I can’t believe the year is almost at its end. Usually during this time, we think about our goals for the next year and what we will be doing during our holiday breaks. Today, I’m sharing my self-reflection on what I’ve accomplished this year and what I hope next year brings.

I Haven’t Been Giving Myself Enough Credit

Earlier this week, I was on Twitter, and my good friend MG, Michelle Garrett, had posted that she was featured recently in an interview that asked “what is your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?” Her answer hit me, it made me think I need to do a podcast episode around what my accomplishments are this year. Here’s what her answer was: “staying in business all these years, surviving through several recessions, learning and continuing. It’s really about the long game and staying consistent.” It’s kind of funny, because I had just got off a call with a prospective client who said that next month she is launching her business. And, I thought to myself, “Wow, that’s incredible. She is launching a business, how nerve racking that must be”. Then it hit me, I did that too. And I honestly don’t give myself enough credit, that I’ve been there, that I launched a business. So, I get what Michelle is saying in that the biggest accomplishment is having a business and continuing to have one. And, I’ve continued to grow that business. Have you forgotten that you’ve done something like this?

I Started Small

I remind myself that when I started my business, it was with two small children at home. I did this on purpose. When they went to school, I didn’t want to start from scratch. It worked. This year, I’ve hit six figures! I don’t have to go back to the corporate world. What is one of your accomplishments this year Reflect on how far you’ve come this year.

Accomplishment #2: I’m Still Alive

My biggest accomplishment is the fact that I’m still alive. You remember in July, I had a pulmonary embolism. It put me in the hospital for a week. I was within days of dying. So for me, that’s a huge accomplishment. I not only listened to my body and what I needed to do to survive, but I did it. And I continue to survive, thrive, and to live a healthy lifestyle. I’m paying more attention to the important things in life, getting rid of the negativity, saying no more. And I’m really focused on that.

When you have children, they have certain breaks from school, random vacations, a winter break, a spring break, a ski break, summer break, all of these different kinds of breaks, even a fall break. So, I took probably a good six weeks off this year. I never did that when I worked in corporate. We went to Hawaii, we went on a sledding vacation, I went to Necker Island, I was in the hospital for a week, these were all times away from my business. And yet, my business didn’t suffer. And to me, that’s a huge accomplishment.

Don’t Compare

Don’t think you have to be where I am if you have your own business. Reflect on what you’ve accomplished this year. I know you’ve grown, we all have accomplished many things. The problem is we don’t take time to pat ourselves on the back. We can also fall into the trap of comparing ourselves to others. Take the time today to think of at least one thing that you overcame, a personal or business win. Write it down and remind yourself of what you’ve accomplished. 

I Also Wrote A Book

Taking the time to think about my year has reminded me that so much has happened. Did you know I wrote a book?

I am in the final stages of editing it. I landed a literary agent. She is pitching it right now to publishers! But, I wrote a book that is well over 55,000 words! So, I believe that it translates to almost 200 pages in a regular book that you would pick up. And that’s a big deal! I don’t think that I reflect on that one enough.

My Time With Sir Richard Branson

I stayed on Necker Island for a week with 30 other women from around the world. I sat with Richard Branson, we had dinner, we went on excursions, it was so memorable! What an accomplishment it is that I received that invitation, that I got myself there, that I got there without COVID, and came back without COVID. So, those are accomplishments in and of itself.

As I’m saying all of this, I’m really grateful that I’m taking a moment to reflect on all of this. I think it’s a good practice because I personally don’t reflect the way that I should, and pause and really take in the monumental moments that are happening throughout my life, throughout our everyday life, throughout our years.

41 Podcast Episodes

If you have a podcast, you know how much goes into planning, recording, and putting the finishing touches on one. This week is my 41st podcast episode! I didn’t reach my goal of 52, but that’s ok. You see, when we reflect on everything we have accomplished, we can be easy on ourselves when a goal wasn’t quite reached. We’ve booked over 250 podcast interviews for clients in the last 11 months, and that number continues to grow. And, it’s only going to grow more next year! This is a big deal because we  personalize every single pitch…that’s a lot of emails!

I’m really looking forward to the growth that the new year will bring. I’m going into 2023 with high hopes of a book deal and growing my business. I hope that you take some time to reflect on what your big moments of 2022 were for you. What were those accomplishments? What did they entail? What are you going to take from them to bring into the new year Whether it’s a resolution, a goal, or simply that state of mind that you want to continue to be in. Let me know. I’d love to hear from you, what your big accomplishments were for 2022. And until next time, my friends, happy holidays and cheers to a new year. Let me know your accomplishments, and let’s celebrate together! Email me HERE.