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Being self employed can be rather daunting, and taking a leap into the unknown was certainly a big leap. When we first decided to go solo, it wasn’t really a case of having goals but more so a case of ‘ok how can we make this work in order to fund our lifestyles; comfortably’.
The focus wasn’t on immediate success or immediate profit but instead creating consistent work that we were really proud of. As a result, we believed that what we can produce would do the talking.
Fast forward six months and the business is going well, really well in fact, and we feel really confident in believing that we have something here that’s going to work long term. We’ve had the opportunity to work with some fantastic brands, and our diaries are full to the brim with new projects and adventures. (You can find out more about our business on www.fresheather.com).
Now time to look further afield and start striving for larger, long term goals; and realistic ones too. I’ve avoided the subject for some time as I believe big goals can on occasion lead to disappointment, but the goals I’m sharing with you today are both achievable, inspirational and have taken into consideration both our sanity, well being and opportunity to grow both personally and professionally.
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Start saying yes
It’s a habit we’ve both fallen into over the years, and turning down opportunityes has become a lot easier than saying yes and making plans. Often our love for an early night can hinder us from making new friends and connections or even just having a great night. Our habit for saying no has also ruined a lot of potentially opportunities which stops right now. This year is the year of the Yes, and so far we’re rocking it.
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Learn how to use LinkedIn
This is a platform that’s scared me personally for a long time, but just recently after making an account I’ve realised how powerful it can be. Connecting with peers in the industry can open up so many new business opportunities. This year we hope to grow our personal and professional profiles on linkedIn successfully and connect with new potential clients.
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Ask for advice from people that inspire us
Your role models don’t have to remain that way, there’s nothing stopping you from reaching out to those whom inspire you. This year we’ve been reaching out to the experts to find out how they’ve been so successful. The response has been overwhelming, and some of our role models have since become really good friends.
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Take risks without the fear of failure
We’ve already proved to ourselves that we can make something great out of nothing. Taking that risk has payed out in dividends and we wouldn’t change anything for the world. Though now that things are going well, we find ourselves in an incredibly comfortable situation, and it’s time to start taking risks again. Without risk there is little opportunity for expansion or growth, so now’s our time to shake things up again by reaching for things that scare us.
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Travel More
This one’s self explanatory, but being self employed has left us in an incredibly privileged position where we can quite literally work to fit around us, giving us the chance to travel more. So whenever the opportunity arises, we’ll happily be on the next flight in anticipation of an exciting adventure!
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Be flexible
Plans are great, but when they change we are often left feeling totally confused, out of whack and as though we’re unable to adapt to the change. This year we’re learning to just go with the flow and rock the situation whatever it throws at us.
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Learn a new skill
It’s easy to always practise what you’re good at. That’s why we do what we do, but there’s always new opportunity to learn a new skill. And it doesn’t have to be random either. This year we hope to broaden our knowledge on video production and photography. It’s a vast topic and we hope to one day be as good as our role models.
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What are your goals for the year?
X Hannah