Every year I not only post my New Year’s “Ressaylutions” in January, but also report on my progress in August (well, last year I did my mid-year check-in in September). Why do I do this? Because like most humans, my memory is short. It’s so easy to lose track of the promises I made eight months ago. And I don’t want to find myself in January 2016 in the same place I was a year before.
Do you remember your 2015 New Year’s goals? Did you write them down? If so, this is a good time to assess your progress and recommit so you can create new, forward-moving goals for 2016!
The Essay Expert’s 2015 “Ressaylutions” and Current Status:
- Increase college essay / personal statement portion of my business to 25% of business. This goal continues to elude me. I have been getting more referrals from resume writers for this type of work, following a presentation I gave last year at the National Resume Writers’ Association conference. And I appeared on Channel 3 TV the morning of July 31 for 3 minutes (an eternity for TV news) talking about college essay topics. I look forward to September through November which are the busiest admissions consulting months of the year!
- Roll out a new “responsive” (mobile-friendly) website. Made huge progress on this one! TheEssayExpert.com has launched in its new form and is mobile-friendly! I still have work to do to make the site the way I want it, but I feel like I fulfilled on this promise.
- Implement Infusionsoft. This has largely happened. My e-lists have been transferred to Infusionsoft and clients now receive automated messages that ensure we will not lose track of them or their projects! The launch had a number of glitches and we’re still working out the kinks, but I definitely came through on this one—with MAJOR help from my assistant Jeanne and from Jeremy at WhoKnowsAGuy Media!
- Serve 250 clients. Total clients this year is 72, largely due to changes in the number of clients coming to me through my e-book. I am looking at my lead generation strategies and will be working furiously on my website’s SEO in order to generate more leads.
- Publish a print version of How to Write a KILLER LinkedIn Profile. This was a huge project, and it’s close to done! The book is formatted and I have a proof which I have now reviewed cover to cover. Once my multitude of edits are complete, we will go to print! I expect the book to help out with Ressaylution #4, increasing my client base at universities and in the Amazon market.
- Implement a robust referral program. This project has been on hold while I focus on website, Infusionsoft, and print book. I might bump it to 2016! In the meantime, however, people who refer paying clients to The Essay Expert can expect a gift from us!
- Create more internal systems/guidelines. I have made progress in this area, adding and clarifying items in my agreements with my writers and also revamping some of the terms of service for clients. This is an ongoing project and will never end!
I am likely not going to fulfill all my Ressaylutions for 2015, but I’m pretty close on most of them! Checking in on my promises helps me see how much I’ve accomplished and where the gaps are. I wonder what I’ll be creating in 5 months for 2016?
How are you doing on your New Year’s Resolutions? Can you reinject energy into completing them? Please share!
Thanks for the awesome advice! In previous years, I have written down my goals for the year; however, I never thought about conducting a midyear check to see how I was progressing.
This year, I decided to do things slightly different with my goals. I got together with a group of friends and we had a Vision Board party. I found the vision board works well for me because I am visual person. I just need to focus on SMART goals.
I am looking forward to sharing what I accomplished this year. Still, I have a couple of months to go. I am now re-energized to finish strong.
You’re welcome Crystal. I love the idea of a mid-year visioning party! I look forward to hearing about your end-of-year accomplishments!