January was pretty much a write-off (and I know I’m not alone in taking a while to get going), so I’m declaring February as the real new year. Here are my intentions and word for the year ahead.
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2021 Intentions & Word of the Year
I know it’s not for everyone, but I love the new year and all the goal setting that comes with it. And believe me when I say I have big goals for this business, including specific ideas and numbers. But I’d be lying if I said I was raring to go this year. January was pretty much a write-off (and I know I’m not alone in taking a while to get going), so I’m declaring February as the real new year. Once again I’m getting intentional about how I want to feel and be in the year ahead (because absolutely everything begins with intention). Here’s my list of what I want more or less of in 2021, and you’ll find my chosen word for the year at the end of this post.
More Joy
Is it just me or is joy the thing that has really taken a hit through the year of pandemic? I’m not saying we’re all depressed all of the time (although mental health is definitely suffering), but there’s a difference between being ok or fine and actually joyful. It really struck me recently that I need more laughter and wonder in my life (both key ingredients of joy for me). I have a pretty pathetic list of things that are helping so far: getting out early to watch the sunrise, listening to the podcast My Dad Wrote a Porno, and getting outside full stop. It’s the best I can do during lockdown coupled with lots going on personally and so many childcare issues, but I’ll be working on growing that list this year.
More Freedom
I quit my previous healthy business because it didn’t feel like me, and the work I do now feels so much more aligned and fulfilling. That said, working 1:1 and in groups with so many clients – on top of my wonderful coaching certification calls through the Tabwoo Institute – means I feel far less free than I used to. Over the last few years I’ve been very intentional about the way I run my calendar: client calls every other week (all client calls are done within that same week), no client calls on Wednesdays, and Fridays are always kept clear. But after having just taken a month off (which I’ll talk about soon), it was very clear to me that I need even greater flexibility. Ways I’m thinking about creating this: reducing my capacity for 1:1 clients starting March, doing more 1:1 and group work via Voxer* (which I love! I’ve included my affiliate link to the course I took about it), and focusing on evergreen funnels & passive product sales.
Less Doing
Following on from the last point, I just don’t want space in my calendar, I want space in my brain. More intentional pausing throughout the day to just be in my body. More walks without listening to podcasts. I’ve come to realise that time scarcity keeps me in the doing, pushing and thinking. It’s a product of my anxiety, and it has only gotten worse after having a child and being in lockdown. The biggest way out of it has always been to take a moment to drop into my body and tell myself it’s safe to just be in this moment.
I know that some of you won’t understand or resonate with this at all, but I share it because I know so many of us share this time anxiety that stops us ever switching off, taking true care of ourselves, or allowing ourselves to properly rest. I’ve been kidding myself that I’ve been resting for the last few months when I was, in fact, either procrastinating or zoning out and blocking my feelings with food and drink (and no judgement if you’re doing this too, we are in a pandemic after all!)
Less Stuff In My Head
The deeper I dive into this business the more I know that my best work comes when I am deeply supported. I have invited in support in this business way sooner than I did in my first business. And yes, it’s easier because I have the experience, and the proof that investing in support directly impacts my income. But it’s also a product of the deep personal work I’ve been doing. Exploring what lights me up, what energises me and what negatively affects my health, both physically and mentally.
The goal is always to get as much out of my head as possible and work only in my zone of magic. I’m not there yet, and honestly I don’t yet know what my zone of magic is, but I’m getting closer all the time. In case you’re curious, my team currently looks like: working with a VA for 10 hours a month, a social media manager for my Instagram scheduling and sets of stories, a copywriter behind the scenes to help me create those evergreen funnels, a Pinterest VA to grow my list, a brilliant accountant, coaching (both group and 1:1), and my beautiful mastermind sisters (plus ad hoc support for other things as they come up). That’s a lot of support, and the intention is to grow it in 2021.
& My Word for 2021
Unusually my word for 2021 came to me months before the end of 2020: harmony. Last year was power, and it totally didn’t play out the way I expected. This year is all about balance for me:
- The harmony I feel when I’m more aware of the natural cycles: the seasons, my menstrual cycle, the lunar cycle.
- Reaching for the stars but always staying grounded in the present moment.
- The balance of working on vs. in my business.
- Getting my ecosystem of offers working behind the scenes when I’m not (through evergreen funnels and building my list behind the scenes)
- The balance of the masculine & the feminine in the way I work
Quite honestly, harmony really is about a work-life balance, but it is absolutely not something I expect to do perfectly, or will beat myself up over. It’s simply bringing more awareness to what needs listening to at any moment in time.
It hasn’t been the best start to the year but I remain very hopeful for all the good that 2021 will bring.
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