I’ve never been more excited about a New Year than 2009. 2008 brought with it amazing new people, insights and experiences that will impact my life for years to come. But for the FIRST time in my life, I did not start the New Year with the same enthusiasm, energy and sense of passion that usually accompanies January 1.

My world has changed…irrevocably.

Social Media has been a powerful tool for me; connecting to others, sharing, growing, learning. The Tribe for me, has an entirely new meaning. Barriers of geography, time, economics, education race and age are being disintegrated at a rapid pace. The playing field is leveled. It’s about thought and expression.

People are re-discovering who they are and are being given the freedom to be more of themselves and who they were designed to be. And this freedom is being used for good. People are encouraging others, educating others and sharing information and resources. It is a global community.

I’ve met and had dialogue with people around the world that I would never have had the opportunity to meet, let alone build, interact with and share. I’ve inspired some and have been inspired. I’ve built relationships, some of which have turned into meaningful friendships and partnerships, which have made the transition from Social Media to the “Real World”.

So, 2009 is ripe with possibility. How will I handle the amazing gifts of friendship, partnership and influence I’ve been given? How will I contribute to the community in a way that adds value, support and encourages others to do so as well? How can I make this year the best year of my life and the lives of others I touch?

Traditionally I plan my year, complete with lists, mind maps, meditation and prayer. I dream big and map out actions that I can take. I know who I am, and I know what I’ve come to do (finally). But 2008 has been so powerful, so amazing, so different that my yearly planning session did not hold the same magic or impact it has for me in years past. So I did my list, made my plan and…nothing. Gone was the charge, the rush the “on fire” feeling I usually have. Yes, my world has changed and so my approach to it must change as well.

Chris Brogan posted a great article with an amazing approach to ringing in the New Year. It inspired a new way of thinking for me. Instead of my lists, what would be my guiding principles; my goals for the year? My guiding principles for life are authenticity, transparency and integrity. I strive to be true to myself, be open and honest and to operate with integrity. But that has nothing specifically to do with my goals for the year, it has more to do with who I choose to be.

Chris’ post challenged me to think of what I want for my year in a unique, creative, thought provoking way. Not just a list of things to do and accomplish; places to go and people to see; no BHAG’s. As Chris puts it, “…something a bit more compelling to pull me towards the future”. Since 2006 his yearly planning involves just three keyword goals for the year. Not just any words. Words that speak to where you want to be this year. Words that will guide you, drive you to your destination. No B.S. list about impacting and achievement. More like guiding principles for your business, life and your year.

So I meditated and thought about where I really want to be this year. What I really want to accomplish. Beyond the list and where I want to go, what I want to have, and what I hope to do. What will be my mantra, mission and emotional G.P.S. for the year? After some thought, I came up with My Three:

E-X-P-A-N-D my network, knowledge and connections. I want to be attached to people from whom I can learn, and to whom I can contribute.

EXECUTE my plans more consistently. I am typically pretty driven and get a great deal done. But, as a person who is naturally creative, I tend to have a shelf full of Visions and Great Ideas that need to come off of the wall and live. More manifesting and less musing.

ENHANCE the lives of everyone I encounter. A lofty goal, but, in my mind entirely possible. Connecting and relationships are everything. I want to change the energy, for the better, in the lives of people I touch, creating a space for them to be everything they were meant to be.

So, thank you to Chris Brogan for a new approach to the New Year. One more example of a life impacted by Social Media, and better way to approach living out the year of your dreams!