So, I’m in the process of working on 2015 year-long goals, and I can’t wait to share them soon! But before doing that, I think it only seems right to review how things went with the goals I set for last year. I’m all about being honest when it comes to this because it can be easy to be intimidated by everyone setting all of these wonderful goals at the beginning of the year, but the reality is that sometimes they don’t all get accomplished and that’s ok. They were still a stepping stone toward progress and a tool in being more intentional than I would have been had I not written them out. So in that sense, I think setting goals is a helpful thing regardless of the perfection of the outcome. But it’s obviously super helpful to know what worked and didn’t work, and what got accomplished and what didn’t when setting out to make another list for the New Year. So, let’s take a look:

PERSONAL

Overall objective: Better self-discipline established and new habits formed in my daily routine, so as to better serve and care for others.

• Finish reading 1000 Gifts and complete my own list of 1000 things
• Establish and implement a better system for organizing clothes, and keeping them put away
• Establish and implement a cleaning schedule to more consistently keep all parts of the house clean
• Step into a more intentional role of serving/ministry at my church
• Connect with our neighbors on a more regular basis
• Talk with family across the country weekly
• Read at least 4 books (I read two completely, and started two others….so that’s almost close! Haha)
• Work out at least 3 times a week, whenever not traveling
• Establish a way that works well for both Aaron & I to maintain a more consistent household budget
• Continue making our house a home and filling it with elements that make it “us”

Some of these I really made progress on at different points, but never got to the place of having a solid, consistent system really put in place. I’m encouraged that progress was still made, though, and I will continue to focus on improving those areas this next year.

BUSINESS

Overall objective: Streamlining business practices to improve consistency and efficiency  all across the board, so as to better serve and “wow” my clients, and achieve things that have been falling through the cracks.

• Learn about and open an IRA account (Started this, but didn’t get very far…)
• Create a 5-year vision for my business and a schedule for when/how to increase rates
• Establish and implement a more organized weekly work schedule
• Establish and implement a monthly Duty Day
• Create a more organized schedule for blogging
• Blog full weddings more consistently
• Establish a workflow for submitting weddings to be featured consistently
• Establish and implement a better system for getting photos to vendors
• Finish decorating my office
• Design & order 2 new sample albums (Decided this didn’t really need to be a priority because I conduct most meetings online, now.)
• Get published in a respected print publication (This was halfway accomplished as I did have some photos published in print, but not an entire wedding or shoot which was the ultimate goal)
  

While I may not have gotten as much accomplished on this list as I wanted, I DID accomplish several important things for my business that I didn’t even know I’d want or need to do at the beginning of the year. Those things include:

• A complete rebrand (that will be launching next week!)
• Outsourcing album design
• Outsourcing editing
• Hiring an office assistant
• Re-thinking & streamlining products & client gifts

Those accomplishments were huge, and turned out to be in the perfect timing as they helped get my business more streamlined and efficient which will be so important when Baby arrives. So, I’m really glad they happened even if it meant some of the other stuff on my original list didn’t.

So, how about you? What were the most important things you accomplished in 2014, and what do you hope to work harder on in 2015?