With year end it’s time to look back and see how things went, and to figure out what the plan is for 2015. In the past I would review and report every quarter. By the time we had two kids, my goals could be boiled down to “Survive”.
We’re starting to make it past survival mode, and occasionally I even have an hour to myself, or a chance to use the bathroom uninterrupted. The funny part here is that it’s been so long since I have had anything like free time I usually sit there in a stupor absorbing the silence and trying to remember what it was I used to do when I would have free time.
Here’s the map as it stands for 2014:
The funny thing is that the goals are only the milestones. Even though I only accomplished about half of what I wanted to, I would rate this year as a huge success. Our family is doing well, and there have been some flashes of brightness that could be the beginning of great things in 2015.
The segments:
Family – Everybody did well this year in spite of health troubles, my brother came out early in the year for the first ever Wall Ski Trip: The Next Generation. We visited my family in Michigan that I haven’t been out to see in a couple of years. With the exception of the college funds being under funded, all went well. Everyone is doing pretty well, score this a win.
Personal – Getting a cold/flu for the Falmouth Road Race was a backbreaker for me last year. I wasn’t in great shape but I was on track to finish well (for me), and this would have been my 10th. Instead I was sick for the end of the summer. Add to that another cold in December, and the winner, all four of us spending 7 of our 9 day vacation in Florida with the flu, made it kind of tough. On the other hand, nobody was REALLY sick, no hospital visits, so we’re ok. Losing Florida was a bastard though.
Financial – Well, working at a young company is not for the fiscally squeamish. Burning a lot of the war chest and we scaled back big time this year. On the other hand, that’s why we built the war chest. Here’s hoping the right cards come up in the next 6 months.
Professional – A busy and exciting year professionally, EventHero is moving along nicely. Given last year’s growth, signs are promising for 2015. Marketing Over Coffee stumbled in Q4 a bit but it was still a record year. The audiobook version of B2B Marketing Confessions did well and writing is progressing nicely on the next book (finally)! Overall I’m very proud of all the work that’s been done, and most of it has been placing a wager that it will come through eventually.
I hope your holiday went well and you’re prepared for 2015, here’s to having a huge, safe and happy year!