Can you believe it, today is the end of 2019 and the begining of a new decade. For me this also marks a little over a year of being in business for myself. The journey I’ve been on has been amazing. Over the last year and a half I’ve been fortunate enough to earn the trust of some of the best firms in the business and work with some of the most inspirational leaders within the A/E/C industry. The work I’ve been given has not only been both fun and challenging, but has also helped elevate my clients to new heights. I’ve worked on technical projects from proposals and award submissions, to brand focused projects like complete rebrands, environmental graphics and website design and development, to full campaigns that include event marketing, social media, public relations and email marketing.
As we wrap-up 2019, I think one of the most important things we can do is not only celebrate our accomplishments but also pin-point areas of improvement both personal and professional. For me this includes a number of areas that I’m not affraid to admit I’ve totally been failing at. I’m not usually one to make new years resolutions, but this year, as a new business owner and mother of three I’m going to do just that. And I’m going to go all in and make these goals for the new year public. That’s right, right here and now (and seriously if you’re reading this I hope you help hold me to them).
1. Get up and move: This may sound funny, but this is seriously one of the worst things I do. I start working, I get in the zone, and nothing moves besides my eyes, hands and arms for hours on end. Over the years this has taken a huge tole on my body and mind. My eyes have been getting soar, my arm hurts, my lower back hurts and I have trouble shutting my brain off at night which negetively effects my sleep. In 2020 I’m making a promise to myself to begin my day with a good stretch and a 15 minute workout, take frequent breaks, walk for at least 20 minutes a day (whether indoor or out) and spend at least 15 minuts at the end of the day doing some sort of exercise.
2. Keeping my website up-to-date: This has been one of my biggest challenges. I get so busy with the day-to-day of trying to balance life (being a good wife and raising three girls) with managing client work I have spent little to no time on my own business. In 2020, as I continue to learn and grow I’m going to try to spend more time and make more of an effort to keep my website fresh and up-to-date with client work as well as keep my blog updated.
3. Travel: This is probably super cliche, I mean who doesn’t love to travel? None-the-less, in 2020 I’m making this a priority. Did you know the last time I took a real vacation (besides our annual summer trip to Duluth, our family cabin in WI, or a long weekend up north) was 3 years ago when we took our two daughters to Mexico with the in-laws? To kick this off right, we’re starting 2020 with a family trip to Disney!
4. Unplug for real: We all do it, spend hours a day with our eyes glued to our phones and/or computers. And trust me, when you’re responsible for managing multiple social media sites it gets even harder to not pay attention to those constant notifications. In 2020, I’m vowing to make a conscious effort to really unplug at least once everyday. This means at some point in the day, maybe only for an hour or two (but hey we need to start somewhere) I will be shutting down my computer and placing my phone on airplane mode. We all need some uninterrupted time for ourselves and our family and for me it starts here.
5. Learn something new: An obvious theme around my goals for 2020 is taking more time to focus on me. With that in mind, I’m vowing to develop at least one new skill this year. To help make this goal realistic, along with the other goals on this list, I’m going to devote a minimum of one hour a week to developing a new skill. That might not seem like much but I know setting aside that one hour will turn into many. And lets be honest, if goals aren’t realistic they won’t happen.
6. Pet pampering: My poor dog Loki, a 9 year old shih-tzu, was once an only child and the apple of her mom’s eye. Walked daily, played with for hours on-end, and actually groomed (including teeth brushed) weekly. This poor thing now competes with two energetic girls and a baby for attention, and has received probably one walk in the past two months, and hasn’t had her teeth brushed since her last professional grooming session (2 months ago). Starting today, I’m adding a weekly calendar reminder into my phone to brush her hair and teeth, and take her for a walk.
7. Clean-up, clean-up, everybody everywhere: Do you have kids? Are they messy? I can not even begin to explain how much time I waste cleaning up after my children. They’re honestly like little tornados that move through the house destroying everything in their path. In 2020, I’m vowing to myself and my husband to do a better job of consistently discipling my girls when it comes to picking up after themselves. Does anyone else battle with this? I’d love to hear any comments and/or advice you have to help alleviate this major frustration.
This might seem like a lot to some and little to others but these are my goals for 2020. And as we enter a new year and decade, I want to thank all of those who have helped me grow over the past year – both friends, family, clients and professional network. Thank you!
What are your goals in the new year? Leave me a comment via the LinkedIn post!