More 2016 planning and looking back at 2015....

I have been so busy planning 2016 that I hadn't looked back on 2015 until I started to read Your Best Year 2016: Productivity Workbook and Creative Business Plannerby Lisa Jacobs.

It's so important to look back and review what has worked and areas for improvement.  My 2016 plans haven't changed since doing this exercise but the book has helped me plan the tactics and behaviours that I need to change in order to succeed.

I'll review this book properly next week, but in summary it's a must read for any creative business, it has made me take a step back and look at what my successes, challenges and happy memories were. I thought I would share some of these with you.....

My accomplishments of 2015....

• One of my biggest achievement has been the success of my range in my first stockist, No3 Royston. The local support has been phenomenal and I have been pleasantly surprised by the response to my products, especially my coasters.

• I designed and launched my own website and for someone like me who isn't a natural with technology this is a big deal! Especially as it had been on my to do list for about 2 years.
• I was excited when this tutorial was featured on Wayfair.co.uk.

• I ran 10km and raised £315 for the Stroke Association.

Happy memories....

• I had a couple of holidays with my hubby in 2015. First up was a driving tour around France and we were lucky enough to be in Carcasonne on Bastille Day, by pure fluke! Little did we know that people travel from all over the world to see their firework display and we now understand why, it was awesome! The firework display is around the walls of the old town. We watched them from the other side of town but it was a view point that a lot of the locals used and the views were amazing. 

  

  Photos are of the old town by day, the fireworks were taken on my iPhone so they are not great and an old sewing machine on display in our hotel which I fell in love with.

• We also spent a few days in Skye with friends.  It is such a beautiful place and we were very lucky with the weather so we got to do a lot of walking and exploring.

  

  An amazing day was spent exploring the Fairy Pools and a trip to Skye would not be complete without visiting the Talisker Distillery!
  
  

  We drove up to the Isle of Skye and to break up the journey stayed at Gretna Green, it worked out to be exactly half way and as it was our wedding anniversary we thought it was a fun place to stop over.  On the way home we stopped off at my University city of Newcastle.

  

• One of my happy memories from last year is seeing one of my favourite bands, Garbage, play live on my birthday.

• Any time I spent with family and friends has been time well spent.

What 2015 has taught me....

That I can't do everything! I spread myself too thinly and put too much pressure on myself when I don't manage to do everything I set out to do.  Last year I booked more craft fairs than the previous year, had a range in No3 Royston and took on lots of custom orders! This year I will be doing fewer craft fairs and limiting the number of custom orders I take on, I am not good at saying "no" so this may be a challenge.  I am taking these steps so I can grow my business as well as look after myself.  I don't want to be working through the night and work every weekend because I've taken on too much, it's not good for my well being.  As I write this on a Sunday afternoon after a work free weekend, I feel recharged and ready to take on the week, which will hopefully mean a more productive week!

I have also learnt it is important to celebrate successes, no matter how small and learn from your mistakes but without beating yourself up!

You can read all my 2016 plans here.

fizzi~jayne x

Disclaimer: The Amazon links in this post are affiliated.