Dear Twenty-Seventeen: A Year in Review
2018 GOAL SERIES: PART ONE
** This is a re-creation of the original blog post from 2017 **
Dear Twenty-Seventeen,
Oh a year of growth you were.
So many people I knew had been treated terribly by Twenty-Sixteen but not me. Twenty-Sixteen treated me with so much love and respect. It was one of the best years I’ve had in my adult life so far. From starting my first blog (and falling in love with blogging) to dancing my face off to Matt and I booking our long dreamt of trip to Bali, it was an epic year.
I knew you had a lot to live up to.
Twenty-Seventeen, we had a rough start. Maybe I had primed myself to believing there was no way you could be as wicked awesome as Twenty-Sixteen. Maybe I was just stuck in the post travel mud. Or maybe I was just feeling a little lost. Either way, I walked into you feeling a little down in the dumps.
I may have been feeling low, but you had other plans for me. You weren’t going to be outshined by your younger sibling Twenty-Sixteen. It was time for some goal crushing.
Right out of the gate I took on my first paid web design and branding client: Angie from Equine Enrichment.
Working with Angie made you a stand out year Twenty-Seventeen. It meant so many learnings. It meant a creative outlet. It meant problem solving. It meant feeling like I was finally moving forward with a career I was passionate about and loved. Twenty-Seventeen, thanks to you, I finally felt like I was going somewhere.
Additionally to re-launching equineenrichment.com, I also launched my own website, ldotdesigns.co which had been an unlaunched passion project of mine for more years than I care to admit (cough 6+ years cough). I am so proud of how it all came together and beyond excited to see what I can create through my new online home. Twenty-Seventeen: launching my website was one of my biggest goals for you and we did it. Big happy dance for us!
Between you and Twenty-Sixteen, I feel so much clarity. I’m buzzing to move forward. For so long I have been lost. Swimming along, trying to figure out what I wanted to “do.” Jumping from thing to thing. But thanks to you Twenty-Sixteen and Twenty-Seventeen I am starting to know what I want.
I want to wear my heart on my sleeve. I am a blogger.
Blogging showed me that I love to write, something that I never considered myself to be any good at. It allows me to reflect and share my story. I used to cringe when I heard the word blog (I mean it’s really just a website). After trying it, I’ve discovered just how amazing it feels. The best way I can describe blogging is like swimming naked. Think: ultimate freedom with a dash of vulnerability and excitement. Basically it’s magic.
I want to create beautiful brands and websites for passionate solopreneurs. I am a web designer.
I have always been creative but just like writing, I never considered myself to be much of a designer or artist. Going into art stores often gives me anxiety because I was sure they can see right through me. People introduce me as web designer and I think “PFFT I’m not a designer” and instantly feel like a fraud. BUT I'm starting to realize I was wrong. I may not have taken art classes or graduated from a design school, and I may be self taught but that doesn’t mean I don’t have a lot to offer. It means I’m a learner: curious, self-disciplined, someone who’s always in the pursuit of knowledge.
I want to inspire excitement that turns into results. I am a teacher.
Don’t get me wrong. I LOVE designing for people. I LOVE creating. BUT I get so much more satisfaction from seeing the excitement people experience as they learn how to do it themselves. I am also a strong believer this is a more sustainable move for their business. I don’t want to finish a clients website only for them to turn around and not know how to use it. And what’s the best way for someone to learn about their own website? To build it themself. This way, they know all the ins and outs of it. It’s THEIR baby, not mine. [italics] Side note: My main and only offering at this time still looks like me creating clients websites and brands BUT stay tuned for future courses and learning opportunities #goals. Excitement!
I want to explore whether that’s in my own backyard or across the globe.I am a traveler.
Travel is something that has always called to me and hopping on a plane gets me as giddy as a kid before their birthday party. Twenty-Seventeen, let’s get real here for a second: Even though travel is one of the number one things that lights me up, I haven’t made it a priority in my adult life. Whether that’s “adulting” or work or money or other excuses (because that’s exactly what they are) something else always comes first. Not cool! Now is the time to adventure and you know what, I live in a pretty wicked awesome place with tons of adventure in my own island backyard! Now that’s something to be grateful for.
I want to work from my laptop where ever I feel most inspired.I am location independent.
This is something I have known I’ve wanted for a long time but it became very clear to me when I was in Bali (thank you Twenty-Sixteen). Everyday, with ease I would work from my laptop on various passion projects. Matt would go out surfing and I would set up at the coffee shop with my laptop and write or design my face off. Once he was out of the water, we’d continue with the day in a similar fashion with the addition to pool dips whenever we were needing a break. Being able to work wherever I felt the most inspired, the most motivated was pretty fantastic. It also felt pretty great to know I COULD work wherever I wanted since I wasn’t 100% I had the self-motivation for it. I am excited to continue having a moving office, popping up wherever my heart desires most.
On that note Twenty-Seventeen, let me share a little secret BHAG (big hairy audacious goal) of mine with you: I combine all these “wants” and create an epic retreat someplace fantastic, hot and all things fabulous. Think solopreneurs creating their websites and brands while getting beyond excited to live their best life. I see yoga and goal coaching and exploring and adventuring and partying (and working) our butts off. Doesn’t that sound fantastic? I think it sounds pretty great 😉
And Twenty-Seventeen, want to know the most wicked awesome thing of all? You’re a time which anything is possible. With this magic thing called the internet, learning is more accessible than ever before. I believe anyone with a computer and a brain keen to learn has endless possibilities.
So here’s to you Twenty-Seventeen: Thank you for being a year of ultimate growth and learning. You won’t be forgotten.
