Making Way for a fantastic 2019

Every year I try to get myself better organized, better at following through with my plans, better at making things happen. Every year I’m partially successful. I’m making way. That’s progress.

The price of making way [progress]

This past year I spent a lot of time and money learning things that I felt were important to help me reach my entrepreneurship goals – the main goal being that I will have a side gig that is bringing in income. It’s been a dream for so long … I can’t remember ever not dreaming about being my own boss. So, I’ve been trying to get focused on my plan and focused on getting started while still gainfully employed. 

It is hard. Now I really believe that self-employment is never easy, but trying to launch and build a side-gig that will eventually become my main-gig while still employed full-time is really really hard. Really. Hard. Excruciating at times. 

It takes a little to make a lot

I am feeling much more prepared now, but have still not moved ahead. I’d like to have something up and running and some results to review before another 12 months have gone by. I will have the opportunity to re-do much of the training I did this year. I want to have made at least a little progress before I begin – so that I can then make a lot of progress. 

A year of change

Cape Forchu light

2018 has been a year of change – the last big year of change was in 2015. This year, I invested in training that included an in-person bonus training in San Diego. I turned it into a little vacation and really enjoyed everything about both trainings AND my trip. I then purchased and completed an additional course that got into the specifics of one type of program I want to be running. I feel prepared, but with a lot more work to do.

So, now I want to put this first side-gig component into practise. I lost a bit of momentum leading up to and throughout the holidays. Now I’m looking for my mojo again. 

Finding my mojo

I am doing some of my annual planning to reflect that, but the planning isn’t done. And I’m not going to let that stop me from taking the steps that I plan to take in January. I will finish my planning, but it’s now a week in and I already have things I am committed to completing! Including this post. So… the rest of 2019 planning will have to work around my January priorities. That’s making way, even if not perfect.

How do you keep yourself motivated? Are you an annual planner? Do you plan out your priorities and schedule them so they don’t get pushed aside by new projects? How do you ensure that your own plans take precedence over others’ in your life?

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Goal planning for 2011

Not being one to make resolutions, I look at the new year as a time to make a fresh start. I am always working towards improving my quality of life in all areas, from health and fitness, to mental well being. It’s nice every once in a while to re-evaluate and establish new goals and simply hit reboot. It doesn’t matter where you were at the end of 2010, it’s a new year now and we have a new starting point to work from in 2011.

One thing I’ve learned over the years is that small successes along the way help to motivate me to work towards my goals, so I need to make them achievable within reasonable time frames. When I can check a goal off the list I can then move onto the next goal with confidence. I may have a big picture agenda in mind, but the goals I work on tend to be small and measurable if they are going to help me move forward on my larger agenda.

Some of plans include getting back into a regular fitness routine; continuing my growth in photography; reading more great books; working on my own small business projects; travel; organizing; and more. I’m going to start walking and running again; do a 365 project in photography; take a course in using photoshop; read a mixture of fiction and non-fiction while participating in one or two book clubs; add more content to my website and monetize it; continue blogging regularly and add some creative writing; make a short trip to BC then take my family to Florida; set up a better workspace for myself at home…

Each of these require a plan and small goals with deadlines. I need to spend a few days figuring out just what will work for me (realistically) while still providing a bit of a challenge. Without taking risks and being challenged, there is no growth.

How do you approach your goal planning and execution? Are you a resolution sort of person, or more of an ongoing work in progress? Or perhaps you do a bit of both? I invite you to share some of your goals in the comments section. Let’s make changes happen together!