Don't let your goals slip away
A June mini challenge to help you re-focus
Out Of Office’s weekly content and the majority of events are free, because I believe all self-employed women deserve support. By becoming a Patreon you can help keep all of this free, and as a thank you, you’ll gain free access to the monthly webinars and accountability sessions with like-minded women. If you can’t afford to support it each month, you can also make a one-off Ko-fi donation. Today’s newsletter contains affiliate links.
Morning, Colleague!
God, can you believe that in just a few weeks we’ll be halfway through the year? It’s faintly terrifying how quickly time passes (even when the bulk of it was in a tedious lockdown), and I wonder if you’re feeling a bit like me: that you’ve hardly made a dent in your new year work goals.
That’s why, almost six months into 2021, I’m issuing a mini-challenge to help you re-focus on your goals…
I feel like I start each year with such optimism, and often my goals are quite clear. This year my aim has been to shift the topics for which I’m mostly commissioned. While my specialism is sexual violence coverage, the bulk of my income is from writing on other types of articles. It’s not that I don’t enjoy these slightly random commissions, but if I could make more of my income from a topic I’m passionate about… well, that would be the dream, frankly.
But almost six months into 2021, I’ve only landed a handful of commissions about sexual violence, and, income-wise, I’m not even making a quarter of my money via this route.
Some of that is my fault for not pushing harder, but a lot of it is also circumstance. I’ve been working hard on other projects (including this newsletter and events) which have divided my focus; have struggled with burn out; and had a horrible April in my personal life, so it’s perhaps no wonder I’m not much closer to my original goal.
One of the reasons I enjoy the Out Of Office accountability sessions so much is that it forces me to re-examine my goals on a monthly basis — a sometimes painful, but always worthwhile endeavour. Coming up to June, I realised my goals were getting a bit Groundhog Day, and I didn’t really feel like I’d moved the needle on my career much over May.
During the most recent Out Of Office accountability session, we talked about this a little. How it’s possible for the ‘bread and butter’ work to take up all of your time and energy, until suddenly it’s the end of the month, and you realise you’re nowhere nearer your actual goal. (As I’ve written about before, it’s often these more personal goals that are the reason we became self-employed in the first place, so there’s a terrible irony in being too busy with work we’re ambivalent about to make progress on our passions. More on this here.)
A June challenge
Now that we’re almost halfway through 2021, it feels like an excellent opportunity to refocus on my - and your - original goals for the year. I don’t know about you, but I’m going to feel really pissed off with myself if it reaches December and I’m still treading water.
Need to set a goal? Read my January tips!
During the accountability session I ended up issuing a challenge to a member of the group — and to myself. That no matter how frantic June became, we would both do one small thing to help us along our chosen paths.
If you feel like there aren’t enough hours in the day for both your bill paying work and the thing you actually want to achieve (a passion project, or a new direction, perhaps), I’d like to extend this challenge to you.
What one, small thing can you fit in this month to move the dial slightly? It’s partly to make a tangible difference, but also to help you psychologically. Freelance waters can be choppy, and it’s so important that we feel like we’re steering the ship (even if it’s only 10% of the time!)
Making the changes we want to see can be scary. Sometimes even admitting what we want from our futures is a daunting act. But you know what’s not frightening at all? One tiny thing.
Sending an email, doing 30 minutes of research into a potential training course, making a new connection in a field you’re curious about, free writing for 15 minutes when you wake up… Whatever your goal, the trick, as they say, is to eat the elephant one bite at a time.
Bon appetite, Colleague.
If you’re in, hit reply and tell me what tiny action you’re going to take, and where you’re hoping it might lead you. (I’m also happy to send you a follow up accountability email next week if you’d like a gentle nudge in the right direction - let me know if you’re into it.)
Last chance to get tickets for Virtually Done’s two-day virtual business event, featuring sessions on finance for small businesses, manifesting more clients, hiring your first team members, the science of sales, DIY branding, and everything you need to know about the legal side of business. Have a look here.
Curious about these magical accountability sessions? They’re free each month to Patreons, but every reader can come along to one for a free trial. The next one is Friday 25th June. Hit reply if you want in!