What 2008 Meant to Me

What I’ve Learned (in no particular order):

1. Being the best, or the first, takes a lot of hard work. Don’t be fooled by get-rich-quick scams.
2. Going into business with a friend is a huge mistake. You won’t miss the business, you’ll miss the friend.
3. Expect the unexpected, or at least have a great voicemail system just in case.
4. Approach everything with an open mind, it’s the only way you will ever succeed.
5. Business, Marketing and PR plans are extremely important.
6. Before you start looking for clients, have your accounting, legal documents, terms and conditions and payment methods in place.
7. Everyone needs competition. It keeps you from becoming lazy and forgetting your clients are human.
8. Skype is one of the most valuable business tools you will ever use.
9. Business Cards are the second most valuable business tool you will ever use.
10. Your website is a reflection of your personality, so fill it with words and images accordingly.
11. Sometimes, being a solopreneur is as lonely as it sounds.
12. StumbleUpon traffic is awesome, for about 24 hours, then you have to write something new to Stumble.
13. Don’t get caught up in numbers, counts, and lists. It’s quality, not quantity. Numbers lie.
14. All the cool kids are on Twitter. If you want to know what people are talking about in your industry, get an account! Right now!
15. Meetups and community networking groups are awesome. Go to as many as you can.
16. If you need help, ask for it. Who knows what could happen.
17. Time goes by fast and the more time you spend procrastinating the farther behind you fall.
18. Sometimes, while you’re looking for your purpose, it finds you instead.
19. Writing words for other people is extremely rewarding.
20. Helping people achieve their dreams is even more rewarding.

My Biggest Mistake:

I stopped blogging. I stopped just when people were noticing me, starting to read what I had to say, and felt that my words held some importance. I stopped as soon as I found my voice and formed an opinion. And, I let some great people down.

Fear kills creativity. Don’t let it run your life.

What 2009 will Mean to Me:

2009 will be my year. I’m taking everything I learned 2008 and building a stronger business. I’m learning from my mistakes. I’m focusing on relationships, community, knowledge and skill to help others reach their goals, make a difference and change the world.

Lofty? So what?

My only resolution is to stop wondering “what if” and start taking action.

Happy New Year!

What will you do with your 2009?

Related posts:

1. What Twitter Has Given Me
2. The Power of Words