New You for a New Year :: Day 6

Happy 2013!

Thank you so much for joining me for this week of review and resolutions! Sharing this week with you all has been an absolute pleasure. If you’re just finding the series, here’s what we’ve covered so far …

:: Day 1    :: Day 2    :: Day 3    :: Day 4    :: Day 5

Today, I’m answering the questions from Day 5 and listing my resolutions for 2013. I hope you’ll join me in a blog post or your journal.

What are my intentions for the New Year?

After interviewing Leonie Dawson, I had a gorgeous A-HA moment. I asked her for tips about resolving unfinished business, and she gave advice that I so desperately needed to hear. She explained the “energy cycles of projects,” and how a brand new idea is easy, but the middle (the 40-80% mark) takes effort. It’s natural to feel sluggish as everything becomes a bit harder.

I think my creative career (as a whole) is somewhere inside that 40-80% mark because it currently requires a lot of effort, and I’m receiving less spurts of spontaneous and insightful energy. I’m in love with that realization because it makes total sense.

I’m also quite frustrated by the same revelation because, unlike a project, I have no idea how close I am to birthing a full-fledged creative career. It feels very similar to giving birth to my children, and I’m metaphorically at the point of exhaustion where I push with every ounce of my energy, and then relax, rest my head, and doze off before the next contraction. When I feel the urge, I wake up and push, push, push again.

The only difference is, I don’t have a doctor to come in the room and say, “You’re almost there. Just a few more pushes to go, and you’ll be discovered, retained, contracted, and rewarded.” I have no way to tell if I’m 60% away from a the creative career of my dreams or if it’s within my reach. There are many things that are out of my control.

Uncertainty is a huge challenge to any creative business owner. This month, I’m going to write a lot about staying focused and keeping your eye on the prize, even when you’re faced with uncertainty. But for now, I want to ask you to keep your New Year’s resolutions within your control.

Avoid resolutions that rely on unknown factors, such as:

• I will make 1,000 sales this year

Instead, stick with goals that you can control and measure:

• I will create a new line of products.
• I will spend $500 promoting my new line to a targeted audience of 5,000 people.

What am I going to stop doing?

By the end of this year, I will stop doing this frenzied hustling. I’m going to convert that frantic energy into a more productive shuffling.

My gorgeous children shuffle all over the house, it’s a dance they all do to the song, “Party Rock Anthem” and it looks just like the old-school “running man” move. They shuffle to the dinner table, they shuffle to their chores, and they shuffle their way out the door to school.

To me, shuffling sounds like a great alternative to hustling. It’s still energetic, but it’s more joyful in nature. My hustling has gotten way too serious and anxious, and if I leave it go unchecked, it could suffocate the creativity out of my creative business.

I am currently organizing my business to be one that I can count on and trust as a regular income. You can do this, too. I’ll be writing a lot more about it throughout the year.

What goals do you want to accomplish toward those intentions?

I always divide my goals for a New Year under five pillars: 1. Spiritual, 2. Mental, 3. Physical, 4. Financial, and 5. Relational.

This year I will …

• Lighten up, laugh, and enjoy the moment. I’m putting down the frenzy and shufflin’ into this year.

• Finish up unfinished business. I vow to keep my email system clean and filed, complete the projects I haven’t finished, adopt the “Ride the Wild Donkey” technique, and reduce my research-consumption (sometimes I do unnecessary amounts of reading/consuming in the name of research, but it’s actually a form of procrastination).

• Firm up. I know what’s good for my body, and I’m simply not doing enough of it. I will schedule in regular kettle ball use, a new hip-shaping workout, and make sure to have at least three really good sweats a week. Nothing makes me feel better than a really good sweat.

• Stop the financial bare-minimum/just-getting-by mentality! I have four gorgeous children, and I never want to ever think twice about back-to-school shopping, braces, snorkeling vacations, Target trips, new shoes, or the silly amount of food we six consume every two weeks. I’ve added up the amount it would take to cover our needs plus give us a comfortable lifestyle cushion and some extra to invest back into my business. I plan to earn $100,000 this year.

• Honor our independence. My family has followed my husband’s government career and completed three overseas tours. We’ve spent eight of the last ten years living outside of the United States. This lifestyle has not been easy, but it has taught my children to think globally, and that’s a priceless education. Since we’ve been gone, we’ve developed our own traditions and created our own precious memories. We will honor our independence, and share with others only what we’re comfortable with sharing. Our family unit has grown and nurtured a sacred energy, and anybody who wants to spend time with us will respect our energy and be responsible for their own.

As you can see, my goals are wide and open. My list is sort of a gentle guideline: intentions to be remembered. This is a low-pressure situation, as too rigid a plan will leave little space for opportunities and possibilities to present themselves. In addition, I’ve followed the prompts from my 2013 Create Your Incredible Year Calendar & Workbook and listed 100 things I want to do this year.

May your 2013 be filled to the brim with love, laughter, gratitude, spirit, and prosperity.

Here’s to you! Until next time and all the best~