Looking back on 2022, I really can’t believe how insane that year was. I experienced the biggest heartbreak of my life, losing my sweet dog, Pork. It broke me. But it also forced me to do something that had been on my bucket list for years, living in Paris for a month. The year was full of ups and downs. And my god, the lows were so fucking low. And the highs were insanely high too. I really can not explain the pure bliss I felt while in Paris. But the grief is still with me, however, my life has definitely grown around it. And I’m hoping 2023 means more growth.
A look back at my 2022 goals.
One of the big things on my 2022 list of goals was to spend a lot more time in NYC. I had high hopes of going quarterly, or maybe spending an entire month there. I *almost* did in fact do that, but that turned into a month in Paris instead. I’ll take it! I really do wish I spent more time there for work trips, but we’ll just have to try again this year.
A few other goals included growing my Instagram and creating more helpful content. I wanted to grow my Instagram following not by just hoping and wishing for more followers, but by creating really good shareable and helpful content. And I did that. I also would be remiss to not mention the blog friends who graciously shared my profile with their followers last year like @my.sister.made.me.buy.it and @jessannkirby, along with @happygocurly who is always my biggest cheerleader. Last year I definitely took more tennis lessons and tried a few times to play with friends. I could’ve done better, but my tennis partner moved to SF and it threw me out of a routine. Overall, I’m pretty proud of how I managed to achieve many of my goals for the year.
A good lesson learned from last year
Something I did differently last year after writing my 2022 goals blog post, was that I set up a monthly reminder in my Asana tasks to do a little goal check-in. This helped me keep my eye on the ball throughout the year. And it’s something I plan on doing every single year from now on. I had a personal monthly goal check-in like having friends over more for dinner and playing more tennis, and then business goals like analyzing what’s working and how to do more of that. Having this check-in and seeing my goals list written down, forced me to think about how to always be moving the ball forward. It helped significantly to have these more top of mind every single month.
So on that note, let’s dive into my 2023 goals.
My 6 Personal And Professional Goals For 2023
Spend A Month Somewhere
My month in Paris was absolutely incredible and went above my wildest expectations. I have to do this more. Just a month a year somewhere to boost creativity, take me outside my comfort zone, and make memories. I already have a place booked for this year and will be announcing it this month to my newsletter subscribers.
Write More Personal Posts
I have really loved writing more personal posts over the years. I think I have a lot more to say that may be controversial in terms of being single, societal norms and so on. These posts are always super exciting to write and get feedback on. But I’ll be honest, I am sensitive. While I put on a tough front, sometimes internet feedback can be brutal. It usually doesn’t stick with me for long, but the initial shock is inevitable. Either way, I’d like to do more posts like this and this. What would you want to read more about?
Live More Minimally
One of my key takeaways from spending a month in Paris was how little I actually need. I don’t need a giant closet full of clothes and shoes. I don’t need a million gadgets and things. With that realization, I’d like to really edit down my closet and life as much as possible. Not only to live more minimally but also to stop frivolous spending. I started this recently by really purging my kitchen. And I am constantly editing down my closet. Must do it more!
Create New Relationships For My Business
Last year was financially and numerically the best year of my business. I earned more revenue than ever before (thank you for always clicking, shopping, and sharing, it means so much) and also growth in terms of numbers. My Instagram grew, my newsletter grew, and so did my pageviews here on my blog. But I’m going to be honest. The last few months have slowed down a ton.
I’m not sure if it’s the economy, or what, but I feel like the bulk of my business happened in the first 3 quarters of 2022, and I’m stressed about 2023. This is putting a bit of a fire under my ass. And this means I need to start networking more effectively. Living in Atlanta makes it a bit challenging, so this is probably going to mean a trip of two to NYC this year to really get more face time with brands.
Seek More Joy In My Life
I wrote this big blog post towards the end of 2022 about how I want to spark more joy in my life. For someone who works from home, and for themselves, it’s super easy to stay home for days on end. I’m hoping to make this year one in that I seek more joy. Little things here and there. Saying yes to more plans with friends, trying new restaurants and visiting museums in Atlanta I’ve never been to. Also, hosting friends more at my home. I really enjoy doing this and did a lot more of it in 2022.
Consume Less, Create More
As a content creator, influencer, blogger, or whatever we’re calling us these days, I tend to be on social media a lot. I’m not proud of how many hours I spend a day on all the social media apps. And I’m even less proud of my consume versus create ratio as a creator. And that has to change. I’m hoping to consume LESS content in 2023, and instead be creating MORE. I definitely notice that this comes in waves for me. I really have to be in the right headspace, and lighting, to create video content. Which is ultimately what I need to create more of.
I’m pretty good with the blog and newsletter and pump these things out like clockwork. But I am consuming way too much and this precious time can be better spent growing my business, connecting with friends in the real world, and creating my own great content for people to consume. Lots of benefits to consuming less social media, but the main goal is to really focus on creating more for my own platform versus consuming other people’s work.
