Well, there we have it, huh? 2018 is done. It's over. Gone. Now onto a fresh start. I get so excited at this time of year, I really love planning and looking forward to the things I can do in the year ahead. I don't start looking forward until I've spent some time reflecting on what's already happened though. I thought I'd take this opportunity to share some of my highlights from 2018. I'm going to do both personal and professional because WHY NOT? Read on for my Three Highlights from 2018.
First up, some personal highlights...
Joining GoodGym.
In May 2018 I was lucky enough to join my local GoodGym group when it started up in Portsmouth. I've made some great friends, and I look forward to seeing them each week when we meet up to get fit and do good. For those of you who haven't heard of GoodGym, it's an organisation that brings runners (and now walkers!) together who want to get fit while doing good things in their neighbourhood. You can join a group run where we will go and volunteer to help clean up local parks, help schools, churches and community groups with gardening, painting and much more. There are also community missions, where we will gather (usually on a weekend) and have done lots of beach cleaning, or shingle shifting. The organisation also pairs runners (or walkers!) with isolated elderly people if you'd like to go and have a cup of tea and a chat with them. GoodGym is doing SO much good, I am so proud to be a part of it. Click here to read a post I wrote about GoodGym.
My Dartmoor Adventure.
I still can't quite believe I did it, but there you go. That's probably the biggest part of why it made the list. My first solo hike and wild camp over a few days last summer. It was an incredible learning experience and quite the journey. You can click here to read some more about it.
Committing myself to saying YES more.
Last year I decided I wouldn't let my anxiety win. I wouldn't hold myself back just because of a bit of nervousness. I would do things I knew I would enjoy. I would also end up doing some things that scared me. I discovered the Yes Tribe and it was a big part of my plan for 2018. Saying yes more for me meant that I put myself in positions that were slightly uncomfortable but the pay off was huge. I spent my birthday camping with a group of wonderful Adventure Queens, I had my Dartmoor adventure, I went to a festival on my own and made some wonderful friends, I signed up for my first half marathon (it's in February, yikes!), I went wild camping with wonderful people, I slept in my bivvy bag on the beach (with one of the friends I met at the festival I went to). Thanks to saying YES more, I had a wonderful year, that I'd have been held back from otherwise.
And now, the professional highlights...
Hitting my targets for 2018.
I definitely didn't go easy on myself when I set up my targets for 2018. I remember looking at them thinking.."REALLY?! How the hell am I going to do this?" But I did! I worked hard all year, and I did it. It's sent me into 2019 feeling really confident about my business and knowing I can do what I put my mind to.
My first trade show that I felt comfortable at.
It took me a few goes, sure. 2018 was the first trade show I've done where I wasn't super stressed in the lead up to it. I felt calm, collected, I knew I had everything sorted that I needed. I knew I was ready. I even booked a hotel next to a park so I could go for a run in the morning before the show started. Third time's lucky, huh? I'm even looking forward to exhibiting at PG Live in June.
I landed some exciting stockists and contracts.
When I think back a few years, I'm sure that where my business is now would have just been a dream. It's not like it was magic, it's taken a lot of hard work. Really hard work. But it's been absolutely 100% worth it. I'm getting it closer to where I've always wanted it to be and I'm getting a great collection of stockists and commissions under my belt now.
I'm pretty much buzzing over how 2018 went for me. I'm going into the new year feeling really positive. How about you?
What are your 2018 highlights? Do you like looking forward? Do you like looking back?