Year In Review: 2021
Have you read Atomic Habits? This YouTube summary triggered me to re-read over Summer that inspired the post. Locking it now as annual check in.
It aligns with a habit of mine to implement this year to be documenting life / work in public a concept raised by Austin Kleon (H/T to Nathan Barry via Jim Huffman podcast). Ps I'll share my habits for 2022 in a follow up post.
With that in mind I used the James Clear template (curiously he has not posted a year in review for the last 2 years?)
James Clear
I'll break each section down into Business & Personal. Firstly, a short summary.
2021 was the single most challenging year of my life. It started optimistically with the light of 2020 behind us and the expectation to welcome Baby #3 in September.
However by the end of March, it was clear 2021 was going to follow a similar path to 2020 re: Covid. And compounding hammer blows personally with Amanda suffering her first of two miscarriages and my Dad formally diagnosed with Alzheimers.
We celebrated our 10th anniversary at Intentional, Adam took 13 weeks (July - September) long service leave. On the day of the Melbourne Earthquake he had his own ground shattering news, that he was exiting the business.
The end of the year brought joy, God gifted us a healthy pregnancy 15 weeks today with strong heartbeat as I post this (coming 7/7/22 to add to Mika 5/5/19 and Oliver 11/11/16, no pressure!)
Plus we capped off 2021 with our best revenue to date for the agency.
The conceptualisations of "Consider it joy in face of trials" "Grow through hard times" "Learn best from failures" moved from concept to lived experience.
The optimistic lens I have wants to hope for a brighter 2022. Yet the biggest learning for the last 2 years has been to live today, live it well. To seek Peace amongst the chaos, that can reveal joy even during the toughest times.
What went well this year?
Business:
- Intention.al celebrated our 10th Birthday (can watch a replay of the virtual event below)
- Relaunched our website, killer combination of joelcogger.com on designs + imado.co on development
- 80%+ of clients had their best revenue year
- Best Calendar Year of management fees
- Won a tender for ASX50 client
- Consistent stream of referrals from clients and agency partners
- Managed the business solo from July onwards while Adam took Long Service Leave, then exited the business in October
- Nominated for SEMRush Best Marketing Agency (lost)
- Nominated for 2 x APAC Search Awards (find out Jan 20th)
Julia Cameron
Personal:
- Managed to take 5 local weekend aways; Ocean Grove, Bright, Rye, Philip Island, Point Lonsdale. 4 of those with extended family.
- Ran 542.9km
- Finished BiOY for 3rd year
- Read 29 Books. Standouts are The Coaching Habit, The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry, Prayer by Keller and Developing The Leaders Around You
- Cadre, Huddle & GrowthComet groups
- Completed the HowToWriteBetter.com course
- Found a great Counsellor via the company's EAP; Uprise.
- Implemented a Sunday rhythm to turn off phone, weekly reflection/journal and breath meditation inspired by The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry
- Able to celebrate Amanda's (June), Oliver's (November) and My Birthday's (October) out of lockdown
- 9 years of marriage (October)
2. What didn’t go so well this year?
Business:
- 3 / 7 employees resigned in the space of 3 days. while Adam was on LSL. Only 2 did resign.
- Adam exited the business after his long service leave
- Lack of consistency in monthly revenue. Equal parts maintaining open agreements with clients that enables easy termination, together with brand campaigns that create large resource increase for short bursts
- Was unable to scale the client success team beyond myself.
- Our own marketing. While the website was updated, the brand focus is not conducive to generating a consistent stream of qualified leads.
- All new clients from referrals / word of mouth; not marketing.
Personal:
- Miscarriages were heavy. For the first time in my life I understand what 'sick with grief' feels like. Never cried so much in my whole life.
- Dad was diagnosed with Alzheimers
- Gran (Dad's Mum) went to heaven
- Mika still hasn't had a birthday party! Turns 3 in May, surely this year!
- Injured achilles pushing on pre-half marathon run. Was unable to complete the half and still having tightness 3 months on
- Did not write and share content. Stayed afraid.
- Did not keep a consistent night time and therefore morning routine.
- Keep adding books & podcasts rather than finishing first.
3. What did I learn?
Business:
- The team sees everything. Making or there-in lack of decisions matter.
- The team cares greatly. Letting them live and die by decisions is superior to shielding in an effort to protect.
- I am ready to be CEO. The evidence of our best month, best quarter, best year speaks to this readiness.
- Equally I need to act as a CEO for the good of our clients and team. Being the main point of contact is not living up to our values of realising our full potential.
- About EOS. Feels like EOS is the 8020 of Scaling Up. Clear feedback from the team, to implement a single framework and follow through. Hopeful this framework may finally unlock the clarity we've been seeking.
- Clients want us to succeed. Asking for testimonials, case studies, referrals is something they love to provide. Don't need to feel awkward or uncomfortable.
Personal:
- Each child needs to be parented uniquely, obvious I know.
- The pain of unsuccessful pregnancies. & to never ever, ever, ever, ever, ask 'when are you having a baby/another one'. We're so blessed to already have 2 amazing kids, after suffering 2 miscarriages to be able to end the year with a successful pregnancy I equally know is a massive blessing.
- Alzheimers is a terrible disease. Possibly worse on the primary carers than the individual.
- The more tired I am, the more likely I'll not maintain habits. There's something in that feeling of exhaustion that I find solace in.
- Running is my best meditation. Needs to be part of whatever habits I form. However, need to cut the Covid Kilo's. Sitting at 90kg to end the year, should be max 85kg to achieve running habit.
- Intermittent fasting is the 8020 for weight loss. As young parents especially can cheat easily, given dinner time usually done before 6pm!
- Maintaining friendships in this season of life is hard. Add lockdowns in and nigh impossible. Put effort in with few + key relationships. Get a balance of business and non-business
- That Peace is the true currency of the world. Being rich in putting your head to sleep each night, and living from calm during the day. While the world around you may go chaotic, if you are rich in peace you can survive the harshest challenges.
Final Thoughts
Highly recommend implementing the learnings from Atomic Habits. 2021 was my first year at an attempt to focus on habits over goals, to show up and find the 1% improvement.
Overall I was too inconsistent, and think an additional monthly and quarterley review of Habits will aid this year.
I enjoyed reviewing my year in this format. Amazing how much does happen and the growth you cannot always feel in the moment. The concepts to live each day well, is aided by a review of how I have been living.
Thanks for reading, as a private person I feel massively uncomfortable in sharing about my world. I'm trusting the testimony of others who have been adhering to life documenting their lives over many years.
Over to you! In 2021...What worked? What did not? What did you learn?
