2012 Reflections and Recap

Yeah, I’m a couple weeks behind just about every blogger on the planet in posting my reflections on 2012. Oh well. There are lots of reasons I could give, but they’d all be excuses. (Something I’ve gotten pretty dang good at spotting over the past year.) Truth is, I wasn’t all that jazzed about posting on my blog the last four-ish months of 2012. Why? I haven’t the foggiest. Possibilities include my dwindling enjoyment from writing “review” type posts; less and less time to write “reviews” because my fiction writing, reading, bookkeeping business, and time with my daughter (not necessarily in that order) took up most days last year especially the last quarter; or, brainstorming what I really want to accomplish with my blogs (yes, plural) pretty much stunted my motivation to post on Flying Monkeys. Could be any of those, could be something totally different.

So, one of my goals for 2013: Nail down the true purpose for my blogs.

My winter vacation, the last week of December and the first week of January, afforded me plenty of time to reflect and analyze the events in my life during 2012. For the most part, possibly for the first time ever, I’m completely satisfied with what I accomplished. Did I complete every goal on my list? Heck no, not even close. But what I did accomplish is worthy of a pat on the back. Plus, I realized all too often when we look back at the previous year, we tend to focus on what we did NOT do instead of all that we DID. It’s self-defeating and more than a little depressing to start the year off with an already “disappointed in myself” attitude, don’t you think? My biggest advice for all the goal-setters out there: make of list of everything you actually DID and revel in that feeling for a couple days before you start setting new goals for 2013 and carrying over old goals from 2012. That feeling will fire you up and inspire you to achieve more than when you focus on the misses.

Here’s a small sample of what I achieved in 2012:

• Read 81 books; I’d only challenged myself to read 75. (My daughter rocked it, though, with 158!)
• Enrolled my daughter in the social activities she requested, which required significant changes to my daily schedule, mostly business-related.
• Completed all overdue major home repairs: four in total.
• Completed all overdue car repairs: three in total.
• Wrote daily, even if it was only 15 minutes in my journal.
• Eliminated biggest time sucks and stuck to my guns.
• Redesigned Flying Monkeys; although, I was close to pulling out my hair on a couple occasions.
• Completed my first “Inspiration Board.”
• Ended the business relationship with my biggest client, and felt free for the first time in 8 years.
• Began transitioning my virtual assistance business into only bookkeeping, and signed THREE new clients as a result.
• And the list goes on…

Remember, there’s absolutely no shame in feeling good about what you accomplished. I’m a firm believer we achieve more when we change our perspectives and embrace the positive. Am I saying we don’t need to look at those unmet goals? Certainly not; there’s much to learn from missed goals: our core values, for instance. We just don’t need to obsess or beat ourselves up in the process of reflection.

Here are five of my goals for 2013:

1. An art program or apprenticeship for my daughter. The kid is wicked talented (here’s one of her drawings – one of my faves) and I will continue nurturing her passion.
2. Submit my completed stories to contests and open markets.
3. Read 85 books.
4. Sell my house.
5. Sign three new clients.

This list is nowhere close to everything I want to accomplish in 2013, only a random sample. Most people’s eyes would probably glaze over reading my full list. 🙂

“Aim for the moon. Even if you miss, you can still reach out and grab a star.”

I’d love to hear about your biggest goals for 2013 so please feel free to leave a comment.

Wishing you a healthy, happy and productive 2013!