Here we are – a brand new year. Hello, 2021! I’m glad you’ve arrived. CWS fam – what’s up?! How are you doing? I’m sure you’re completely stoked to be seeing 2021. I decided that I’m bringing back my quarterly goals blog posts. I skipped these blog posts last year for a few reasons but I know they’ll serve me well this year.
At the start of each quarter, I’ll share my top goals for my blog (and content creation in general) as well as some personal ones. My hope in sharing these with you is to 1. have extra accountability to myself and 2. to inspire you to make your own goals and to feel empowered to work towards them. Let’s get right down to it.
QUARTER 1 GOALS
BLOG & CONTENT GOALS
1. Develop Solid Systems – Up until now, I have never had solid systems for my work. I have had some set-in-stone but never really dedicated myself to really having a firm foundation when it comes to systems. Since November, I have been working towards this goal and it’s still a goal of mine for quarter 1 as I’m still solidifying some systems. I started using Trello for everything (literally!) and friends, it has changed the organization game for me. I use it for my daily blog/content workflow, content calendar, income & expense tracking, and lots more. Trello is my little get-it-done sidekick and I love that there’s an app, too. This is NOT sponsored at all. I’m just that obsessed with Trello, haha.
Okay, recentering –
Continuing to develop solid systems has been incredible for my organization and productivity and it’s going to serve much more than that in the future. One of my BIG goals for my blog biz is to hire an assistant (hopefully) by mid-2021. As a full-time content creator and mama, I simply can’t do it all. There’s a lot of behind-the-scenes work that I could outsource and I need to get to that point to continue to grow my brand. Setting systems in place now will help make for a smooth onboarding process when I can hire an assistant.
2. Planning & Writing In Advance – It’s usually quite easy to plan ideas in advance but when it comes to writing in advance… it’s definitely not easy. For me, a lot of it comes down to not using my time wisely. Instead of dreaming of writing blog posts ahead of time, I’m really pushing myself to better utilize my work time to actually work ahead. This all plays into creating consistent systems but if I hone in on writing ahead, I’ll be ahead of the game. Here, I’m focusing on writing blog posts and Instagram captions in advance before they need to go live/are due.
3. Revamp My Pinterest Strategy – Before giving birth to Taya, I had an awesome Pinterest strategy going. As I adjusted to new motherhood and 2020 as a whole, I ended up neglecting my Pinterest strategy. Actually, it was kind of cool… even though I stopped using Pinterest like I had been using it before, my blog traffic continued to grow steadily. But! It’s time for a revamp!
4. Find A Good Rhythm With My Newsletter – I have never been a natural at email marketing (my email newsletter) so I’d always give up trying in past years. Email marketing is hugely important, especially with where I envision my content going, so I’m determined to begin to master it. Here’s to finding a good rhythm. You can subscribe to The Brew, my weekly newsletter, by filling out the form below.
5. Hit 100k on TikTok – TikTok has been such a surprise platform for me. I started last May to create for fun again (Instagram was on my nerves, like usual lol) and to fight my postpartum depression. Aside from my blog, TikTok is now my largest platform. It’s so crazy to me! Anyway, I’m at 85k right now. If I stay consistent, I really believe that hitting 100k will be within reach very soon. I’m not a numbers-focused content creator at all but hitting 100k followers on TikTok will allow more brand work opportunities.
PERSONAL GOALS
1. Drink Less Coffee & More Water – I have gotten into the bad habit of drinking 3-4 cups of coffee a day… and I really need to scale back. I really need to drink more water which will help a ton of things, especially since I’m still breastfeeding Taya.
2. Meal Plan – Mike and I have tried meal planning in the past but it’s hard to follow through with, especially since he works some evenings. We’re going to have another go at it! We’re really just trying to be more intentional about grocery shopping and using what we already have.
3. Lose Some Weight – I still haven’t gotten back to my pre-pregnancy weight and it’s really bothering me. I have pretty much been at the same weight since 10 weeks postpartum, give or take. There are a lot of reasons why I haven’t dropped it all – breastfeeding, Zoloft, and 2020, haha. While I’d love to drop the whole 13lbs I have left to go, I’m not setting a certain number goal. There are factors that I don’t have control over. Anyway, I want to lose some weight. Whether that’s 3lbs or 5lbs or more… I’ll be happy with any progress! Mike and I are hoping to try for baby #2 this year and I’d love to be closer to my pre-pregnancy weight before getting pregnant again.
I’m really working towards being more intentional with my goal-setting. As someone who tends to make overwhelming to-do lists and hangs out on the brink of perfectionism, this is hard for me. But, I’m already feeling more at ease by implementing smart planning.
I hope you have a great start to 2021!
XO,
