Let’s just get this out of the way; my 2010 goal process stunk. Well, that’s not quite accurate; I didn’t have a full process to reach my goals, so I stunk. As a matter of fact, I stunk so much that in August I even tried to change a couple of things. I think I trapped myself into a corner; what would Admiral Ackbar say? Well, no matter; let’s take a look back to see what I was hoping to accomplish this year.
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Here were the goals:
1. Earn at least $15,000 online.
2. Reach those 500 subscribers.
3. Increase real visitors to this site to 3,000 a month on average.
4. Get even more publicity this year by guest posting.
5. Get my Alexa rank for two of my blogs into the top 100,000.
How’d I do?
1. Hah! Next!
2. I hit 175 one day.
3. Wait a minute; I hit this one. Google Analytics says I’m averaging 4,400 visitors a month, while Count Per Day says I’m averaging 17,000+. Hmmm… either way, I actually attained one of my goals.
4. I started the year strong with some guest posts, got a couple more in the middle of the year and that’s it. I think I wrote 6 guest posts this year, but wait… that was actually higher than last year. So I guess I hit this one as well.
5. Hmmm… I guess I broke this one as well, sitting in the 90,000’s as I write this.
That means I actually hit 3 of my 5 goals; I guess I didn’t fail so much after all, did I? And now that I think about it, I really can’t gripe all that much about #1 either. Sure, $15,000 was definitely audacious, but in the end I’m averaging nearly $200 a month with all the things I do, way higher than in 2009. So maybe I’m on the way up in some fashion.
So, I actually only failed on #2; I’m still wondering about that one, but you know, it increased for the year, actually doubling.
This is why one sets goals. Yeah, a couple of those were crazy, and yet in a way it pushed me to be better, and I was better even if I couldn’t hit the actual goal for 2 of them. Guess I should be proud of myself instead, right?
So, how did you do with your goals for the year? A few of you commented on this post about the last 3rd of the year, so it would be interesting to hear if you at least finished strong.
Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2010 Mitch Mitchell
Hi Mitch
Good on you for setting goals and reaching most of them…yay 🙂
I have written down some for 2011 and now I see I will have to maybe be more specific.
With seriously starting to blog only a few months ago, I had a twelve month plan. Not earning as much as I hoped but as I have only just started selling, probably more realistic goals will be set for next few months.
Thanks for sharing Mitch and all the best for even better things in 2011.
Patricia Perth Australia
Thanks Pat. I’m betting if you’d set a couple of goals last year you’d have already surpassed them, based on the popularity of your blog.
You’re so right, Mitch. You can’t reach your goals if you don’t know what they are. And usually, falling short still leaves you closer than you were. My goal every year is to increase book sales by doing the right things, rather than the hit-or-miss approach I’ve used up until now. I’ve been fairly lucky, but relying on luck is not exactly a workable business plan.
Yes Charles, “we” need to work on a plan to get more press for your books. If they’re anything like your blog, then I know people will enjoy them a lot.
Charles has books? I did not know that…link me to them, please!!!!
Why of course Charles has books! Check this out: http://www.amazon.com/Charles-Gulotta/e/B000APW44A
WOW! Thank you for the link. See, you learn something new every day! With four teenagers, I think a couple of those titles might come in pretty handy. Charles’ writing has a captivating style and tone. I’m going to get a couple for the kids. Maybe he can get through to them. 🙂
Could be, Jessica. Don’t we have some really talented people around here? 🙂
That’s not bad at all! Congrats on making goals in the first place, keeping yourself accountable and then reporting back on your progress, Mitch!
Thanks Natasha. I was surprised as anyone that I actually hit as many goals as I did.
Hmmm….
Goals I set for myself (though not necessarily for the last third of the year, just set last year for this year) were to get healthier, chill out more and get my room/study sorted out so that I could find things.
So, how did I do?
I am no healthier, in fact I’m probably less healthy.
I’m definitely more chilled out. So chilled out I’m nearly comatose with it.
My room is worse than before.
Well done for your achievements, Mitch!
🙂
Thanks Val; you’re killing me! lol I’m thinking that being more chilled out would make you at least more mentally healthy, and sometimes that’s better than physically healthy. As for rooms… well, I feel you on that front.
Well, I think I didn’t reach all my goals.
But like you I did touch some of them. My biggest worry is that I am still working on my most important one, diversifying my income sources and trying to leap into other niches.
But I hope I will start hard and strong in 2011.
Good luck with your goals too, Mitch, you already are doing well.
Ohhhhhhhh, you’re supposed to set goals! I get it now! Haha, that may have been part of my problem all these blogging years. Well, I do have that one “break a million” on Alexa goal. I might have to just keep that as it for now. I don’t want to scare myself.
Personally, I think you’ve got this blogging thing down pat and do wonders with yours! 😉
Thanks Jessica. I’ve reached some things, but now I have to figure out where I want to take it for the next year. This blog AND my other online activities as well.
Considering I didn’t set any goals Mitch I reckon I can’t be too disappointed now can I?
I reckon the one reason I don’t set goals is because I don’t like tying myself down to any sort of regime. Not that I don’t think it won’t make me push myself harder, reckon it’s just that I’ve never believed in them. Not to say it’s wrong to have goals, just that they don’t work for me.
Sire, things like goals don’t work for everyone, but I’d say they definitely will work for the majority of people. If a person never gets anything done or accomplished, goals can help.
Reckon I’m just one of those guys that knows what has to be done and just gets on with it. I suppose though if I set goals I may get certain things done a lot sooner 😀
Well Sire, you could be holding yourself back to a degree. After all, with your life changing somewhat, wouldn’t it be nice to write down all you want to accomplish over the next year?
There’s nothing really I want to accomplish Mitch. I just take things day by day. At the moment I’m fixing up the house and doing some trades on the stock market. Once I’ve caught up with all the repairs, and if I’m not making enough buying and selling shares I’ll just get me a job and see how that pans out.
Fairly laissez-faire of you, Sire. Not me; I have to plan because I need more than that in and from my life. I need to know what I want, then need to work out how I can get there.
I did accomplish one goal and that was to finish my book. The bar has definitely been raised for 2011.
That was a great accomplishment as well, Bev; I hope sales have been brisk.
Congratulations on achieving a great deal of your goals, Mitch. Setting goals for ourselves really give us a direction on what to do and what not to do, so we will know where we are headed all the time. I admire you for being able to do just that and letting us know about it to boot.
– Wes –
Thanks Wes. It was a pretty good year overall, though, of course, it could always be a lot better.
3 from 5 is really not bad Mitch, I hope 2011 will be better and everybody will be able to achieve all set goals. For me 2010 was chaotic and pretty bad, as I mention is some of the previous comments, but I have better plan for 2011 and this time I will invest everything that I have, money and time.
Carl, these were only my internet goals. I’m almost hesitant to look at any other goals.
It is crazy how life turns, but it seems that I am going to enter in join venture with 2 of my previous partners, it just happened few days ago that I got a message from one of the previous companies that I have worked with and the other surprise was that person that I thought really is my enemy wanna join the team. I am sorry, I mention that the project will be ready on Monday, but we reach some technical difficulties during upgrade to the latest framework, some of the modules are incompatible, I think it will take a couple a days more.
Carl, if you thought someone was your enemy, just asking, why would you think things have changed so drastically now? Be cautious, friend.