8 for ‘08: Challenges I’m taking on this year
I was tagged by Chris Wilson in a meme that’s remarkably similar to the list of 8 random facts about me I did back in August. So, instead I give you 8 challenges I’m taking on for ‘08. Still self-absorbed, perhaps. But there’s something motivating about publicly declaring your intentions.
- Create a new brand for myself/my business. For a few reasons this is something I haven’t taken seriously until now. I’ve been brainstorming like mad and having a great time doing it.
- Define my business and my niche. Sure, I’m a web designer. That’s kind of like saying I drive an automobile. ‘Nuff said.
- Take my blogging seriously. I’ve kept this blog on a casual basis since 2003 – just post whatever I feel like, whenever. I haven’t focused on a particular audience or purpose for it. In all that business brainstorming I’ve had ideas for other, more focused blogs. I haven’t settled on the plan yet, but I’m looking forward to ramping things up this year once I do! In the WordPress work I’ve been doing lately I’ve learned a ton and it will be great to put more of it into practice for myself.
- Keep up the regular exercise I began last year by joining the WOW program with Charlene. I’m still in that program and hiking often. In the WOW-hiatus around Christmas I didn’t turn into a muscle-less blob overnight, but my back ached more. Having a set schedule of lunchtime workouts 3-days per week is also great for breaking up my long hours at the computer.
- Dig into the house renovations, finally. We intended to live in our house for a while to better understand what we needed to change (beyond the obvious horid ’80s finishing!). It’s been over a year since we moved in and we’ve dreamed up some big changes to the layout. This of course involves everything from the floor to ceiling. Serious stuff that will involve serious mess, but boy will it be worth it in the end!
- Keep up with expense accounting regularly, instead of leaving all my receipts in a big mess to sort at the end of the year. The article “Is your paperwork costing you…” at FreelanceSwitch is a good reminder why I should be doing this. (Thanks, Charlie!)
- Get up earlier and keep a more regular sleep schedule. The freelance life is great for flexibility but not so great for your sleep habits if you’re not careful. Couple this with the fact that our bedroom and kitchen are basically the same room (yeah, go back to #5… ), and it’s darn easy to stay in bed longer than I should until the coffee fairy visits my bedside. Zen Habits has some great tips on how to become an early riser if this is also your challenge.
- Work on being more outgoing and vocal. I’m kind of quiet and shy in person. I’d like to be less so.
If you’d like to play along you can post your 8 challenges for ‘08 on your blog, leave a comment, or check out the ChangeEverything community for moral support and ideas. Good luck!
Posted: January 9th, 2008 under Life.
Comments: 2
Comments
Thanks Chris. It was a good exercise for me to get these ideas out of my head to “paper”. I’ve found goals are much more achievable when you record them. And it’s a nice reward for yourself later to see how far you’ve come!
Comment from Tzaddi at 1:16 pm, January 10, 2008
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Nice twist!
Well half of your goals battle is already won. You’ve written them down. And you have told everyone here, so we can put a big checkmark next to the accountability factor as well.
I look forward to seeing you meet these goals.
Comment from Chris Wilson at 1:00 pm, January 10, 2008