Happy new year! It’s been a hot minute. Okay maybe it’s been a month. Or three. Who’s counting really?
Life has been hectic since September. Our dog had a parasite, his blood sugar went all out of whack, and he went blind. We, among all of this chaos, decided to redo our bedroom which we thought would take a week but turned into a month. And then the holidays topped off a crazy busy end to 2023.
But I’m back! And excited to be writing again and to catch up on reading all of the things that have piled up in my inbox over the past few months (not ignoring you, I promise!!)
With the new year, there’s a flood of everyone and their diabetic, parasite-addled dog (just mine?) posting their successes from last year and their new goals and aspirations for the new year.
And if this is you, no hate at all!! You do you. But if this is not you and you’re finding yourself overwhelmed by comparisonitis, imposter syndrome, and new year panic, I’m right there with you.
In the past I’ve set goals both personal and biznical (that’s not a word is it) and it has never worked out for me.
I am never ever getting back together with setting goals for the year. We’re done for good.
And this Substack is to tell you why.
Let’s flashback to January 2023 me.
I didn’t set many goals last year. I think the only one would be to launch my Green Web Design Course (which is currently closed but will reopen soon!! Note at the bottom for more info if you’re curious).
And I accomplished it!
But my goal wasn’t as simple as that.
Yes, it was merely to “launch” it. But I had so many expectations attached to it.
My main motivation for getting the course out into the world was that I kept seeing so much misinformation about the web and its eco-impact and the panic that came with it and I wanted to help right the ship. But I also poured a lot of time and energy into that course and wanted to make some money off of it because, after all, we all need it to live.
I spent 2 straight months on that course. Every week I was researching, writing, recording, designing, and editing 4-5 videos. I didn’t keep track of my hours. All I know is I was working 7 days a week on course stuff for 2 months. It was a lot.
I did not make anywhere near my design rate for clients. I don’t know if I even made half. And that’s okay, I’m still very proud of it and happy it’s out in the world. But I had such high hopes that this would take pressure off my design-related income and it just didn’t.
Instead, it left me questioning my decisions. It left me feeling defeated. I was blacking out from burn out while having to face the pressure on if I should sign clients and sacrifice myself even more.
I was also struggling with tendonitis in my wrist throughout this entire time and only made it worse while creating the course (stretch out your wrists right now!! Phones and computers are not good for them. You’ll thank me later! I’m still trying to heal the tendonitis although it’s much better than it was).
Even though I technically hit my goal, it felt hollow. I couldn’t have this huge success story on it where I felt great physically, mentally, financially, and every other -ally there is to feel.
Looking back now, I am very happy with it and proud of what I created and accomplished. I just wish I would’ve done it in a more sustainable-for-me way.
I also don’t like setting money goals for the year.
In the past with my biz, I’ve set goals like “make $1 more than I did last year” which seemed doable at the time. And I hit the goal even! But throughout the year I kept mentally moving the goal post.
All of a sudden it was June and $1 more didn’t seem like enough because I was on track to make $10k more so I needed to hit that instead.
And when I didn’t make $10k more than the previous year, I felt like a failure even though I hit my original goal.
Clearly something about my brain revolts against goal-setting and sets me up for never feeling like enough.
Around July last year I decided to do something a little different. I erased all money goals or aspirations and just went with the flow. Projects still came in, sales came from the course, and I worked enough to contribute to our household income while not panicking about making too little.
I don’t need to make 6 figures to be happy or to be successful and I probably never will hit that with my business. And that’s completely okay.
My asterisk on this entire section is that I am lucky enough to not have to worry intensely about the money from my biz in order to live. My husband works full time and we have savings we could use in a pinch. So my income is very much supplemental to his and I know this is not the norm, especially for millennials.
What I’m trying to say overall about business goals is that, in my mind, a goal is not just something to check off your list. A goal is about what you do, how you feel about it, what you’ve accomplished, and what that says about you as a person.
And yes, maybe that’s too intense and too much pressure on a simple goal. But I’ve learned my mind can’t separate the two and that life has a mind of its own and likes to get in the way. So it’s better for me mentally to not set goals and go with the flow.
But what about the personal goals?
Glad you asked!
A few years ago, I set a goal for myself to read one book a month for the entire year. I loved reading as a kid and had fallen off of it. I thought it would be good for my mental health so I set the goal. Sounds super doable, right?
It was actually completely awful. Not only did I not hit the goal, but any time I decided to read, there was so much pressure around it.
I wasn’t reading to enjoy it, or even because I necessarily wanted to. I was doing it like a homework assignment.
I was looking to make progress towards a goal so I could say “Wow, look how cultured I am. I read 12 books this year. Go me!”
I think I read three books that year. I started out strong but sometime in the spring I realized I was “behind” and every moment not spent reading was another moment I was slipping further and further down the side of an ever-growing mountain.
Flash forward to now and I have actually been reading a lot. A lot of it is manga with books sprinkled in here and there, but it’s reading! And it’s been amazing for my mental health!
The major difference is I’m reading because I want to. Not because of some arbitrary goal I set for myself or to become someone I think I should be.
I’m doing it because it sparks joy and really that’s what matters to me right now.
So what’s in store for 2024?
I just rhymed, I do it all the time. I’ll carry that with me even after 2023.
Honestly, I just want to continue what I started last year. On a personal note, I want to keep learning guitar, piano, and how to sing. I want to create more art. I want to write more poetry. I want to work on making our house into a true home for us.
I want to lean into what sparks joy and throw out the rest.
On a business level, I want to keep working with amazing clients. I want to keep writing here and educating on green design. But I want to do it in a way that works better for me.
I want to continue to cultivate a healthy work/life balance.
And maybe these things sound like goals, and maybe they are, but I’ve been working towards them for almost a year now. It just so happens the calendar is turning to a new year.
The new year can be nice for a feeling of a fresh start. But I also realize fully that it is 2023 me going into 2024 and I don’t want too much to change in what I’m doing or what I’m prioritizing.
I just want to live for what brings me joy and not worry about what anyone else thinks about it or what it really says about me as a person to the outside world.
What about you? Are you a goal-setter or a goal-runner-away-fromer? I’d love to hear how you approach the new year and what you’re looking forward to!
A note on the Green Web Design Course: The GWDC is currently closed for enrollment because it is moving platforms! It should be opening up again around February-ish so keep your eyes peeled if you’d like to join then!
There will be a sale happening when it launches. If you like a good deal (let’s be real, who doesn’t?) then make sure you get on the waitlist.
Or, click here to learn more about the course!
Thanks so much for venturing into the Blue Raspberry Patch with me! I love exploring all these sustainability and design topics in longer form and sharing little berries of info with you all. I’d be delighted if you’d join me here!
Welcome to the future! I'm still waiting on my Jetsons flying car and my Star Trek holodeck tho....
I never was big on resolutions, tbh. As I've gotten older, I started doing a word of the year (or for however long I feel like that still serves me - sometimes I change the word 6 months in or whatever). It's simple enough for me to go back to and kind of sets a "eyes on the horizon" view. I can EASILY slip into hella planning with worksheets and schedules and all the in the weeds stuff so instead I've been trying a broader approach. Give myself wiggle room and less pressure.
"But I had such high hopes that this would take pressure off my design-related income and it just didn’t." - So many things factor into the 'performance' of a course that isn't reflective of its content quality.
"I also don’t like setting money goals for the year." - Me either. I set goals in terms of 'make this much or ELSE' that covers my bare minimum and others I financially support but I never really set biz growth income goals (like 10K more this year or something). That said, I really want to though. In general, I want to get a handle on my biz income so that it's more consistent/predictable. Having some cushion wouldn't hurt either lol And to do that, I have to get REAL about what I'm charging, time spent on projects, lead generation, etc.
Oh my gosh, book goals killed my love of reading too at one point. I signed up for Storygraph or whatever app. Tracked my reading, tried to do some reading challenges with people, etc but it really felt like work. Now I read whenever I want to and I'd rather take a year to read ONE book I enjoy than try to get through 5. Also, I've come to accept just NOT finishing a f'n book lol if it sucks or I'm not interested, I just stop. I used to pressure myself to finish, esp if it was highly recommended or whatever. Life is too short for shitty books. SKIP!
Welcome back Amy! Seems like you've had a lot going on, and I don't blame you for taking a step back to focus on all the life things. Also wishing your pup a healthier year!
I didn't do an end of year recap or 2024 goals post, but I do like to look back and remind myself of everything I accomplished. Sharing recap posts publicly doesn't quite feel aligned with my values, I know the comparison game on socials is already so bad (at least for me) and I don't like the idea of adding my highlights to the noise. Personally I think it is important to recognize the good work you've done though, so don't discredit yourself—I'm sure you've done some great things! Launching a course is amazing and I can only imagine how much work went into that! Just joined the waitlist!
Here's to chasing things that bring you joy and focusing your time and energy in areas of your life that deserve them! Wishing you a more balanced year for you and your business!