2021 End of Year Reflection
Last year I started the year with the Vision Board Post.
This time I would like to begin the year by sharing my 2021 end of year reflection. This is to appreciate the highs and lows, the breakthroughs, the wins and lessons and everything else that helped me grow and live an intentional lifestyle.
This 2021 End of Year Reflection focused mainly on my Blogging Journey. I publish Monthly Reviews where I share blog, life, family and home.
But first, let me update you about my last year’s Vision Board.
I asked.
Does Vision Board work?
After 12 months, I can say that it worked for me which I’m so grateful for.
A few things have manifested.
- Email list: more than tripled my subscribers, considering I only started growing my list in the second half of the year. (If you’re one of my new subscribers, thank you so much for helping me achieve one of my goals. I’m glad to have you.)
- Self-care has become my Priority (I’m intentional, and I practice Mindfulness to enrich my life)
- R changed career. He is now working for not-for-profit organisation which has been a dream for a long time
- Still in a 4-day-a- week-day job (less than 20 hours a week).
- The blog is growing (passion)
Remembering 2020 when it all begun
I am a person who thrives with plans.
But this blog was not planned at all.
Blogging was not even on my radar in the slightest. Not until I had a meaningful conversation with one of my Besties (Boss After Five) who suggested it would be great for me to have a blog.
So after a week of reading on how to set up a blog, I took the plunge. I didn’t know what I was doing and i wasn’t even sure if I could make it work. But I did it anyway
That was in September 2020.
In the first 3 months (Sep to Dec 2020) I was a complete mess in an organised chaos.
A complete mess because I was trying to learn this blogging gig while actually doing it.
From designing a website, creating content and learning everything about blogging. I was like a headless chicken running around not knowing what I was doing. All I had was that feeling that it’s an idea, I like it and I just got to give it a go.
I crashed my website three times. (Of course, I didn’t have any back up.)
Had 2 destructive “all-nighters” that would have made me won the Miss Crankiest Mum and Wife in the World. Exhausted and tired but not productive at all.
An “All nighter” is a term coined by my loving husband when I don’t sleep at all to complete a project.
At first, I worked non-stop for 22 hours straight. I said it would not happen again. But I lied. It happened again the second time and it was for 24 hours. I had few minutes rests here and there but only to eat Korean noodles which was so comforting to eat and coconut water for a drink.
Even before the blog I used to do this when I wanted something done. It was an old bad habit.
When I am onto something I just don’t know how to stop. I don’t stop until I am drained physically and mentally.
I used to ignore sleep, food, and rest which was so silly honestly. Because, what’s the point?
That was when I was still an organised chaos
But that bad habit is behind me now. (for good).
What’s in the “here and now”
I’m having the best life because I achieved my goal of being an intentional person.
If you have time, read the post A Complete Guide on how to be Intentional and MAKE TIME for what MATTERS if you want to embrace intentional living too.
Yes, I’m living the best life now but it doesn’t mean I stop here.
There’s so much goals, knowledge and experiences to be had. So much to share to create a positive impact.
I’m still working a day job 4 days a week with a side-hustle and blog that makes my life meaningful.
Not earning thousands of dollars (yet) but I’m earning money now. Something I never thought would happen. I didn’t know that you could actually earn money from blogging.
The money I earned was enough to validate my belief that I can make money while helping people and living an intentional life.
So how does it look when you’re an intentional person?
When I say I’m an intentional person now, this is what it means.
Being an intentional person means I am less overwhelmed and less scattered and I don’t do “all nighters’ anymore.
Important things are getting done on my terms and I have more time to do what I love ( blogging, creating digital products, watching Netflix with R, talking to my family and friends overseas and spending time with our kids).
I’m now living a life with a healthy and realistic balance.
A healthy balance where my day job, my blog/shops and family obligations have a space and time in my days in a way that do not compete against each other. Instead, they are intertwined creating a core that supports my intentional life.
This comes with a massive bonus too. Self-care which used to be always at the end of the mile-long list is now in front of everything
Making Self-care a priority, creates a strong foundation that helps me do the all the things I need/love to do at the right time.
The 2021 End of year Reflection
Let me just go back a bit and appreciate the crazy beginning of it all.
The last 3 months (Q4) in 2020 was a “learning while creating” phase for me. I started with zero knowledge about blogging, I was a pen and paper person, and I knew nothing about setting up an an online shop.
In that year, everything started to take shape in spite of crazy beginning. I had more clarity about what I wanted to do and who I wanted to be in the next 5 years.
I still have a lot to learn and I am forever learning but the lessons I learned in those months cemented what I wanted to do and who I would like to be as a blogger and as an entrepreneur.
And then, 2021 was the Building Phase.
It was the first 12 months of Building the foundation of the Blog and Shops, my systems and workflows , and my business model.
Here’s the last 12 months in bullet points.
January 2021
- Consumed a lot of videos/courses paid and free on how to grow a blog
- Established quarterly goal setting strategy
- Had issues with a hosting company that lasted 3 months. I’m not naming the hosting company because the customer service people were all nice and willing to help. It was just so unfortunate they couldn’t fix the issue permanently.
- Started Pinterest but paused it (Still on pause at this stage Dec 2021. I’m not sure if I will ever go back to pinning but we’ll see.)
February 2021
- Updated Home Page (Gosh I have updated this so many times. Time I should have spent creating more products and growing my email list)
- Created Freebies. Check out Freebies for You, Pick one or all that will serve you.
- Learned about branding from paid courses
- Started learning about SEO.
- Consumed so many resources, free and paid (including summits).
March 2021
- Made a lot of efforts to implement what I learned in Feb 2021. Also made a lot of mistakes.
- Made more freebies and learned how to create Landing Pages. (I’m not a naturally tech person so let’s just say it took me 48 years to figure out how to create a decent landing page.)
- Started reading about marketing and improving copy (Something I continue to learn every-day)
- Purchased more resources. Thrivecart, Marketing Fairies, Little Launch Kit, Pinterest Course,
- Made time to learn how to create digital products.
- Created a Freebie Library (I took it down after a couple of months as it didn’t align with what I was trying to achieve)
April 2021
- In Q2 of 2021, I decided I’ve done so much learning already. Not that I know everything (cause I will never will) but I thought, I’ve already covered the basics of setting up a website and creating content. I’ve learned a little bit about SEO, email marketing and digital product creation. So it was time to put plans into actions and implement what I’ve learned so far.
- While remembering my bigger goals, I focused on my Quarterly goals and Monthly projects. Took action and started having dedicated hours for the blog as if it was a real business.
May 2021
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- Things started to take shape. I had more clarity on what I wanted to do. And even though I didn’t know yet “the how” of all the things about the blog, I knew deep within what I wanted (in life, blog and business).
- Changed host to Lyrical Host which is the best decision I have ever made. I thought I was already working for the best company (my day job) but Lyrical Host lifted the bars higher. So high I think my day job is now the second best company. (Hey…. You can use discount code GRATEFULHEART to get 10% discount in Lyrical Host)
- Created my framework to run the blog and business (Personal use only for now but i intend to share this later on once I know it’s working for real)
- I made my first affiliate income. Yipeee!!! (Earned more in second half of the year from affiliates and products. Not much but it was something. And I am so grateful for every cent I made).
June 2021
- I lost focus for a couple of weeks in June because I got carried away by consuming courses (again)
- Got BC Stack for the first time and it was another valuable investment.
- I discovered Kimi Kimsey and I’m so grateful I did. Kimi and Jenni Brown are the two women that I looked up to so much if I see them in person I think I would be star-struck big time.
- Joined a private FB group of my friend Ness Red Coach but sadly I could only stay for a short time. Social Media has never been a thing for me. I was not good at it and I am ok with that. I’m happy just to contribute in other people’s groups.
July 2021
- July was a promising month and it made my heart full of gratitude (even more)
- My comment was featured in the Lyrical Blog Post How do you deal with burnout?. It was just a comment that got included in their post but it meant so much to me.
- I won a course from Kimi Kinsey (Amazon course). I’m grateful for this as it taught me everything I needed to know about Amazon Affiliate.
- Started Navigating Seo by Lyrical Host and Amazon course (These are the courses that I took but I go back to them every time I feel stuck or even if I just feel I need a refresher.)
- Started creating Digital Products for the IeShop
Browse the ieShop, maybe there’s something that will serve you right now. If there’s nothing yet, don’t go empty handed.
Get these Free Money Trackers or anything from the Freebies for You.
August 2021
- I started having a theme in August to help me stay focused. August was implementation month
- Finally figured out how to use Thrivecart
- Finished all the Digital Products for the ieShop and launched it (I shut it down in November and republished it in December 2021)
- Improved Home Page and Blog Page (changed it a few more times from Aug to Dec 2021. Oh well, that’s me.)
September 2021
- Started working in batches with email (Brainstorming process and organising Email Topics)
- Published 7-day Beat Procrastination Blog Post Series (I took the blog posts down at the end of November for a 2.0 version)
- Participated in Etsy Listing Challenge
- Set up Etsy Shop and listed 4 products
October 2021
- I started Notion Project to organise digital files and storage (I’ve done the foundation systems and routines… all I need is to keep up with the maintenance/management to keep it organised and functional)
- Listed a total of 18 products on Etsy
- Participated in an Etsy Shopping Spree
November 2021
- Grateful to Dee for being my Business Accountability Partner
- Completed Money Mindfulness Project with Ness
- Listed more Etsy Products (total of 27 listings)
- November has been the slowest month for me and I felt the all-time low energy but surprisingly I completed more important projects
December 2021
- Joined my first ever Giveway
- Created Intentional Goal Setting workbook
- Completed 2022 Intentional Plans
- Created 2022 Q1 Content Plan
Check the Intentional Goal Setting Workbook here. or click the image below.
So how’s 2022 going to be?
I wish I knew but I can only try and design it with things I can control.
So I will continue to focus on cultivating a healthy mindset, creating intentional goals, and staying organised.
My word for 2022 is INTENTIONAL.
Wherever possible, I am going to incorporate being intentional so that I can continue to enjoy living a life on purpose.
And from here, I intend to take it one main goal, one week, one day and one thing at a time.
