January 1, 2015 by Raul Colon

raul-colon-xmaxpartyfit911-puertorico-178-1024x640 My 3 words for 2015

I can celebrate 5 years of choosing three words to guide me through the year.

I can say every year it becomes a lot easier for me to follow through with these words.

Over time I have been more satisfied with the results of the three words. But I am especially proud of how I applied my 3 words for 2014.

Why 3 words?

Every end of year, everyone says, “New Year, New Me.” I even saw a meme or two the other day making fun of the “New Year, New Me” phenomenon.

My friend and colleague Chris Brogan introduced me to this exercise years ago. Chris publishes a blog post sharing what his three words for the new year.

raul-colon-xmaxpartyfit911-puertorico-312-1024x640 My 3 words for 2015

Applying the 3 Words Every Day

It’s hard to choose three words but even harder to stay on track throughout the year. I usually create a daily software reminder in my task management software that runs throughout the year daily.

“Remember that your day is your week is your month is your year. Your success comes from each choice you make along the path. And it’s always your choice.” ~ Chris Brogan

Choosing three images that reminds me of what I need to do around my work area also helps.

My 3 Words Over the Years

2011 – Renew, Focus, and Complete

2012 – Sharing, Purpose, and Organic

2013 – Brief, Fluid, and Control

2014 – Observe, Release, and Subtract

My 3 Words for 2015

Selfish

Let me put this one up front since it will make a few of you cringe. By nature I am a selfless person with those I see have common values and are seeking to make the world a better place. Being selfless in the past 7 years has cost me a series of setbacks from building a job board where we helped thousands land a job. To going into partnerships where I clearly had a lot more to lose and nothing to win.

I will continue to help out and guide those that I feel need my help but the most important part is identifying how it fits into my 6 month life plan. As I watched when they interviewed one of my favorite Actors Ivonne Coll , I learned how being selfish can be positive. Ivonne explains that the best advice she got from Comedian and Actress Lucille Ball was the art of selfishness. You can watch the complete interview of the Jane the Virgin cast; Ivonne’s short interview starts at a minute and 25 seconds.

For the past few weeks I have been looking at how I need to make sure I start practicing the art of selfishness. This way everything fits into my well being and I can help many more that share common goals and values. I will be asking, “What is good for Raúl?”, in every situation.

raul-colon-xmaxpartyfit911-puertorico-710-1024x640 My 3 words for 2015

Sharpen

Last year I needed to make sure I released things I had under my control. This meant some things probably were not put under the rigorous quality checks I work under. As I got feedback on my newsletter yesterday from a friend who lives in Israel, I realized I need to be more precise.

That means I will make sure I sharpen my tools and even tweak what I produce a bit more than what I did in the past. Running a Digital Marketing Agency and wanting to give more than agreed to has gotten me into trouble in the past. I can only blame myself. So I will have to sharpen my contracts and agreements to make sure they are clear on both ends. I also need to make sure I stay disciplined enough and sharp to deliver the best of what was agreed.

This word ties into the previous word; if I am a bit more selfish it will be easier to use my sharpened tools to succeed. With sharpened tools I will be able to create a better quality product. I hope this also improves our service offering even more.

raul-colon-xmaxpartyfit911-puertorico-412-1024x683 My 3 words for 2015

Publish

In 2014 I wrote less than other years but I published even less than what I wrote. I need to start getting into the process of publishing more. I need to create systems that help me publish the content I create without making it overwhelming.

From the photographs I want to sell to you, to the tips I want to share via my newsletter and here on my blog.

By hitting publish, I can create the momentum needed to find new opportunities. It will also weed out those who might not agree with the way I do business.

raul-colon-xmaxpartyfit911-puertorico-610-1024x640 My 3 words for 2015

Goals or Guidance?

As Jacqueline Carly states “Willpower, Shmillpower” in “There’s Not Always Enough Will For the Way.

We start the year with the best of intentions to stay with our goals. The reality is that the complexities of life start standing in the way of our goals. Would you try to do like many others and fail every year by holding on to resolutions?

Or would you rather choose your three words for the year?

Feel free to share your three words and your approach at starting a new year.

In the same tone C.C. Chapman ended his 3 words post I have to say that in a short time I will be looking back at this post and creating my next 3 words of the next year.

facebook-cover-photo-1-2-1024x683 My 3 words for 2015

 

Filed Under: Featured, Top 3 Tagged With: 3 Words, New Year

It’s ok to not be Normal… II

February 15, 2014 by Raul Colon

website-newyorkcity-1 It’s ok to not be Normal… II

When you think differently from those that surround you.

When you are not scared to let people know what you think.

When you are transparent and people know where you stand.

When you’re a Misfit and the world is a bit more like the LEGO Movie’s masses.

When Toxic People don’t have enough to do and they want to bring you into their little games to drain your energy.

When you love what you do and others are just focused on money and material things.

When you walk into a business meeting with conservative people in vibram fivefinger footwear.

When following your dreams can mean having to overdraft your bank account to get groceries and feed your family.

When you decide to go into foreclosure , and let go of the house you worked hard to buy , because you were tired of the life of being a slave to debt.

When you decide to buy everything cash and not buy anything on credit.

When you decide to not eat meat because it just makes sense to your health, the environment, and those around you.

When you quit on something you worked hard and realized you could spend your energy elsewhere.

When you keep on going even when others tell you there is no future in what you are doing.

When life keeps on knocking you down and you get up.

When you put your life at risk seeking peace and a better environment for others.

When you put the mute button on many that want you to live a normal life.

When you play by your own rules and risk more than many would be willing to risk.

When you leave a comfortable income source to make sure you make the most with your daughter.

When you decide to move forward and minimize the impact of any negative vibes around you.

When you pick yourself and keep on moving.

Then you might not be normal. 

PS: But it sures feel like you’re free. 

Filed Under: Featured, Professional Development, Top 3 Tagged With: Professional Development, Puerto Rico, Work Life Balance

52 Books in 1 Year Challenge

January 18, 2014 by Raul Colon

website-islaverde-1-2 52 Books in 1 Year Challenge

My friend and New York Times Bestselling Author Julien Smith challenges himself to read one book a week.  I have decided that 2014 is a good year to challenge myself.

Why?

I have always been an avid reader and in 2013 I regret not making more time for reading so I am going to make up for it this year.

The Real Challenge

With so much content flashing in our faces it can be difficult to get around to a physical or digital book. So far on the 18th of January I can say I have already covered 3 books and half way on my 4th.

My Plan

I plan to create a list of the books I will be reading and some others that might be on my radar.  This also plays into my three words. By reading books I am sort of observing what others have for advice.

This way I can keep track of my goals by writing them down and sharing it publicly.

I am working hard towards making 2014 a great year; the last time I had a great year was 2010 and time has flown by.

My preference will be books that will help my business partners, clients, and prospective clients serve their audiences and public better.

Currently Reading

  • The Peacemakers (The Nemesis Engines Book 1)ir?t=cis02-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00J4VZYAM 52 Books in 1 Year Challenge by Olivier Blanchard

List of Books Read

1. Refuel by DrLaPuma

2. Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook by Gary Vaynerchuk

3. Unthink: Rediscover Your Creative Genius – Erik Wahl

4. World Wide Rave by David Meerman Scott

5. Email Persuasion: Captivate and Engage Your Audience, Build Authority and Generate More Sales With Email Marketingir?t=cis02-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00GR77K1M 52 Books in 1 Year Challenge by Ian Brodie

6. Body of Work: Finding the Thread That Ties Your Story Togetherir?t=cis02-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1591846196 52 Books in 1 Year Challenge by Pamela Slim

7.Growth Hacker Marketing: A Primer on the Future of PR, Marketing, and Advertising by Ryan Holiday

8. The Small Army Strategy: A Guide for Turning Fans and Followers into Fanatics and Friends for Lifeir?t=cis02-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00BHKE57G 52 Books in 1 Year Challenge by Srinivas Rao

9. 12 Years a Slaveir?t=cis02-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00IGBANEI 52 Books in 1 Year Challenge by Solomon Northup

10. Mr. New York: Lew Rudin and His Love for the City  by Seymour P. Lachman

11. Duct Tape Selling: Think Like a Marketer-Sell Like a Superstarir?t=cis02-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00DMCPRAG 52 Books in 1 Year Challenge by John Jantsch

12. Dot Complicated: Untangling Our Wired Livesir?t=cis02-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0062285149 52 Books in 1 Year Challenge by Randi Zuckerberg

13. The Freaks Shall Inherit the Earth: Entrepreneurship for Weirdos, Misfits, and World Dominatorsir?t=cis02-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1118800559 52 Books in 1 Year Challenge by Chris Brogan

14. Everything That Remains: A Memoir by The Minimalistsir?t=cis02-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1938793188 52 Books in 1 Year Challenge by Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus

15. Once Minutos (Spanish Edition)ir?t=cis02-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0060591838 52 Books in 1 Year Challenge by Paulo Coehlo

16.  The Power of Visual Storytelling: How to Use Visuals, Videos, and Social Media to Market Your Brandir?t=cis02-20&l=as2&o=1&a=007182393X 52 Books in 1 Year Challenge by Ekaterina Walter  & Jessica Gioglio

17. Content Chemistry: An Illustrated Handbook for Content Marketingir?t=cis02-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0988336405 52 Books in 1 Year Challenge by Andy Crestodina

18. Heads in Beds: A Reckless Memoir of Hotels, Hustles, and So-Called Hospitalityir?t=cis02-20&l=as2&o=1&a=030794834X 52 Books in 1 Year Challenge by Jacob Tomsky

19. Creativity For Sale: How I Made ,000,000 Wearing T-Shirts and How You Can Turn Your Passion Into Profit, Tooir?t=cis02-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00KLCN4T6 52 Books in 1 Year Challenge by Jason SurfrApp

20.  Alchemist – 10th Anniversary Editionir?t=cis02-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B000FCKC4C 52 Books in 1 Year Challenge by Paulo Coehlo

21. Absolute Value: What Really Influences Customers in the Age of (Nearly) Perfect Informationir?t=cis02-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00DB361CE 52 Books in 1 Year Challenge by Itamar Simonson & Emanuel Rosen

22. The Power of No: Because One Little Word Can Bring Health, Abundance, and Happinessir?t=cis02-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00JU5YAKW 52 Books in 1 Year Challenge by James Altucher and Claudia Azula Altucher

23. La Bruja de Portobello: Novela (Spanish Edition)ir?t=cis02-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0061632732 52 Books in 1 Year Challenge by Paulo Coehlo

24. The Year of the Brave Bear: Speak Up. Stand Out. Change Your World.ir?t=cis02-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00M99U27G 52 Books in 1 Year Challenge by Berni Xiong

25. How the World Sees You: Discover Your Highest Value Through the Science of Fascinationir?t=cis02-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00FJ34XWY 52 Books in 1 Year Challenge by Sally Hogshead

26. Happy Work by Chris Reimer

27. Inferno, the Novelir?t=cis02-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1624903835 52 Books in 1 Year Challenge by Dan Brown

28. UnSelling: The New Customer Experienceir?t=cis02-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00LMB5OZW 52 Books in 1 Year Challenge by Scott Stratten and Alison Kramer

29. Not for Saleir?t=cis02-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B000SEI1AY 52 Books in 1 Year Challenge by David Batstone

30. One Less One More by Robbie Vorhaus

31. The Art of Being Unmistakableir?t=cis02-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00FP3PMI2 52 Books in 1 Year Challenge by Srinivas Rao

32. Everybody Writes by Ann Handley

33. The Laws of Simplicity (Simplicity: Design, Technology, Business, Life)ir?t=cis02-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0262134721 52 Books in 1 Year Challenge by John Maeda

34. Youtility: Why Smart Marketing Is about Help Not Hypeir?t=cis02-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00B1FG7VE 52 Books in 1 Year Challenge by Jay Baer

Books on My Radar

1. Ordovicianir?t=cis02-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00HNFPHN0 52 Books in 1 Year Challenge by Colin Wright

2. Stop Talking, Start Communicating: Counterintuitive Secrets to Success in Business and in Life, with a foreword by Martha Mendozair?t=cis02-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00D86G0WA 52 Books in 1 Year Challenge by Geoffrey Tumlin

Just the Books that are Worth Reading

My only concern with this exercise is to make sure I complete books that are worth reading. Something I have learned from Chris Brogan and Julien Smith these past few years is that there are so many good books out there. Why waste time reading a book that is not up to par.

If you know of a book that might of interest to me feel free to mention it.

 

Filed Under: Featured, Professional Development, Top 3 Tagged With: Book, Book Reviews

My Three Words for 2014

January 1, 2014 by Raul Colon

three-words-2014-plane-image-1 My Three Words for 2014

For the past 4 years I have prepared for the new year by choosing 3 words. So, Instead of creating a complex and non-functional list of resolutions which we all forget after the second week of January, I keep these 3 words and include them in my short and long term goals.

The 3 Words Concept

My friend and colleague Chris Brogan introduced me to this exercise a few years ago. For the past few years Chris publishes a blog post sharing what his three words of the year will be. If you want more details feel free to stop over his 3 words for 2013 and read through the post.

How I use My Three Words for the Year

These 3 words guide me through the year and I am reminded of them in different ways daily.

I keep them in plain site where I am reminded daily of the three words. I also set up my task management software to remind me to re-focus when I get off track.

My 3 Words Over the Years

2011 – Renew, Focus, and Complete

2012 – Sharing, Purpose, and Organic

2013 – Brief, Fluid, and Control

My 3 Words for 2014

observe-1 My Three Words for 2014

Observe

I need to find a balance in attempting and experimenting with projects and possible opportunities. By first observing how they tie into my current goals and  structure, I can get a better understanding of where I want to put my energy. With observation I find that I might be able to identify newer opportunities that might become part of my new goals.

As I also want to improve my photography skills, observing will play a huge part in better shots (which will help me tell my story better). Observing will also help me create better work for my clients from coaching to developing their websites or business strategies.

candle-waterclub-1 My Three Words for 2014

Subtract

I tend to add to what I create. I do this with some of my blog posts; I will come back and add more words making them longer than I would like. The primary word I want to focus on is subtracting. That means from eliminating certain things that don’t add value to my life from projects to certain business relationships.

I have been trying to practice minimalism and thanks to a book by the minimalists which I was gifted, I can clearly say I have gotten better and removed a lot of clutter from my life. I am still working on that and plan to do the same in other aspects of my life.

Subtracting sometimes is a lot harder to do but I see value in following this approach. The less weight you carry the better you can work on other projects.

daniela-releasing-1 My Three Words for 2014

Release

One thing I need to fix from 2013 was that I did not publish content as much. I  did not write as much as in previous years. I guess the priority I assigned to one of my three words from last year (Control) , because I thought I needed to focus on gaining and maintaining more control. I wanted to work on quality but I find that sometimes by creating quantity you will get better and reach that quality.

I will give it my best to write more and create more content in 2014. Writing always helps me with overcoming goals, hitting publish also does, and releasing projects has proven to be a very useful formula for my personal and business success.

I will work more on releasing ideas, publishing, and working on putting more stuff out into the Universe.

Resolutions or a Few Words

Will you be taking the traditional approach or using something more practical to guide you during 2014?

What are your 3 Words for 2014?

PS: It’s my brother Luis’ Birthday so if you can stop by his facebook profile and wish him a Happy Birthday that would be super cool. 

Filed Under: Featured, Top 3 Tagged With: 3 Words, New Year

Search
  • Puerto Rico's Beaches

  • Privacy Policy

  • Puerto Rico's Revolution Photos

RAULCOLON.NET RUNS ON THE GENESIS FRAMEWORK & POWERED BY WP ENGINE
SQUEEZED & SWEETENED BY LIMONADE INC.

All Rights Reserved.

COPYRIGHT © 2019 Raúl Colón Photographer & Activist