I’ve never been a fan of the ideas the new year, new me or new year, new life.
I don’t believe in erasing what we’ve experienced and I tend to feel like clean slates aren’t as valuable. In my spare time, I’m a fan of pack hiking (park two cars and hiking 20+ miles to the next car, kind of hiking) and when you end up on a terrible trail 10 miles in, you don’t have the option to just abandon it for a new trail. You have to find a way to keep going: assess, adjust, rest, try something new, sure… but you can’t change the trail, you can only change how you tackle it.
After a year like 2020, that feels more true than ever before. I think there are a great many of us who would have LOVED to abandon the trail and found an easier path forward, but as we all know, not an option. So we assess the experiences, adjust the gear that got out of whack, rest our hearts a little, and try something new.
Assess. 2020 provided us a great opportunity to re-evaluate how we grow and how we do business. We HAD to slow down and had to be intentional, but we also had some great opportunities to invest in the business and the readers we love so dearly.
Adjust. We focused more on our marketing dollars this past year, investing in spreading the word farther and wider. We started this newsletter. And we focused on defining the next big chapter for ourselves.
Rest. Wow, rest we did. Especially in spring, we hunkered down and focused on staying sane, staying financially stable, and leaving space to heal from all of the losses we had.
Try Something New.
This is where 2021 comes in. This coming year won’t just be about sales goals and events, but about real growth as a company. We are looking at a whole new feel to a few of our books, a whole new aspect of the business, a new approach to marketing and potentially a whole new series!
Sneak Peek of Our Goals:
- Increased Focus on Inclusive Content
- First Hardcover Productions or a Box Set... Choices, choices, choices!
- Adding New & Better Swag
- Two New Books.... at least!
It’s not always easy to know how to approach a new year, what to dream of and plan for. And sometimes, you do need to full on ditch the trail for a new trail, but the most important part, in my opinion, is to not try to wash away what didn’t work or what challenged you.
That is exactly what you should be using to drive the journey forward.
#children #books #elementary #readers #authors #aspiring #dream #publish #traditional #selfpublish #writingprocess #strong #brand #awareness #angelou #drsuess #edgarallenpoe #nike #justdoit #legacy #lifegoals #hello2021 #happynewyear #goalsetting #smartgoals #hiking #newyearnewgoals #childrensbooks #diversechildrensbooks #inclusivebooks