2016 was a year of transformation for me. I lost a “real job,” left the corporate world, and now I’m a small business owner working for myself. That’s a lot to handle in one year.
So, I’m taking a moment to look back and see what I’ve accomplished for my small business in the last year.
In 2016, I:
- Started a new small business.
- Started a regular blog.
- Worked on 20 projects for 14 clients (not all of which are finished yet).
- Started and completed my Leadpages Conversion Marketing Certification.
- Started and am still working my way through several new marketing courses.
- Joined a Copywriting Mastermind Group (they’re awesome, by the way).
- Learned several new marketing tools, like SamCart and Drip.
- Attended 2 marketing conferences in one week.
- Traveled the country and had fun with friends and family, while working.
- Did a ton of research and learned many interesting new things.
- Worked on my own business a lot.
That may look like a short list, but it was a lot of work, trust me.
And most importantly, I enjoyed it. I’m happier working for myself. I make a great boss of me.
I would encourage you to do this exercise as well. Whether you own your own small business or you work for someone else. Whether you’re happy where you are, or are looking to move on to another position in your current company, or on your own. You can do this if you’re retired or not working too. It’s just a useful reflection exercise.
Take a few minutes right now and write down what you’ve accomplished in 2016. Your accomplishments don’t have to be huge, but they should be notable to you. Projects you’ve finished at work or at home are good candidates. Working on projects for yourself are also a good idea.
They can even be as simple as “survived 2016” which can be considered an accomplishment this year. I don’t know about you, but 2016 has seen the demise of some major icons in my life, as well as several friends.
The point is to see what you’ve done in the past year. I expect it will be a lot more than you anticipated. And it can help you plan for the coming year.
This is something just for you. It’s not meant to be criticism or compliment. It’s just so you can take note and realize how much work you’ve put into the last year. It’s a good thing. Don’t compare yourself or to anyone else, or your year to any other. Just take a moment to recognize and be proud of what you’ve done.
A friend of mine who worked for AWAI spoke at their Bootcamp conference this year. One of her “secrets to a happy freelance life” was to avoid the Comparison Coma.
The Comparison Coma is when you look at your own life, stacked up against others who are doing better than you (regardless of what they’re doing). No matter how hard you’ve worked, it always seems like your life pales in comparison.
My friend recommended just being happy with where you are and what you’re doing. Others are doing what they’re doing. Some will do better, some worse. You can be happy for them, (or offer to help) but let any comparison go. You’re doing what you’re doing right now. That’s what matters.
That’s why I recommend you look at this past year and appreciate what you’ve done. You can make goals for the coming year, but don’t be disappointed in what you’ve done this year. And even if you didn’t reach some of your goals, remember, they’re goals. You can keep striving to reach them.
So, here’s to celebrating our successes in 2016, whether we’re small business owners or working for someone else.
And here’s to an equally (if not more) successful 2017.
I wish all of you a prosperous and happy New Year.