Highlight Reel for 2012

31 December 2012

It’s the last day of the year and I’m putting the finishing touches on my goals for 2013. A big part of the goal-setting process for me is reviewing accomplishments of the past year. It can be easy to focus on what one didn’t accomplish last year (a side effect of setting high goals), but it’s smart to take into account the good things.

There were a number of highlights of 2012 for me and for my business. Here are some of the highlights:

An abundance of time. 2012 was so much easier on me, mentally and physically, than 2011 because my schedule became much lighter. I retired from two boards I’d served on (the Institute for Challenging Disorganization and the St. Louis chapter of the National Association of Professional Organizers) and I no longer had the part-time job I’d held in 2010 and 2011. In short, I had breathing space in 2012. That was huge for me.

My rebooted genealogy research and a new blog. Because my schedule was so much less cluttered, I had time in 2012 to pursue a hobby I enjoy a great deal, family history research. In June, I started a blog that I’d been itching to do for some time, one that ties together two of my passions, genealogy and organizing. It’s called Organize Your Family History. This blog acknowledges how it easy it is to get overwhelmed by family history research and recounts how I get past that overwhelmed feeling. It also discusses how I organize my family research, my discoveries along the way and anything else that I feel like talking about. If you haven’t already, please check it out!

Leading organizing teams. I love leading organizing teams to create large-scale change for my clients. In 2012, I set out to do more of those and I succeeded (mostly by rewriting my website to emphasize this service). I hope to do even more in 2013. (If this interests you, please check out the Team Organizing page on my website.)

My intern. I was approached by an enterprising Saint Louis University student, Kate Koberna, to consider letting her be my intern. I’d never had an intern and was a little wary. But Kate, an entrepreneurship major who plans to start an organizing business after she graduates, was fabulous. She has crazy mad organizing skills and was very helpful in client sessions. And she helped me with social media and research projects. Getting to know her was a definite highlight of the year!

My involvement in Rubbermaid’s Professional Organizer Squad. I was so honored to be one of five professional organizers invited by Rubbermaid to blog regularly for them and answer questions from consumers. And I love the superhero logo that represents us!

Working on two hoarding TV shows. In 2012, I had the good fortune to be invited to work on episodes of both A&E’s Hoarders and TLC’s Hoarding: Buried Alive. These shows have allowed me to meet people would have otherwise never known, people who have enriched my life. It is a privilege to get to know them and to help them.

My iPhone. When I finally got an iPhone, I figured I’d like it. I didn’t realize I’d want to marry it. This little device has been so productivity enhancing, I can hardly imagine living without it. (I have an iPhone 4S with no plans to upgrade until this baby bites the dust.)

A real vacation. I never take true vacations. But this year I went to Barbados with my college buddies to celebrate our 50th birthdays. Finally, I see what the fuss is about, with regard to vacations, the Caribbean, beaches, you name it. I plan to take at least one real vacation in 2013.

Enjoying down time. After working so hard the past couple of years, I let myself take days off on occasion this year. Usually at least one day off per week, sometimes two. That opportunity to recharge my batteries, guilt-free, was very valuable. And it’s something I intend to keep doing.

I am so grateful for the opportunities I’ve been given and for the great freedom I have in my life. As I look at the promise of a new year unfolding ahead of me, I intend to make 2012’s accomplishments a springboard for more accomplishments in the coming year. I hope you do the same!

Tagged with: accomplishments, goals, gratitude