How to not fudge up 2020

5 Minute Read

It’s kind of hilarious to me how direct I am. Maybe you don’t know me personally very well, but I use cynicism 100 percent for comedic purposes. Don’t believe me? Watch one of my old vlogs of Epiphany toilet.

 

Ah…Epiphany Toilet…which leads a little bit into this topic.

 

I kind of set a stupid resolution this year…it was to not have a resolution. I know…that sounds like either a snobbish hipster or an old, cranky boomer. But I truthfully did set that goal (lol). Here’s why… #StoryTime

 

Last year was personally a weird year for me. In fact, I like to say that 2018 and 2019 all felt like one year to me. There were a lot of ups and downs. But the hardest thing I look back on is that I didn’t do one personal goal. Not one. I didn’t lose weight, I didn’t fix my work-life balance, and I didn’t start the vlog series I wanted to.

 

Without going into the many reasons I didn’t accomplish those goals, it came down to this: lack of self-confidence, which led to lack of motivation.

 

Every turn I was doubting myself. Coming up with more reasons NOT to do something. I would either overthink it or lose motivation in doing it. I truthfully let fear get the best of me.

 

Well…I’m not going to fudge that up this year.

 

So before you think this blog post (or this whole blog entirely) is some personal blog from Jeremy Hicks, please keep reading.

 

“Don’t overthink. Don’t be afraid of other opinions. Don’t feel like you can’t fix something that broke or didn’t work.”

 

My point in all of this is that I want to encourage you to not fudge this year up either. But here’s what I mean by that.

 

When I say I’m not setting a resolution, I’m being serious. I’m setting goals, but it’s not the same.

 

I feel like a resolution is to change. But I’m not really trying to change me…I’m trying to be me, which I believe will help me accomplish my goals for marketing and business.

 

For years I have been the lawn mowing company that mows everyone else’s lawn but get back too late to mow my own lawn.  #metaphor  That’s how it’s been for Paper Jacket. I spend all day branding others, but not me or Paper Jacket. Why? You could say it was lack of time, but really, it was me being too afraid of not succeeding in the attempt.

 

Here’s the thing, unless you get out there and try to make a name for yourself, you’ll never make a name for yourself. I believe you need to tell yourself that this year…heck, I need to tell myself that this year. Don’t overthink. Don’t be afraid of other opinions. Don’t feel like you can’t fix something that broke or didn’t work.

 

“Marketing is a funny industry, because it’s often sold as a formula that works but cannot be promised”

 

Here’s a real example from last year: I stopped doing the “Epiphany Toilet” vlog before I had any real data from it because I was afraid it was going to be a negative experience. How stupid was that? Now any of the work I did will never truly be measured. It could’ve been fantastic…or horrible. But at least I would’ve known.

 

Marketing is a funny industry, because it’s often sold as a formula that works but cannot be promised. If that’s the case, it’s not a formula that works, stupid. It’s a formula that CAN work. Or not. But you never know unless your try. The truth is that everything works – but not everything works for you. And, again, you do not truly know that until you do it.

 

You gotta take a chance. You gotta be OK with losing. Because you can always get back up and win again.

 

So here’s what I’m doing this year. I’m setting micro goals.

 

Little things to get done. Like getting up at a certain time in the morning (but only focusing on that next morning. Not the entire week).  I’m also planning big goals, like writing this blog once a week or starting a Facebook Group that I pump with content on a daily basis.

 

The idea is to set one goal at a time and focus on it one day at a time. The idea is to move forward and then look back and ask myself “How’d that go? Was it worth it? Yes or no? Should I keep doing it based off of those results?”

 

Here’s another real example: I once went to the gym and worked out for half an hour every other day. I did that for a solid month, and then I was told by a trainer that I really need to go every day and work out for at least an hour to reach my the weight I wanted. You know what I did? I stopped going entirely. I lost motivation because it was difficult to commit to that. And now I’m looking back wondering what shape I’d be in if I still just continued at my pace. Maybe I’d be the same? …but I doubt it.

 

How can you set goals for yourself this year? For both personal and business. Are you willing to try and find no positive results verses not truly trying at all?

 

This year I’m trying – regardless of what the results are. I think you’d do well doing the same.

 

So because I’m a marketing guru and were seeking some marketing advice, here are some practical goals for you to try to achieve (these are goals based off of positive results we’ve seen from people and brands over the last two years):

 

Practical Goals For 2020:

 

  • Post at least one Instagram story a day
  • Post at least one post on LinkedIn a day
  • Message someone new at least once a day (whatever preferred platform)
  • Respond or comment back to a question asked inside one of your social groups at least once a day.
  • Create a sales presentation once a week (even if you never use it). Then after that…
  • Record a video or podcast of you giving that presentation once a week (again, even if you never distribute it).
  • Read at least one blog a day about marketing or online communication trends once a day.
  • Make at least one cold call a week.

 

 

You don’t have to do all of these. I just wanted to provide ideas. But I think you can see that these are actually pretty easy. You just have to work on doing it. Will they produce amazing results? Maybe. They have for others. Or maybe you won’t have it amount to anything because you need to do more…but, again, is it better to wonder? I promise you won’t think that after seeing someone else rise above you due to their consistent effort.

 

Here’s how to not fudge up 2020:

 

Say “yes” more than you say “no.” Find more reasons to do it than reasons to not do it. I’m purposely not trying to be too specific, because each of us have our own journey. Do what you can. For example, maybe you cannot afford for us to make you a video…but does that mean you shouldn’t make a video at all? Nonsense.

 

Don’t keep up with the Jones’s. Keep up with yourself and see how far you get.

 

And as always: Don’t be boring 😉

 

 

P.S. Would you like to join our Facebook Group I mentioned above?

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