The dawning of a new year leads you to take stock of the year just gone.
How did I do? Was it a good year? Was it a thank god it’s over year? What would you do differently? Many questions that just need to tie up those loose ends so you can have full closure.
There were many great things that happened in my life last year, I got engaged & married, I travelled overseas to Cambodia, Canada, North America and Thailand, I launched 2 websites a month and our magazine – ROOOAR was launched on Virgin Australia Airlines.
These are pretty amazing things, but yet, when I set out on 2014, my goals (which were at the time my key indicators of success) were all surrounding money. Towards the end of the year, after I had just spent a load of money on my dream wedding, travelled the globe (essentially not working for 2 months of the year), it was a tight Christmas, which is only natural considering the big ticket items that we just forked out for.
But to me, I was looking at it as being a failure. I wasn’t successful because I didn’t meet my money goals, then I became so focused on my lack of money that it prevented me from really doing great things. Lack breeds lack.
For 2015, I want to change that around. I want to focus instead on what truly is a definition of success.
The right balance
Many entrepreneurs are going 24-7, that’s not how I want to be. Yes you have to do the work to get the reward, but I have hobbies, I love hanging out with my family and I love hanging out with just me! This is not a lazy thing, this is ‘I don’t want to burn out again’ thing. This is a ‘I want to live’ thing. So in 2015 I will be saying NO a lot more in order to restore my balance. This means no working weekends, no 18 hour days (yes I did a few of those in 2014) and not over committing.
So at the end of 2015 I want to come out of the other side not being a frazzled mess.
Do work that I am proud of
Last year I pretty much said yes to most work even against my own intuition, bad I know. Extending on my balance, in 2015, I will be picking and choosing much more and only working on work that really excites me. Projects that I will want to tell people that I worked on proudly, even if they couldn’t care less. I will be only saying yes to projects that give me butterflies in the tummy, that push me out of my comfort zone and into creating something amazing.
Supporting myself
I am so grateful that every day I get to wake up and do what I love, on my own terms, in my own space. There is no massive commute, there is no nagging boss breathing down my neck, my best friend (Lucy the beagle) gets to hang out with me all day. It’s just me, the beagle and the amazing clients I get to work.
On one side the little voice in my head is telling me, “I am not doing enough, I could be earning more”. But on the other side it’s saying, this is pretty amazing that you are doing this yourself.
So from here my words for the year will be balance, surrender and slow. I know that doesn’t sound super motivational, but they are my indicators of success for 2015.
What is your definition of success? Leave a comment below