When setting goals people often say don’t bite off more than you can chew. Because I’m crazy like that, I bit off more and then some. I set the bar ridiculously high in 2014 and overdosed on new opportunities because I didn’t want to miss even one. The result?
A WONDERFUL DISASTER
I started a new company, and hosted an event, and released a new book in the same month, and tons of other insane things that should never be done within months of each other let alone simultaneously. The great news is I learned a lot of hard lessons I don’t plan to repeat. Much.
Part of planning for a new year is reflecting on the prior year, but rather than list a bunch of accomplishments that mean nothing to you, I decided to mention 5 things I wish I’d done differently last year. Hopefully they’ll help you (and me too) avoid the same mistakes this year.
1. Said no more
Opportunities come hard and fast each year and I didn’t want to miss a single one last year. Unfortunately, I said yes at the expense of goals that were more important to me. Not good.
2. Quality time with family and friends
You can never spend enough quality time with your family and friends. I screwed this up big time in 2014. I certainly didn’t neglect my kids, but there were times they wanted my time and I said no. I let my busy schedule get in the way of time with family and friends. Was it for a good reason? Absolutely. Did I make it up to them later? No! And that’s where I fell short. To quote my daughter, “Naughty mommy.”
3. Educate me
I subscribe to a lot of informative blogs with tons of valuable information to help improve my business and my writing craft, but instead of reading and implementing the great ideas, many times I filed them away to read later. Did I get to them? No!
4. Think big picture
Instead of focusing on my primary goals and keeping my eyes on the prize, I let myself get bogged down in the day-to-day activities, while important, weren’t crucial to what I wanted to accomplish.
5. Focus on personal goals
I started a company in 2014, and as a result, neglected to focus on my personal/family goals. I accomplished some, but finished them half-assed or left them incomplete.
Valuable lessons I learned as a new entrepreneur is (1) your family life is more important than your professional one, and (2) balance is an illusion. The second one was hard for me to hear, but vital.
There is no balancing, just rolling with the punches and adjusting as you go.
While I tend to beat myself up a bit (okay a lot) when it comes to not accomplishing what I set for myself, overall I’m pleased with how 2014 turned out. I’m excited to share my blunders with you in 2015 and learn more important lessons.
A new year means a new beginning, so be kind to yourself if you stubble and remember that failure is merely a learning opportunity not a reason to give up.
What’s exciting things are on your radar this year?
Don’t be too hard on yourself. I’m very glad you did prioritise the book fair. But I know what you mean. I went back to work after ten years and the next day started daily rehearsals for a show in which l stuck out like a ham sandwich at a ba mitzfah
Thanks, Fiona! The book fair was definitely a main highlight of the year.
Haha! That’s quite an image.
Wow, Elke, that’s quite an accomplishment for 1 month!
I like the take of your post – focusing on 5 things you wished you’d done. It’s not too late.
Balance is an illusion…that’s very interesting…I’m always aiming for balance! 🙂
There’s so much to grab that we really have to make hard decisions about our priorities. I agree that family is so important, as are good, close friends – they all need nourishing!
Thanks, Carol!
I always aimed for balance too, Carol, and why it was difficult to wrap my head around looking at it differently.
Prioritizes are key and a challenge. I hope to do a better job of nourishing the ones I neglected last year.
Wishing you a successful 2015!