My 2018 Goals
I am so excited to officially kick off 2018. The first week of the year was a bit of a blur. Between having a close family member's funeral and coming down with the worst flu ever (of course I get it the year I actually get a flu shot!) I did not start the year feeling strong, productive or healthy.
But the New Year doesn't have to begin on the 1st of the month. As long as you start, that is all that matters! Which is why I am excited to finally share my 2018 goals: personal & professional.
Business
Where to begin. I started my business goal setting for 2018 at the end of last year. After having a whirlwind 2017, I knew I wanted to set more intentional goals for the upcoming year. While my goals aren't as big and exciting as they have been in year's past, I am excited about setting intentional goals for my business. Here are my top 3 goals for my business in 2018:
1. Focus on quality over quantity
When I first started my business, I said 'YES' to every opportunity that came my way. Each year, I have become more strategic about how I spend my time and the clients I want to work with. Even more so than ever, I am starting to value my TIME over money. I want to focus on doing quality work for clients that I enjoy to work with and value my services. I want to take on less work but help more people. I want to make more of an impact and I want to feel good about the work I produce. While this all sounds vague, I have a pretty good idea on how to accomplish this goal. I am excited to focus on more teaching and consulting opportunities, streamlining my service offerings and getting even more clear and focused on my clients.
2. Provide more value to my audience & clients
This is probably the business goal I am most excited about. I felt that while I created some of my most exciting work in 2017, it was all for my clients. I was so focused on working with other brands, that I didn't really create content for my own brand. I have exciting ideas on how I plan to make this happen. But can tell you that it will mean more educational advice, tools & resources - including free downloads and education, and so much more. While this blog will mostly be personal insight, I do hope to share business-related value here, too!
3. Batch work - as much as possible!
I became obsessed with the idea of 'batch working' in 2017 and hope to refine my process this year. Batch working is essentially only doing related work in groupings instead of doing a variety of assignments at once. Previously, I would hop all over the place in one day. From answering emails to checking Instagram and then doing bits and pieces of different assignments instead of really focusing on and getting work done. Overall, I want to be more efficient and productive with my workflows. This is so important as I look at time spent on projects and getting things accomplished.
Health & Wellness
2017 was the year of taking charge of my health. I fell back in love with working out, thanks to Health House and started taking better care of my body. I am hoping to continue this trend in 2018 but in different ways. My goals for my mind & body in 2018 include:
1. Scheduling time to disconnect
This is one goal I am really going to have to work on. It's hard to disconnect as a service-based business owner. Especially since my clients all have VERY different schedules and means of communication. I have clients that prefer to text me at 6:00 a.m. and some that are only free to email late in the evening. Sometimes I get urgent requests on weekends and even on national holidays. I have got to get better about setting boundaries. And to learn when to jump to answer and when to allow things to wait. My goal is to be better about disconnecting in the mornings and evenings. My husband, family & friends deserve to spend quality time with me...not on my phone. I also want to make Sunday a day of rest with little time spent on technology.
2. Listening to what my body needs
I am really good at pushing myself too hard. Sometimes I need to just listen to what my body wants. Whether that be skipping a workout class or not attending that one event in the evening. I am a total people pleaser at heart, so saying 'no' both to myself and others is a challenge. While I want to continue my healthy lifestyle, it needs to be more balanced vs. forced. I want to allow myself to do the things that feel good to my body, like working out, but also the things I need just for my mental state. Sometimes, an afternoon off for a mani/pedi, facial or massage does sooo much more for my mental state than pushing myself. Of course, I do want to continue to focus on healthy eating, drinking plenty of water and working out regularly - because I do see the difference in my mind & body when I am taking care of myself physically.
3. Finding new ways to de-stress
The stress I have experienced in the past has been scary at times. My anxiety and stress levels can get extremely high. Stress is not a good feeling...or look and is when I am at my worst in all aspects of my life as a business owner, friend, and wife. I am hoping to get better at managing my stress in 2018 by taking on less and saying 'yes' only to the right opportunities for me. I also am hoping to find new ways to de-stress, like reading a book just for the fun of it or trying new hobbies that aren't work-related. I'm even thinking about finding a local yoga studio to try - just for the spiritual benefits! If you have any other good ideas, I would love to learn!
Personal
Here are a few other personal goals I am hoping to tackle in 2018:
- Be consistent with my blog - I seriously want to write more, it's actually something I enjoy!
- Push myself out of my comfort zone - Sounds weird, but I am hoping to make new friendships and connections in 2018. I let go of a lot of toxic relationships in the past year and hope to start building new friendships with people outside of my circle with similar interests.
- Stop procrastinating & doubting myself - I can talk my clients into doing crazy things, but when it comes to my own brand I am the worst at talking myself out of things. I started a mini vlog series in 2017 that didn't last because I felt discouraged by it. I need to just keep doing things and sticking to it.
- Invest in what matters - I did a major decluttering last year and have realized that I can be happy with less. I want to continue this theme by investing in things/people/opportunities that are more valuable vs. lots of little things here and there. Less can be so much more!
- Get more comfortable in front of the camera - I am SO camera shy, which leads to me taking really awkward photos. But I know I just self-sabotaging myself and need to stop. By hiding from the camera, I am missing out on opportunities to share my story and I need to just let go and be more comfortable.