A new year is not just an opportunity to take stock of the year that was and what you want to achieve in this new year in your personal life; it’s also a great opportunity to do the same in your professional life. For me, that meant taking a good break in December and January and really taking a hard look at what I loved and loathed about 2017 and what changes I am looking to make in 2018.
I will only work with clients I love
This is a grossly sweeping statement and it was always going to be, but let me break it down for you. My ideal customer is someone who is really good at what they do, and passionate about what they do. It’s really as simple as that. More often than not I find that client is a small business owner because these people have to be so dedicated and motivated to make their business work. And so I want to work with more of those kinds of clients. On the other side of the coin, if you dread emails or phonecalls from a particular client, it’s pretty likely they aren’t the right fit for you anyway – so this year, I am going to just let those people go.
I have to look after myself too
There’s no sense in working your guts out all the time, just to be cranky anytime someone knocks on the front door. Similarly, there’s no sense in churning through a thousand great ideas only to find when you get to the end of that process you don’t have a creative thought left in your head. This year, I am going to make sure that I treat myself well so that I can best serve my clients and my favourite people.
Do more good work
I loved 90% of the work that I did in 2017, and shared plenty of it with you here. In 2018, I would love to do more of the same. Good design that follows function and form, great engagement on social media and creating great connections for my brands online.
Dedicate
I am as much a victim of multitasking as anyone else, a move that often sees me flitter from one task to the other without getting to that 100% mark. So this year, I am dedicating to being dedicated – working through something completely and wholeheartedly, right to the very end. This attitude of dedicate also applies to my clients – refocussing my energy on how I can best serve my clients and their bigger business aims.
Bring passion back into the equation
The reality of working as a one-woman-show is that a lot of days are about doing the work, getting in and getting it done. But that is like a cone of silence – you are constantly surrounded by the echo of what you’ve done, no new ideas no new approaches. This year, I am working on reading more, seeing more, being more inspired by new ideas and new ways of thinking. I want to make sure that my passion for what I do is evident in everything I do, from the small social media tiles to the bus ads and everything in between.
A new year is a great opportunity to refocus, re-examine, reinvestigate and reinvigorate. It’s a great chance to make sure that you are on track with the big vision for your business or career and to ensure that you are still passionate about and dedicated to what you do. Because life is too short to be half-assing things – so focus up, let’s kick it into gear in 2018.
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