Last year at about this time, I wrote a list of six New Year’s Ressaylutions for 2011.
Do you ever go back to your list from last year and check on whether you followed through on your resolutions, or whether you forgot about them the moment you put your pen down?
I realized that with all my talk about New Year’s resolutions, I hadn’t gone back to check last year’s list. I got brave and dug it up this week; the following is a report on how I did at keeping my promises! I also make new resolutions for 2012.
2011 Ressaylutions 
1. Convert my website to WordPress.
DONE! Not only is my site fully converted to WordPress, but I also have a funky cool new slider on my home page. I also created many new forms and downloadable documents that make it easier for clients to submit information and get the materials they need.
2. Make it easier for my readers to choose the topic they want to read about.
DONE! I now have six separate e-lists:
a) Job Search (Resumes & Cover Letters)
c) LinkedIn & Professional Writing
d) Grammar Tips
e) Everything.
Choose the one that’s “write” for you!
3. Create autoresponders.
DONE! And there is still so much more to do. See Ressaylution #3.
4. Guest blog.
DONE! My articles have appeared on CareerCast.com, Careerealism.com, CareerCenterToolbox.com and ilostmyjob.com, and I was quoted in Forbes. Recently I wrote two articles for an American Bar Association publication about resumes and personal statements for applying to law school which will be published this summer.
5. Start an Artist’s Way group.
NOT DONE. This one took a back seat to the business. But I DID write my morning pages every day for three months like I said I would. And I told everyone I was leading something, which made me act like a leader. Perhaps that’s what inspired my article, Top 10 Ways to Be a Leader. I’m content that this item did not come to fruition.
6. Continue to write and share about writing issues, job search issues, and sometimes life issues that strike my fancy each week and that my readers care about.
DONE. I faithfully published either a blog article or a newsletter EVERY week in 2011, without fail. Now THAT’s something to celebrate!
Here are The Essay Expert’s Ressaylutions for 2012:
1. Create a new template for my website that brings me more into the technology of 2012.
Despite my successful WordPress conversion, there’s much work still to be done before I have the ability to edit my pages without “breaking” the existing code. Look out for a new, more user-friendly interface in 2012 too!
2. Create new e-lists for past clients, and survey past clients.
I want to follow up better with The Essay Expert’s past clients and find out how they are faring with the documents we helped them prepare. Did they get jobs? Did they get into school? Do they need more assistance? My hope is that better e-lists will allow me to start providing concrete numbers about the results of the work that we do. In service of this goal (as well as Ressaylution #3), I will be hiring a virtual assistant (VA)! No more interns – The Essay Expert is getting down to business.
3. Revise autoresponders from 2011.
Right now most of my autoresponders are set up as summaries of my articles with links to the full article. It turns out that people don’t like to have to click on a link to read a full article! So I will be putting complete articles into my autoresponders for your reading convenience and pleasure. Thank you to my future VA for helping to make this happen!
4. Publish my e-book on Kindle
This one is in the works. It will have a cool new cover and a clickable index for easy reference. Let’s make it a best-seller!
5. Report on and count success stories in 2012.
My goal is to report 212 success stories in 2012. My resolution is to keep doing great work and to keep marketing The Essay Expert’s offerings so we can create 212 positive results for job seekers, school applicants and businesses in the next year. See 212 Success Stories for 2012.
6. Continue to write and share about writing issues, job search issues, and sometimes life issues that strike my fancy each week and that my readers care about.
No change here. I’ll see you every week in 2012.
How did you do on your New Year’s resolutions from 2011? Do you dare to find out?
LOL Jan… perhaps there’s room to start challenging yourself more!