Revisiting My 2017 Goals

At the beginning of the year, I always write out my goals and choose a word for the year. It’s a way for me to share about where I want to go and it also helps keep me accountable. You can read about that here.

At the beginning of 2017, I knew that this year would be different. With a baby scheduled to arrive in July, I knew that my goals needed to be different. They needed to be focused, strategic, and smart. I also knew that the majority of my goals would need to be accomplished in the first half of the year. This was a hard pill for me to swallow. I love what I do and the stress of having to take time off and not fully chase my goals for part of the year scared me. And as I write this, I am about a month away from my due date. And quite frankly, it still scares me. I don’t want to stop working. I don’t know if I am prepared enough. But, I’ve also been told that I once I meet the little one, my goals will totally change. And for the first time ever, I am totally okay with that.

At the beginning of the year, I shared eight big goals with you. Now, I want to revisit them and share my progress with you (and also revisit them for myself too!)

  1. Hire a product packaging manager: this is in progress! I have also hired a virtual assistant to help during my maternity leave, so I feel comfortable saying this is totally and fully accomplished!

  2. Grow my wholesale accounts: as other areas of my business began to flourish in the beginning of the year, my focus came away from wholesale. I am still unsure if I want to pursue this more. It’s something I am still considering!

  3. Host and Launch an online challenge: I actually hosted TWO challenges instead. The first one was so fun, I just HAD to host another one. And the good news? It will probably happen again...get ready folks.

  4. Be IN the word daily: for the most part, I have been successful with this. And it’s been the best thing for my soul. I HIGHLY recommend using this book if you want to start using a devotional. It’s been such a gift to me.

  5. Plan for maternity leave: as someone who doesn’t love to plan, I’m proud to say that I did some intentional planning before going on maternity leave. Part of this was choosing to hire a Virtual Assistant. You can read my full thoughts and plan regarding maternity leave here.

  6. Release brand new products: Before 2017, I was only selling mugs and prints. I added some cocktail glasses and water tumblers! These have been a huge hit! And, I am releasing a BRAND NEW type of product for our Fall line. Get excited!

  7. Read more novels: I am so addicted to reading right now. This year I have read all good books. I read The Kitchen House, Where’d you go Bernadette?, The Royal We, Eligible, The Screwtape Letters, Everything I Never Told YouThe Meaning of Marriage, and Just Mercy.

  8. Continue our weekly date nights: we’ve been pretty good about continuing our date nights. Pregnancy exhaustion has made them look a little different than before (more dates at home), but we make intentional time for each other every week. I am sure we will need to adjust once the baby arrives, so I will have to report back!

It’s so helpful to take a couple minutes and look back on these goals! I am proud of my progress, but I am also empowered to continue making bigger goals. I can’t wait to share more of what will be coming for the rest of the year, but it will be good. Mark your calendars for our Fall and Holiday product launch dates and get ready for at least one more online challenge! It’s gonna be SO MUCH FUN.

Did you miss out on the other challenges and experiencing a major case of FOMO? No fear! You can go through the challenge at your own pace whenever you want.

Sign up for #theheartfeltgrid here:

Sign up for the #productshopgurus challenge here:

*this post includes some affiliate links. There is no price change for you; there is just a chance that a small percentage is contributed to Rachel Allene.