Do you have 2019 business goals? If not, now’s the time to sit down and think about setting some!
To help you get started, here are some questions I’d recommend asking yourself (and I went ahead and answered them for myself, just to give you an example of how this helps me!)…
3 Questions to Ask Yourself About 2018:
1. What worked?
The biggest thing that worked for me in 2018 was Instagram.
I discovered how much I love connecting with people through Instagram Stories! It has become a huge part of what I do and love — and as a result, it has also become a big part of what makes our business successful.
The other thing that worked was selling our own products. We’re seeing more and more hunger, excitement, and interest surrounding our production of products related to blogging and intentional living.
2. What didn’t work?
Facebook is the big thing that didn’t work for us in 2018. While Facebook groups and Facebook video still work really well, relying upon Facebook like we used to is no longer working at all. We’re learning that we need to get creative and strategic in coming up with new ways to drive traffic to our site without the help of Facebook.
The other thing that didn’t work very well in 2018 was me taking Wednesdays off. There were some benefits to it and I learned a lot, but having that day in the middle of the week that I was completely offline actually ended up causing me more stress and frustration that I ever imagined it would — simply because of the amount of prep and recovery I had to do the day before and after each Wednesday.
(I should mention I don’t regret it at all, though, since there was so much I learned from it! I also really recognize the benefits of intentionally taking pockets of time to rest and be offline. Keep reading below or read more here about what I’m doing in 2019 instead of taking Wednesdays off here.)
3. What did I learn?
I learned a lot of valuable lessons in 2019. First off, I learned that I had been spending thousands of dollars in taxes that I didn’t need to spend because I wasn’t claiming a bunch of things I should be claiming as deductions.
It took our income taking a hit because of Facebook algorithm changes (see above) for me to actually get serious about learning more about taxes and having meetings with our CPA… and then sitting there and wondering why on earth I had waited over 15 years to learn these things and ask these questions! Needless to say, I came home and we restructured a bunch of things and it’s going to save us a lot of money!
Secondly, I learned I’m really content where I’m at. We earn a great income, I’m able to take care of my employees well, we’re able to give generously, and my kids are in a season where I want to spend as much time as I possibly can with them.
I think there’s this message out there in the online entrepreneurial world that we need to constantly keep growing and building and increasing numbers and hustling…but for me, that’s just not where my heart is.
I don’t need to hustle hard to take my business to the next level because I’m honestly really happy and fulfilled with where it is. In addition, it affords me the flexibility to be available to my kids and Jesse.
If I were to try to work a bunch of extra hours to grow it more, it would mean I’d give up sleep and time with my family. Those are two things I’m just not willing to sacrifice.
In five years, my oldest daughter will be almost 19. In 10 years, all of my kids will be grown and gone.
I don’t want to lose these years I have right now because I’m working too hard on growing this business. In 10 years, I’ll have lots of extra time to invest in the business if I want to. But right now, I just want to be present with my kids.
I want the business to be successful and be able to help as many people as possible, but I don’t want to lose my health, my marriage, or my family in the process.
3 Questions to Ask Yourself for 2019:
1. What do I want to stop?
I’ve decided to just focus on a few business areas for 2019, so that means I’m going to stop doing things that don’t fall within the parameters of those big goals.
One of my BIG focus areas for 2019 will be Your Blogging Mentor, Your Blogging University, and the Your Blogging Mentor instagram. I’m planning to create 6-7 new courses for Your Blogging University and start a mastermind coaching group (more details on that soon!). We’re also hoping to launch a Your Blogging Mentor podcast.
I’ll still be sharing content pieces and money-saving ideas and deals at MoneySavingMom.com, doing live videos on Facebook and sharing on my personal Instagram, and doing The Crystal Paine Show and sending my newsletter out, but I’m SO excited to be more present over here on this site and really starting pouring more of my energy into this part of our business.
That might sound like a lot to you — and yes, I definitely won’t be bored! — but I have good systems in place, a great team to help, and I’ve streamlined a lot of things so that I can spend the majority of my day on things that I love and that are life-giving to me. And I’m saying no to those things that might be good opportunities or great ideas, but wouldn’t be in line with my priorities for this year.
I’m also going to stop trying to multi-task when it comes to business and family life. I realized that I didn’t have good boundaries in place and this was impeding my productivity. So I two commitments for 2019:
- That I would keep my phone in the basement every night. I realized that using my phone as an alarm clock meant that I was checking email/Instagram last thing before I went to bed and first thing when I woke up. I was also getting distracted with mindless scrolling or business tasks or answering texts and emails and comments at night. And it meant that I was rarely untethered.
- That I would be completely offline for 4 hours at least 5 days per week. I’m leaving my phone and computer in the basement around 6 p.m. most nights and then just being able to be fully present with my family, spend one-on-one time with my kids, and get in some good reading time, too. Plus, I’m going to bed so much earlier!
I can’t even begin to tell you what a difference these two commitments have made already — and I’ve only been sticking with them for about a week. I’m excited to see the long term impact of these two simple commitments! I think it just might change my year!
By the way, I think I’m also going to be more productive during my business hours because of having offline time. I’ve already realized how I’m starting my work days feeling so much more refreshed and inspired!
2. What do I want to start?
As I already mentioned, we’ll be working hard on creating some new YBU courses and starting mastermind coaching group for bloggers. In addition, I am hoping to start a podcast for Your Blogging Mentor. Those will be my big focus areas for 2019.
In addition, I am working hard on building new funnels for our e-mail lists to help better nurture relationships with new subscribers and introduce them to who we are and what we do.
This is something we should have done years ago and I’m finally making a priority this year! I’m working with an amazing consultant right now who is walking me through this process and is helping me dig through our e-mail lists and set up much better customer acquisition experiences for our three email lists.
3. What do I want to learn?
I grew in my confidence in 2018 when it came to techie stuff. I’ve always said, “I’m not techie!” and I’ve delegated all of the techie stuff to other people.
However, I lost a key team member in 2018 and this forced me to step way outside of my blogging comfort zone and I’ve been learning all sorts of new techie things — and I’m actually having so much fun with it!
It’s so rewarding and fulfilling to learn how to build email funnels and campaigns — and see them actually work! In 2019, I want to become much more proficient in setting up email funnels and campaigns in Infusionsoft and learn how to set up successful campaigns with Facebook Bots that convert into email subscribers and product sales.
Your turn: I’d love for you to consider these six questions as it pertains to your blog and business and then get brave and share your answers below comments below.
Hi! So glad to hear you’re going to launch new courses and memberships!! Even though I’m at the beginning of my blogging life, I have somewhat similar goals : put in place consistent funnels to improve my email list, be more focused on only a few things instead of being scattered all over the place, and set stricter boundaries with my personal life. Love reading this post, thank you!
Thanks so much for sharing — and for your encouragement!
What Worked
1. Well I took a chance on a few things that did pay off. I didn’t expect them to and they did. That has resulted in more opportunities for me and Yaaayy!
2. Slapping affiliate links everywhere to earn more money. Not a good plan. Don’t do that people. Just talk about what you love, what works for you, and share what you know. That works.
3. I learned that taking an online course does not have to take all year. I learned that at the end of the year. You can actually go through them rather quickly and implement as you have time. Wish I had done that sooner.
What didn’t Work
1. I want to stop being all over the place and focus on just a few things with my blog/business. Last year I focused on making money rather than just increasing my traffic. I made a little more money but really I need to put that aside and work on the traffic aspect as it pertains to what I publish etc.
2. I want to start making more products. There is so much stuff in my head and I need to stop comparing and just create. I’m going to try to make a physical product this year. I already have one but not really in my niche so it gets no love from me.
3. I want to learn create systems for my blogging. Again I’m all over the place.
Thanks so much for sharing so honestly! And this was SO good: “Just talk about what you love, what works for you, and share what you know. That works.”
YES!
2018 was my first full year blogging. I learned that I can make blogging a habit. I learned that I should have started using Pinterest back in mid 2017 when I first started blogging. However, I have found that though Facebook does not bring in a lot of traffic it has been a helpful teacher. People let you know rather bluntly if they like your content and it connects or they don’t. So Facebook has helped me finally whittle down my niche/ message to one sentence! Yay! And I enjoy connecting with people on Facebook.
Blogging is hard and gaining traffic is really hard. I love blogging and I have no desire to give up. However, I really want to find a way to bring in traffic so that I can earn money to have funds to put into my business. And it would be nice to make a part-time income from all my hard work;) I have been practicing using affiliate links and promoting sales, but it honestly feels more like a numbers game. If you don’t have the traffic then chances are really slim on making sales…would love to hear your opinion on this. My Amazon clicks are up but I still have the rare sale.
In 2019, I want to learn SEO (so let us know if that is in the works:) as I feel like that would be a great concept to learn to drive more passive traffic. I want to continue doing Facebook Lives and Instagram Stories and practicing the art of writing!!
Enjoyed hearing about your conclusions on your year! Thanks for sharing!
I think traffic definitely helps, but I think it’s also about the level of trust and engagement you’ve built. I know people with small lists and traffic making good income just because they have worked hard to really build trust and engage with their tribe in a very personal way.
What worked in 2018 was learning to take small steps in the right direction. So much less overwhelming and far more encouraging to see progress, however tiny, towards my goals.
What didn’t work was lack of consistency. It trips me up over and over to not have good follow through. Again paying attention to little habits and seemingly insignificant decisions is helpful. (Luke 16:10)
I am starting a freelance writing job on the side of my full time job.
I am stopping the mindset that I have to be 90-95% sure of things before making a decision. Read a study that discovered good leaders gather information until they’re about 70% certain what to do next and roll with it. Found out that waiting until your have higher percentage of info means you’re too late to reap any benefit from any decision made by that time!
I want to learn all I can about communicating clearly. Would seem pretty obvious for someone working on freelance writing, perhaps. However, I already know that my words (spoken & written) tend to ramble or give too much explanation.
One question if you get a chance:
I would like to use a pseudonym for doing my blog and freelance writing. My name strikes me as extremely common/plain. Took what seemed like forever to find an email address name that had not been taken already. Any insight on the advantages/disadvantages of such a choice?
“I am stopping the mindset that I have to be 90-95% sure of things before making a decision.” Way to go!!!
As far as a pseudonym, I think you can do so… just remember that if you get a book deal or speaking gigs or consulting opportunities, it might present some problems or confusion if you eventually decide to use your real name, too. I think it depends upon what you plan to do long term with your blog. I know someone who chose a pseudonym for herself online and now everyone knows her by that name and she’s very well known (very few people know that it’s not her real name)… so it definitely can work!
Hi, Crystal!
Thanks so much for your blog! I have been considering getting serious about blogging, and your tips and encouragement have been so encouraging! I have a small blog on Blogger, but would like to switch to WordPress and purchase a domain name. I want to learn more about blogging, but the amount of blogging types and tips are a little overwhelming! 🙂 Now that I’ve discovered your site, it sounds like a place I’d like to stop by and learn from! Because I am a ‘checklist’ kind of person, I would love to hear about a list of tips that you would give to a beginner who needs to narrow their focus and grow! What are ways to narrow your focus when blogging? What are some of the ways that you established a routine for posting? Did you invite guest writers to your blog in the beginning? How did you find blogs to write guests posts for? Whew – that’s a lot of questions! 🙂 Thanks for listening!
And thank you again for your encouragement and focus – it was refreshing!
Welcome and keep writing here because you are exactly the person this site is for! I’d also recommend following on Instagram as I share lots of tips in the posts, videos and stories there: https://www.instagram.com/yourbloggingmentor/
This post might be helpful: http://yourbloggingmentor.com/why-you-need-to-build-a-platform-my-top-3-tips-to-get-started/
And this one: http://yourbloggingmentor.com/how-to-build-a-successful-blog-in-just-one-hour-per-day/
And this one: http://yourbloggingmentor.com/3-insider-tips-get-guest-post-accepted/