What One Year at WA has Meant to Me
That's how long it's been!?
One Year at WA
Somehow, it's been a year! Or, so that's what the badge tells me. October is my month.
I'm not sure how time manages to escape me, and at a faster rate with each passing year.
I'm only a wife, a mother, a daughter, a sister, a life-long learner, and an entrepreneur. (That's all...)
Where does the time go?
My Reflection of 12 Months
The badge itself doesn't mean much... other than an instant reminder of my persistence, determination, thirst for knowledge, dedication, motivation, and relentless stubborness to succeed beyond my boys wildest dreams.
What's important at this milestone is that I re-evaluate my goals.
It's important with any goal-driven endeavor to keep track of progress made. So this will be my snapshot in time, allowing me to look back, see how far I've come, and create new actionable steps to move forward this year.
My 1st Year Goals
Having stepped into this while still working, and fully aware that this would be a new life-long venture, I set very reasonable beginner's goals.
What I wanted to accomplish in year 1 was this:
1. Complete both training courses at WA
2. Build out 2 websites (1 niche, 1 WA)
3. Learn all there is to know about running a website business (Ha!)
4. Make some money, ensuring that I am able to execute what I have learned
5. Average 1 website post per week with a minimum of 1,000 words
6. Create some useful training based upon things I've learned here
7. Start a WA Blog of posts that may be of interest or help to others, but also that I would like to revisit myself for either website tips or motivation
What I Actually Achieved
1. Completed the OEC training courses, and I'm half way through the Bootcamp - kind of forgot about it - going to start making my way through that again today!
2. Built out 3 websites (1 niche, 1 WA, 1 Black Friday) though I am changing my niche site
3. Still learning 'all there is to know' about running a website business (Wow! Really underestimate the scope of information and ability here in the beginning, don't we?)
4. Have made some money. No where near my goals, but know that I will get there
5. I have published 53 articles, with an average of 1,515 words (not near enough of either to reach my goals, but has been a good start to getting me through this learning curve)
6. I have created and published 7 trainings here at WA
7. I have a decently helpful (?) WA Blog that now contains 34 Posts.
Am I Happy With My Progress?
Yes, and no.
I have a pretty healthy concept of what it is I'm capable of achieving in a given circumstance. I set very reasonable goals when I started out, and I almost accomplished all of them.
Why am I not completely satisfied?
I always want more.
The goals I write down, I intend to reach, but in my head I'm always trying to go beyond.
I'm a realist, but I'm also a dreamer.
Ideally, I'd be doing this full-time. I'd have 2 profitable websites. I'd be publishing a new Post everyday. I'd hire a writer to help push out more content faster.
What's Stopping Me?
- Excuses? Sure. You're lying to yourself if you say you never let excuses steal your precious time.
- Other people? Sure. I may be voted the "most disciplined" in my closest social group, but, none-the-less, sometimes I let them steal my precious time, too. (Sorry, friends, that when I have to sacrifice something it will always be social time first. I do have a husband, two kids in school, in sports, in music, a house, two pets, and only 24 hours to somehow make magic happen. Any other parents out there sometimes feel like a taxi-cab driver?)
- Doubt? Sure. Even the strongest of mind have moments of weakness.
- The SAC? Hahaha. I may have bit off a little more than I could chew in one year. Am I caught up? No. But, am I still progressing? Yes!
I haven't figured it all out yet, but I keep going. Forward progress, no matter how small, is still progress.
What Will Year 2 Bring?
Well, that brings me full circle to receiving my badge, and needing to re-evaluate and write new goals.
I am surely wanting to increase my time dedicated to expanding these businesses, even though that means continuously changing my schedule. Being a good wife and mother will always come first (and everyone needs to take a social break now and again for sanity), but there are situations where I can better utilize some flexibility to optimize my time here.
At the end of the day, with WA:
- I've learned new skills that I wouldn't have otherwise.
- I've written 80,000 words that I wouldn't have otherwise.
- I've started a great new business that I wouldn't have otherwise.
- I've met some pretty awesome people who contribute to my growth here (that I wouldn't have otherwise)
I feel like I've learned a LOT this year, and it will only help me succeed in the future.
The fact that we have access to the amount of knowledge that's here at WA for $25-$30 month is unbelievable. It's worth the cost just to have access to all of the information - and I don't just mean WA training. I mean all of the blogs that people write on various subjects, too. It's amazing what we can learn and share here.
Factor in the ability to earn a living by using this platform's training and tools, and we have a life-long goldmine here. Being a member of WA can enrich people's lives in many ways.
What one year at WA has meant to me is great personal growth, and a door to unlimited possibilities. I look forward to writing out my next year's goals, knowing what I know now.
Remember Success is a Continous Path of Many Steps.
Just keep on climbing!
Cris
Recent Comments
24
What a great first year I've got to get it in gear if I'm going to do anywhere nearly as well in my first year. Congratulations.
Charlotte
Well, thank you, Charlotte. We all move at a different pace. Believe me when I say I am nowhere near the front of the pack hahaha
The important thing is to know that we all have the ability to learn what is taught here, and when we apply it - at whatever rate we can - we are building something long-term that will reward us in the future in many ways :-)
I'd say that was a pretty phenomenal year.
Dreams, expectation and reality all have a way being rather 'fluid' especially when you are trying to balance all of them at the same time.
I love how you've created this post as a 'Snapshot in Time' that you can come back to. I like to think of it as a slightly different take on 'Naming and shaming'. Once you've put out it out there, well, it's out there and you can't take it back. Adds a little extra incentive for ourselves.
I look forward to next years update, with plenty inbetween, of course.
Thanks. Yes, you called it. That's exactly why I force myself to do it; accountability to myself. If I tank, well... :-)
I look forward to what the next year brings, too, and comparing numbers as well as my level of skill - both of which better be significantly increased haha!
Great article Chris, Its perfect for someone who is approaching the 6th month of WA and has experienced many of the same situations. Best of success to you!
Thank you. It really does sneak up. I may be just a little bummed that I'm not quite where I wanted to be, but looking back at my progress, I can say that I am consistently growing and on the right path. Grateful to be here, on this platform, with this community, with these tools. :-)
I would say you have really accomplished a lot Chris. Great job and to your success.
Are you working a full time job on top of what you have done so far?
Michelle
Thanks, Michelle. I was working full-time when I started. Not currently. Had some pretty major life altering events happen this year. No worries. "This too shall pass." I just keep doing as much as I can knowing that I'm learning in the process, and when I can dedicate more time, things will just be that much better :-)
Really refreshing to read your post Cris, you will go from strength to strength in the coming year.
It can feel like we are not making progress the way we want to when in fact we are.
Best wishes.
Thanks, Alex. True. We all want "success" yesterday, but success is a process not an event, and we need to acknowledge our progress to continue forward. Thankfully, I'm very goal oriented and persistent, as many of us are here. Continued success to you in your journey as well.
A good review of your first year. It's a good idea to look back and note what you have accomplished, because it helps you realize that you are moving forward; you are learning; you are accomplishing things that you need to do. Keep it up...won't it be fun to see where you are at the end of Year 2 and compare that to these results? You will probably surprise yourself.
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Well done Cris!
I think it’s easy to bite off more than we can handle in the beginning, because we don’t know what we don’t know.
I, like you stated, am more confident going into year 2 and feel my goals are more realistic.
Here’s to our continued learning, growing and achieving!
KyleAnn
I agree completely! This was a whole new world for me, and boy is there a lot to learn, but I love it!
Yes, here's to our year 2! :-)
Cris