Time for my 2014 annual review.
I’ll do my best to answer three questions in this post: 1This format is inspired by James Clear’s annual reviews.
What went well this year?
What didn’t go so well this year?
What am I working toward?
Here we go:
1. What Went Well This Year?
Jack. On September 14, Jack was born. As a first time father, I’m still not quite sure how to describe this feeling; it’s more than just love; it’s more than just an immense sense of responsibility and purpose. It’s … magic.
New apartment. We needed more space and found an apartment in Hammarby Sjöstad, Stockholm. It wasn’t perfect to move while my wife was pregnant in her third trimester (it took us longer than expected to find the right place), but I shipped her off to her parents while I moved our stuff and cleaned out our old place. Now we both love it here.
Marketing. I write down my thoughts online, and that’s all the marketing I do for my business. And it works; I get more high-quality leads every week than an average mid-sized agency. I’m not looking to hire, so for now, I’m happy with referring most of those leads to others.
Family support. I’ve enjoyed working closely with my youngest brother, Pontus, for a year. He’s a professional soccer player, but he has helped me semi-regularly throughout the year.
2. What Didn’t Go So Well This Year?
Office space. After working out of my apartment for most of 2013, I moved into a centrally located office in 2014. But in 2015 I gave up the lease, even though I enjoyed the office. I love working from home, and that’s what I did — whenever I had the chance. I don’t even want to think about how much money I spent on rent for those 18 months!
The project from hell. Took on a risky project in 2013, which just went on and on, well into 2014. After 300+ hours, I still hadn’t made a dime. Once the project finally launched, everything changed for the worse, and even though we marketed the task well, sales weren’t booming. And when I was finally about to get paid in late 2014, the company told me they had already spent that money.
Agency plans. I’ve always had some vision to grow my business into an agency. But now I’m not so sure. I do know that I enjoy being a freelancer, though. Can I run a solo business forever and be happy?
3. What Am I Working Toward?
Clearer business focus. Today, I’m taking on projects with no particular selection criteria or filter. But I’ve noticed an interesting trend; the assignments I enjoy the most are the same types and the most profitable. I plan to develop a clearer direction on what projects to take on next year.
Paternity leave. Whatever it takes, I’m determined to spend as much time with Jack as possible in the coming year. My boss is great, so that shouldn’t be a problem. [note]I’m the boss.[/note]
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ANNOTATIONS
1 | This format is inspired by James Clear’s annual reviews. |
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