Five Things I Learned in 2020

As this bizarre, difficult year comes to a close, I’m thinking about what it’s taught me. Last week I did my annual review, and was actually pleasantly surprised by just how much I managed to get done. So here are my biggest take aways.

1. Imperfect progress, all the way!

This year I got serious about my web design business even with spotty or no child care at some points. I started with a website I threw up using a Squarespace template. In 2019 wrote some copy in a day or two and my shingle was out.

I sent emails to friends and I posted sporadically on LinkedIn and Instagram. Slowly, I got projects. Business picked up. I started Launch In A Day. I tested it with a family member.

It worked. I designed and implemented an automated workflow - that I am still fine tuning as I go - and launched.

People love it and bookings are on the rise. If I had waited until I had a perfect website or a perfect process I wouldn’t have gotten started at all.

A kind of sub-lesson here is that engagement brings clarity. Once I just start doing things I figure out what needs to be done. It works better than trying to think it all through before starting.

2. You can’t do it alone

At the beginning of the year I invested in a 3 month coaching package. The coach was a specialist in helping people set up web design businesses. She saved me from myself many times (maybe I should start a Facebook group! Uh no.) and helped me figure out the path ahead.

That was an invaluable investment. A spontaneous mastermind group with two fellow California expats and solopreneurs emerged. We meet online once or twice a month. Sharing knowledge and bouncing ideas with one another has been both great for business and feeling isolated.

I also joined WEM a group of Munich-based female entrepreneurs. It’s been a source of inspiration, camaraderie and business.

3. Online networking is actually pretty great

Sometimes after connecting, people on LinkedIn, have suggested we jump on a Zoom for coffee. My natural reaction is to think ‘Ack! No!’.

However in the interest of pushing myself out of my comfort zone, I’ve accepted.

I’ve had really, really good conversations with people and am always energised afterwards. I also found networking groups to parachute into that I couldn’t have otherwise because of location restrictions.

I’ve now connected with fellow female business owners all over Europe (and the world)

4. You can get a lot done ‘in the cracks’

I’d love to wake up, have my coffee and sit down at my desk to work uninterrupted for six hours. That never happens.

There is my daughter to get dressed and out the door to pre-school, the dog to walk, appointments, exercise, grocery shopping and this year lockdowns without child care!

It’s certainly not ideal - but I have forced myself to work at night, sometimes just limiting it to an hour. I’ve also tagged teamed with my husband and even if I only had an hour or two I’ve found that I could get a lot done.

Sometimes it’s actually the constraint itself that is helpful.

5. FOCUS, FOCUS, FOCUS

Even in my old corporate life I would get ‘constructive feedback’ about needing to focus on one thing at a time.

A lot of creatives struggle with this. This year necessity it really hit me that I need to focus on one offer; Launch In A Day.

I’m not starting a course, or a podcast or launching anything. I’m just perfecting, executing and marketing this one offer…it makes everything so clear and easy - and it pays off. I know exactly where I need to spend my time and energy.

So that’s it. What did 2020 teach you?