I just did something I’ve never done before.
For the past couple weeks as the year wound down, I spent some time thinking about what individual words best sum up the events of the past year in my life and business.
It’s something I recommend you try as well.
Here’s what I came up with…
1. Mistakes.
My year started with the realization a shift I had made in my business was a mistake.
In my desire to optimize for more revenue, I lost my way and abandoned how I like to work and who I like to serve.
In many ways, I spent the year undoing the damage I had done (primarily to myself) and rediscovering what I want out of work and life.
And most importantly, how to get it.
2. Vulnerability.
A big part of that undoing was a willingness to be vulnerable and publicly share my mistakes and lessons learned from them.
The reaction to the most vulnerable blog post I’ve ever published was incredible.
The way it was received further cemented for me (and my audience) that I was headed back in a better direction.
3. Freedom.
That direction is to prioritize freedom.
One of the biggest lessons I learned this year (the hard way) both personally and professionally was that I had built a life of external freedom without an equal level of internal freedom.
Sure, I work for myself and my time is my own with no boss to answer to.
But…
I wasn’t taking advantage of that time to do what I wanted and in some ways was a worse boss to myself than others would be to me.
I didn’t hate any of the work I was doing, but I was also doing things because others wanted them as opposed to doing what I want and enjoy most.
There’s no point in working for yourself if you’re not going to shape the work to fit what you most enjoy – otherwise you might as well go get a job.
4. Pressure.
15 years ago, I sat on a couch in my first therapy session and with a straight face said I had no stress in my life.
I truly believed it at the time.
Now, I look back and can’t believe how disconnected I was from reality.
This year I sat on a Zoom call with the same therapist and said I didn’t think I put much pressure on myself.
Then I came to realize that was just as insane a statement.
Mistakes, vulnerability, freedom, pressure.
These first four year-defining words are connected in ways I now clearly see…and some ways I’ve still probably yet to discover.
But I’m working on it.
5. Products.
The new clarity and direction I’m finding has started to lead to new directions in how I approach my business as well.
By the end of the year I launched the first digital product outside of my membership in a while.
My Email Templates That Turn Subscribers Into Buyers has not only been a hit, but it’s made me realize products are a great way to package my expertise – and potentially better than some other things I was previously doing.
I’m excited to release more new products in the coming year.
6. LinkedIn.
I loved Twitter for a decade until Elon ruined it.
This was the year I bailed on it and shifted my attention to LinkedIn.
I’ve been thrilled with the results and have come to believe it may have been a better platform for me all along.
Better late than never, I guess.
Not only has it become the only social platform I regularly use, it’s also generated a lot of business for me.
I even created my LinkedIn Experts’ Playbook to share what I’ve learned about how to get clients and reach on the platform.
7. Breaks.
There were two Sundays toward the end of this year when I didn’t publish my newsletter.
That’s the first time I skipped an issue in the 9 years I’ve published it.
And for the first time in 3 years I took a break from publishing my podcast.
Those are quite the accomplishments – not the publishing streaks, the decision to take a break (finally).
I’m proud of it.
So…
That was my year in a nutshell.
It was full of ups and downs (like every year) but I came out on the other side in a better place with excitement for the year to come.
I hope wherever you are in your own journey that you find your way as well.