A Closer Look at My 2016 Goals + A Free Worksheet!

Now that we are already more than a month into 2016 (wait, what?), I am taking a good, hard look at my goals for the year. I'll admit, some of them are pretty hefty, but I've already achieved one of my biggest goals, which was to rebrand my business, and that has truly inspired me to keep working toward the other big items on my list. I mentioned in my previous post that I would be going more in-depth on my goals for 2016, so here we go! And make sure to stick around till the end because I've got a great (free!) resource for you to use to help you plan out your own goals for the year! :)  

GOAL #1: REBRAND MY BIZ (DONE!)

One of my biggest goals for 2016 was to rebrand my business. My deadline for this wasn't till about the middle of the year, but I got a sudden dose of inspiration one night and I was able to finish my rebrand in less than a month! I was definitely not expecting that, and it felt so good to be able to check off such a big goal that early in the year, and wayyy before my deadline. If you're an entrepreneur or own your own small business and you're considering a rebrand, make sure to look for an upcoming blog post from me on my branding design process!

GOAL#2: CREATE E-COURSES & E-BOOKS

I know I want to start sharing the wealth of knowledge I've learned since I started my business, and I feel the best way to do that is to share it through e-courses and e-books. I have truly learned so much from other entrepreneurs, e-courses I've taken, books I've read, webinars I've attended, Facebook groups I've joined... just an overwhelming amount of knowledge I've acquired (in a good way!), and I am dying to show you how I've put that knowledge to work in my own business.

I have a never-ending list of ideas for topics I'd like to create e-courses and e-books around, especially tips for hand lettering and calligraphy, how to run a successful freelance business, how to use certain business tools, and so much more! I hope to launch my first e-book by the end of the year, so if you are interested, please feel free to sign up for my newsletter here so you can be the first to know! :)

MY TOP 3 TO-DO'S TO ACCOMPLISH THIS GOAL

1. Take "Launch Your Signature E-Course" by Mariah Coz of Femtrepreneur
2. Brainstorm and outline titles, topics and content
3. Research all the technical stuff required to create e-courses and e-books

DEADLINE: December 2016

GOAL #3: GO FULL-TIME FREELANCE

I have held a full-time (now part-time) job since I started my business back in April of 2015, so that means I've spent a lot of time working in the evenings and on weekends (sometimes driving my husband nuts!). I love my business so much, and sometimes I forget that I need to come out of my office and spend time with people, sleep, eat... all the necessities of life. I could truly spend hours upon hours working away at my desk because I absolutely love what I do and it makes me so happy.

However, I know that long-term, this type of schedule will do me more harm than good. So, one of my biggest goals for 2016 is to go full-time freelance. Once I do that, I will have a set schedule for myself, probably 9-5 or 10-6, and restrict myself from working in the evenings or on weekends so that I can reserve that time for my husband, family, friends and me-time.

MY TOP 3 TO-DO'S TO ACCOMPLISH THIS GOAL

1. Establish solid, reliable income through client work & passive income
2. Spend less, save more: set up a personal budget and savings plan
3. Read "Get Rich Lucky Bitch" by Denise Duffield-Thomas

DEADLINE: December 2016

GOAL #4: START AN ETSY SHOP

In order for me to go full-time freelance, I definitely need to have more money coming in. While I would love to just up and quit my current job in the corporate world, I have bills to pay and husband (+ two kitties) to feed, so right now I need that extra money coming in. 

This leads me to my next big goal: start an Etsy shop! I love making handmade greeting cards, printables, etc., and I have so many more ideas for adding to the shop! 

In just a couple of weeks I am going to be a beta tester for Kelsey Baldwin at Paper & Oats for her new Etsy course, Selling Digital on Etsy. I am SO excited, as she is going to be teaching the best practices for starting and growing a successful Etsy shop from the start. I'll be sharing blog posts about my progress as I work through course.

Once I start my Etsy shop, just a few of the things I'll be offering are: easy-checkout for my design services, pre-made wedding invitations that are customizable through working with me one-on-one, hand-lettered greeting cards, hand-lettered printables, downloadable/printable worksheets, as well as custom projects! I'll also be selling my e-books and e-courses on there as well once they launch. If you're on my mailing list, you'll be the first to know when I launch my Etsy shop!

MY TOP 3 TO-DO'S

1. Take Paper & Oats' "Selling Digital on Etsy" e-course
2. Create products to sell
3. Create a solid launch plan and a solid promotional plan

DEADLINE: May 2016

GOAL #5: BLOG REGULARLY

One of the things I've read in blog posts and been told over and over in webinars, e-courses and workshops since I started my business is that blogging is one of the best ways to grow your business and get your name out there as a freelancer.

When I first started my business, blogging was not something I was even considering. I love to write, but for some reason, I was afraid that blogging might take the fun out of it, but thinking about that now, I think I was crazy. This is only my second blog post, but I've been working on future posts as well, and honestly, it's already become an addiction.

So! I would LOVE to know what topics you would love for me to write about! Business tips? Social media tips? Hand lettering and calligraphy? Anything else? Please feel free to leave a comment below and I will add your vote to my list of topics :)

MY TOP 3 TO-DO'S TO ACCOMPLISH THIS GOAL

1. Brainstorm blog post ideas weekly
2. Brainstorm opt-in ideas and freebies (checklists, worksheets, printables, etc.)
3. Create a blog post schedule and stick to it

DEADLINE: February-March 2016

GOAL #6: CREATE A SOLID SOCIAL MEDIA PLAN

Social media is necessary for me to get my business, services and products in front of potential clients andcustomers. However, promoting my business and products via social media won't get me very far without a solid marketing plan. I need to know who exactly I'm trying to reach, what platforms I'm going to use, when to try to reach them and how I'm going to reach them.

For me, Instagram has been my biggest successor as far as reaching my fans, potential clients and customers. Luckily, Instagram is my FAVORITE social media platform, as it is so focused on visuals, and I LOVE seeing the amazing work from other entrepreneurs, hand lettering artists and entrepreneurs. Seriously, though #instagramismyjam :)

MY TOP 3 TO-DO'S

1. Brainstorm and create a social media schedule
2. Establish ideal customer, times to post, hashtags, platforms, etc.
3. Take Caitlin Bacher's "Wham Bam Instagram" e-course

DEADLINE: June 2016

MY SMALLER GOALS FOR 2016

On top of my big goals for 2016, I also have quite a few smaller goals I'd like to achieve. Most of them are ongoing, and most are not business-related. Here are the things I'm aiming for this year:

• Read a non-business book daily
• Practice hand lettering and calligraphy daily
• Post to Instagram at least twice a day
• Spend more time with my husband, family and friends
• Exercise 3-5 times a week
• Less coffee, more water
• Work smarter, not harder :)

TIPS FOR SETTING YOUR OWN GOALS

As an avid goal-setter, setting goals comes pretty easy to me. Depending on the goal, they can definitely be hard, but if you break them down into bitesize chunks, they are so much easier to accomplish.

For me, I like to break my goals down by month. For example, the big goals above all have deadlines attached to them, and I typically make the deadline the end of a certain month. At the end of a month, I will write down my goals for upcoming month, and break them down into the smaller tasks that are required to complete that goal. Here are my five top tips for setting your own goals for 2016!

TOP 5 GOAL-SETTING TIPS

1. Choose 3-5 big goals that you want achieve this year (try to stick to just 3-5 big goals - more than that could be overwhelming!)
2. Break each goal down into smaller tasks (seeing a huge goal stand alone can sometimes make it seem impossible to attain, but if you break it down into smaller pieces, it is so much easier to see how you will reach that goal and that it really is possible. Plus, it is so gratifying to be able to check off each task as you complete it!)
3. Make sure to write your goals and tasks on a sheet of paper (see below for the free printable I've giving you!)
4. Review your goals as often as possible (When you are feeling uninspired to work toward your goals, review them and remember why you made them)
5. Do one thing every day that gets you closer to those goals (baby steps! I promise - you'll get there!)

FREEBIE TIME!

As I mentioned above, I created a free printable for you to use to set your own goals for 2016! To download, just enter your info below :)

The worksheet is set up exactly how I have my big goals set up above - your goal goes on the top line, a section below that for breaking those goals down into smaller tasks (including a checkbox for completed tasks), as well as a section for your chosen deadline for that goal.

These would be great to print and hang above your desk or somewhere at home that is easily accessible, or you can download the document to your computer and type right inside the document! Enjoy!

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Before you go, I would love to hear some of your goals for this coming year! What are some things you want to work on in the next twelve months, whether it’s in your business or in your personal life? I’m over here wishing you lots of love and success!

xoxo, Brittany

Have a question? Suggestion for a blog topic you'd like to hear about? Please feel free to leave a comment below! I would love to hear from you!