In each moment, what are the 3 words that will navigate us?
We’ve all been there, scouring a street for an address we have checked and double-checked but still unsure which exact door corresponds to that address. That feeling of being lost seems profoundly absurd when we are mere metres from the destination which we thought was as clearly articulated as possible.
Beyond discomfort, even the slightest ambiguity created by an address can make a huge impact, such as for emergency services.
This is the aim of what3words, a company who have carved up the world into 3 metre squares each with a unique set of three words to locate them. Now rather than hunting a street with an address we have a location narrowed down to a 3 metre square. =
What if we could know where we were heading in each moment with that level of clarity, with three words as our wayfinder?
Now this isn’t an advert for what3words but as I embark on 2025, it was coincidentally three words that have consistently framed my thinking and planning and hopes for the year.
Trust.
Joy.
Adventure.
For me they are both a destination and the direction. These three words answer how I create what I want this year as well as what I want.
So what do I mean when I say trust, joy and adventure are my destination?
Trust the destination is greater confidence in myself to successfully navigate the unknown, which for me in 2025 means finding a fulfilling, sustainable life in self-employment.
Adventure is what I want, new adventures, experiences, challenges.
Finally joy. I want the journey to be joyful, for then the destination will always be joy.
When the journey is the destination
And this point on joy struck me. These words are not only the destination, but also the way. If I want greater confidence in myself I need to trust myself as I navigate the unknown. To go on adventures I need to be adventurous and to have adventure in mind when thinking about what next and how I set out each day.
Neither are these three words an inability to pick a single guiding word nor poor prioritisation (though trust will be needed as I prioritise adventures). The trio supports one another, giving a specificity and clarity that a single word could not encompass. Joy comes from adventures, adventures require trust, trust requires me to be adventurous and joy is in the freedom that comes with trusting myself to let go, to be adventurous and to see the adventures in life.
(Re-)locating ourselves in our words
Like a location I do not always find myself in a space of trust, joy and adventure. Instead these three words act as a way of redirecting me back towards trust, joy and adventure.
If I’m stuck, a decision needs making (both big and small), I feel nervous or apprehensive or self-doubt I can ask:
What is trust telling me in this moment?
What is the adventure this moment is offering?
What is it to bring joy to this moment?
When we have the three word location we want to find ourselves in, we can not only ask ourselves in the moment but consider what applying those three words would look like to our lives. Whether it is planning our day, responding to a setback, or wanting to lead with more authenticity, we can use our three words to guide our approach or response.
Finding our three words
So, how to find your three words.
Locate our possible words
What qualities do you want more of in your life?
What place do you want your actions to be guided from?
Finding your your destination
What three words stand out?
Testing your three words
What would it be like to navigate your year according to these three words?
How will you know when you are located in those three words?
Being in those three words, what becomes possible?
Adopting your three words
How would you like to take these three words forward?
In anchoring ourselves in a location that offers three qualities to direct us in life we allow ourselves to act in alignment with ourselves, to be before doing.
What would it be like if we all acted from a place of being true to qualities that inspire us?
