As luck would have it the big event that kicked off 2018 for me was another failure. Our second business my husband and I started last year just wasn’t cutting it so in May we closed it. Yes, we closed a business. I must have crumpled up in a ball and died right? Wrong. The entire point of the second business had been to test a business model which we then adopted at our primary store so in my mind big success. But technically it was still a failure.
With that kind of a start to the year I decided that I needed to accomplish a few things to make the year an overall success. So I set some goals. This may seem routine to you but I am really not a goal setting person. At all. My mother, a Middle School counselor, talks about SMART goals all the time. SMART goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound, your welcome for the Middle School lesson. So here are the goals I set this year and here’s how they turned out.
- Get A Growler Fill License – Accomplished
- Having the ability to fill growlers was a key element of our business’s growth plan for 2018. After a year of trying, doing our research and setting a deadline I accomplished this in the Fall.
- Become a Finalist for a Local Business Competition – Accomplished
- Another huge notch in my belt I set this goal at beginning of the year. I didn’t even set the goal of winning because simply being in the top 15 was HUGE. This was a pinch me moment when our hard work + preparation turned into reaching this goal.
- Get Photographed & Featured During Fashion Week- Accomplished
- This one may seem silly but on my third visit to Fashion Week I was determined to accomplish this goal. I sought out brands to work with, ended up getting to borrow an epic ASOS coat in 95 degree weather and faked it till I made it. This year I was featured on AOL’s Best Dressed List for fashion week. Game, set, match.
- Start A SUCCESSFUL Online Business- Accomplished
- This was a fun one and it didn’t happen overnight. You may remember my post about starting an online beer retailer and that was another goal that I wanted to accomplish this year. It took an incredible amount of research, logistics planning, web design and dedication but we made it happen. But the goal wasn’t simply to build it, it was to exceed our own expectations and so far in 2018 the business has done just that and more.
- Get a Job – Accomplished
- … yup. This was my last and final goal of the year. I learned so much about myself this year and I realized that while I love running a business I wanted more in my life. I missed a routine, I missed contributing to something bigger than myself and I missed having coworkers that motivated you to work harder and achieve more every day. So I got a job that I wasn’t sure I could get which means 2019 is going to be full of even more changes and adventures, and I am ready.
The moral of the story should be ‘look at all I accomplished,’ right? Wrong. If I accomplished every single goal I set out to in 2018 then I think I missed a lot of opportunity. I didn’t think big enough or aim high enough if everything was within my reach. In 2019 I am going to change that and aim to fail even more on my way to even greater successes, starting with my big resolution for 2019:
In 2019 I am resolving to be a better steward of our planet.
From my fashion choices to how I live my life get ready for some big changes and a steep learning curve. I have some habits I need to break, like my affinity for Zara, but I also am excited to learn more about eco friendly brands and companies as I tackle new challenges in 2019. I believe that each one of us can make an impact and I am excited to spend my year figuring out just how much one person can positively affect our climate through their choices. And don’t worry, I will of course be sharing all of my findings with you all as well.
Happy New Year and as always thank you for following along. What are your resolving to do in 2019? Leave me a comment so I can follow along on your adventures as well.
Cheers! -Rebecca
**
Thank you Vivian for all of the incredible images this year. I couldn’t do this without you. <3
