I could probably do a complete 2020 review post in memes. It’s certainly been that kind of year. And if there’s one thing the past year has taught me, it’s that…
“Man plans. God laughs.”
Every new year we make plans, setting out what we’d like to achieve and who we’d like to become in the coming year. But things have a way of turning out not quite as we hoped or expected.
My 2020 certainly didn’t turn out as I’d expected, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. I’d like to go old-school and rewind the VHS tape of my 2020.
Setup Sidekick’s 2020 year rewind
I started Setup Sidekick this time last year, excited about the new possibilities. And then everything shifted. I’d planned to get a couple of retainer clients and work as a VA. But when people started losing their jobs and turning to the online world to make money, I created my own course teaching people how to create online courses. I also offered this as a pay-what-you-can course, which came with its own lessons.
So right from the start, my plans changed and these changes forced me to stretch myself into all sorts of new possibilities. To learn and grow much faster than I would have if I’d followed the path I’d set for myself.
Sure it got a little scary in the middle, clients were scarce and money tight. But I also learnt how to feel comfortable on camera and I now quite enjoy recording my Sidekick Snippets. I learnt how to design and create a product label for a range of herbal products – which was a completely new and fun experience. I’ve had to go back to older skills too. Creating a bunch of websites which I’m quite proud of.
I also learnt that doing it all alone is hard and that it’s ok to ask for help. I started a little accountability group exactly for this reason. A group of like-minded people from all over the world, who meet once a week to talk about what we’re working on. We share our knowledge and learn from each other’s experience. And having this support has been incredibly valuable. Our weekly Zoom meetings are the highlight of my week.
And most importantly, I got to meet and work with fantastic people all over the world – which blows my mind. To any clients reading this, thank you for trusting me with your projects. You’re an exceptional bunch of people – all doing great things in the world.
So what are my goals and plans for this year?
I don’t have any. I’m going to be as open to change as possible and look forward to everything 2021 throws my way. Whatever happens, I know I’ll be fine. We all will.
What does your 2020 rewind look like?
Did you also face changes that made you stretch and grow? Did you also learn new skills and make new friends? I hope the good bits far out-weighed the challenges for you.