Planning the Year Ahead: Getting Started

by Tiffany Little

So you made it through the review of 2019!

What d'ya mean you have no clue what I'm talking about? I published a very helpful series of posts on how to review 2019 in preparation for planning the upcoming year. If you've yet to complete these exercises, I recommend going back and working through them. The purpose being to establish how your creative output/business is doing and to identify what's next.

I learned the importance of this when my boyfriend got me a copy of the 'Makers Yearbook' for Christmas 2018 for 2019 planning. I don't have an updated copy for 2020 so I'm recycling the material, adapting it to suit my needs and sharing that process with you.

However these notes do not fully represent the value that the official yearbook offers so I really recommend purchasing a copy. As well as an accompanying 'makers momentum club' membership. Having access to their mailing list with handy tips, additional challenges and also to a community of likeminded souls is so beneficial. If I wasn't poor, I would have nabbed it.

With that get your notes ready, time to tackle our 2020 planning!

Start with Why

Specifically why did you start your business? Starting your own thing is no cakewalk, so something spurred you to take the road less trodden and create your start up.

Were you seeking more of something not easily found in your day to day? Or was it that you needed less of something else? When you decided to start your own thing, you had a clear idea of how your life would look; how it would be different from before. How will you know when you've successfully met that vision? What does success look and feel like for you?

I started Loose Lips after the passing of my Grandparents due to terminal illnesses. Overwhelmed with the knowledge that life is short I was deeply unhappy in an office environment. I wanted to use my creativity and to feel in control; seeking a clear connection between my effort and a valuable impact on the world.

I wanted to do something that mattered beyond the walls of someone else's' business. I still want this. It is necessary for my ongoing happiness and confidence. I want to leave a positive legacy after I die; both for my customers by creating something that adds to their life and also financially for my family.

Every day success looks like;

  • Investing in my skills and my health
  • Being able to take time off without feeling guilty
  • Being recognised for my creative merit
  • Being able to take care of loved ones
  • Increased self confidence
  • To empower others to also take charge and live their best life

Continue with Why

Now go further. Why do you want the life you've envisaged? What would it mean to you? Can you rank the outcomes by desirability?

Top of my list of 'whys' is to provide security for myself and my family. Growing up largely with a single parent, money was scarce. Years of seeing my mum work hard to scrimp and scrape to provide for us means I want to spoil her a bit. I don't want money to be something she has to worry about and should I have children, I don't want it to be something they worry about either.

Following closely behind this was 'achieving something I can be proud of' and 'to bond with people and improve their lives in some way'. In total I had 9 'why' bullet points, perhaps you'll have more or maybe less. What matters is that you have a clear motivation to propel you forward.

The Vision

They say seeing is believing but I don't think this limited to things we can see with our eyes. I think it can also relate to our imagined goals. If you have a clear vision of what you want to achieve and why, it is much easier to generate the self-belief you need to meet your targets.

With the above plus the notes taken in the 'Hindsight 2020' series, you should have a good idea of what you want most from your upcoming year. I divided mine into two sections; my biggest dream for my business versus for my personal life.

My Loose Lips goal for 2020 is an updated version of 2019s; to create a head to toe look from as close to scratch as possible. In 2019 I specified I wanted to sew an outfit from scratch which is pretty hilarious considering I don't know how to sew. I have since realised that while I do want to learn, this skill gap was so immense and intimidating it became a self imposed barrier to entry. I don't actually need to be able to sew garments in a traditional sense to fulfil this ambition and can create cohesive looks solely through my accessory design.

Business aside, my personal desire for 2020 is to end the year with more confidence than I started with. No small feat but we love a challenge innit!

To make this a reality will require a cunning plan! So in my next post will delve into the detail of breaking down these targets and creating steps to meet them.

Hope your 2020 is treating you well so far,
Much love

Tiffany xo