{2013 review} the highlights package - part 2

Right...

So here is part two of the 2013 year in review.




Work

1. Well, got the new job, total misalignment of expectations, but still there are one or two highlights. I'm now an expert in change man.agement  and coaching staff. I got to do a presentation to very senior people including an exco member and I got to run tons of workshops this year. Also learnt a new programme and am better at Excel. And because I took photos of all the top guys on my project one day, I can now say I got paid for my photography :) (that's called looking at the glass half full)
2. I realised that I really value a true collaborative environment, I love to engage fully at work and that I enjoy an environment where my team celebrates my diversity of personality as I do theirs, and when these things don't exist, I'm quite miserable.
3. I've also been networking my little tush off in the hopes of something emerging very early next year.
4. I'm a bit concerned about how this setback will affect my career going forward. I've never been scared of trying new things before. And then something like this happens. Which is usually a defining moment and then I never take a risk again? As far as my actual career is concerned, I have a promise from God to restore to me (or my career) everything that I may feel has been lost, and this I know will happen.

 

Business

1. I was pleasantly surprised that my business grew by about 48% (granted, last year was so bad. So, so bad) even when I cut down SO MUCH this year. I only coached one evening a week and sent one newsletter per month. 
2. I'm grateful to God for awesome clients, a fantastic accountability partner and the ability to use my gifts of curiosity and asking good questions to help people in this way.
3. I have another book on Amazon's Kindle in addition to the first one.
4. I revamped ALL my products and got a blog makeover.
5. Still praying about what I want to do differently this year. Maybe write another book on Time Management or Goal-Setting with an edge? I had bright ideas about doing something with goals for Dec/ Jan but seriously, I was so emotionally depleted I had energy for nothing else other than survival.

Hobbies

1. I classify under hobbies anything I consider fun - reading, photography, creating, etc. 
2. Had a great reading year!
3. I reached my one real photography goal - to be able to take decent (not great, just decent) pictures inside. However, it doesn't always work out and that frustrates me.
4. On the bright side, I'm happier and happier with the quality of my photos. Who would have thought two years ago that I would ever be able to put up on canvas or in frames photos that I'd taken?! Amazing! This still makes me smile :) My two-year anniversary with my big camera was on 1 December.
5. I realised this year that I don't like any crafts other than paper crafts. I have clever plans to unload all the stuff I've amassed. However, my cards and washi tape and some of the punches will be staying. I've made gift tags, note cards, Project Life cards so me + washi = BFF :) Read more about the creating I did here.
6. I did way more than my 25 new recipes in 2013. I'm way too lazy to go check but it was a good year of trying recipes. I think I'll keep up with that this year again.
7. Last but not least, I kept up with Project Life. I wisely decided to only do monthly and I'm so happy with that decision I'll be doing the same next year with a mish mash of Seafoam and Mandy's leftover Cobalt cards :) when they eventually arrive! There is a set of Instagram Project Life that I tried to buy but HSN (?) doesn't ship to SA. Thank goodness because I'm sure it would cost the earth!

Financial

1. I did something extra nerdy but enlightening - I went through, year by year, and wrote down my salary and my bonuses for all the years since I've been working at this company. 8.5 years' worth. 
2. Mostly things have been good this year except for the tiny increase I received (really, really tiny). We have lots of things to do in and on the house this year but I don't mind that kind of spending; I do mind the R400 spent here and R500 spent there that so quickly adds up.
3. Have already half bought a kitchen table with chairs and emailed a man about carpets.

And how did you do in these areas of your life in 2013?