I’m inspired to write this post by a challenge from Chris Brogan who likes to throw out three words to live by at the beginning of each year. It wasn’t too hard for me to come up with my own words to live by, because I’ve spent the past few days thinking about my own plans for the new year.
2009 was the year I made some bad choices and some good choices, but chalked all up as positive learning experiences. I’m very interested to see how 2010 turns out.
Last year I had a different focus because for the first half of the year I had a full time job as Community Manager for an online radio network. This blog network was sort of running itself and though it was a semi-priority, my full time job took up most of my time. When I found myself without full time work during the second half of the year, I made the Freelance Writing Jobs network a priority. The shift in focus agreed with me and this community began to grow. By the end of the year, I was earning a full time income from this blog network. It wasn’t anything near what I was earning doing full time community management, but it was enough for me to not look for many replacement opportunities.
For 2010, FWJ is where I’m devoting the majority of my time save for a few client and personal projets. With this in mind, I’d like to share my own three words for 2010:
Focus: A blog network won’t grow if your focus is on building up someone else’s brand. This is the first year I don’t have dozens of clients or a full time job to deal with, which will enable me to focus on bringing you the content and discussion topics you’re clamoring for. It will also enable me to work on some mutually beneficial projects and grow traffic and revenue so I can continue the positive cycle.
Community: If you’ve been following me and this blog for the past five years, you know my passion lies in building and cultivating community. I hate to sound cliche, but without you, I’m nothing. In 2010, I will work harder to build this community and, also, to build bridges to other communities so we can enjoy some cross discussions with other terrific people and mend some of the riffs formed in 2009. In 2010, it will be about you.
Positivity: There was a lot of negativity among the freelance writing community in 2010. Some of it caused a divide. I’m not going to claim innocence, as I know I didn’t help any, but it all ends here. 2010 is all about positive experiences. It will not be about arguing with other bloggers or trying to defend every decision I make to the people who don’t get why I do what I do. The past is the past and the future is positivity.
I’m going to continue Chris’ challenge by asking you for your three words.
What are your three words for 2010 for yourself….and what are your three words for the Freelance Writing Jobs Network community?
Discuss…
my three words are going to be the 3 Ds: Discipline, Development, and Diversity.
The discipline to write more, and more regularly, Development of longer and more complex forms in my writing, and Diversity of subject matter and genre.
My favorite of the 3 is “diversity.” Putting all one’s egg into the proverbial single basket is a recipe for disaster. I’m looking forward to seeing how it worked out for you!
Good choices Deb. Funny, one of my words was “positivity” too (http://chrisg.co.uk/my-3-words-for-2010-0). Good luck for 2010!
Hi Chris, One of my highlights of 2009 was spending so much time getting to know you in person. Here’s to good things in 2010.
Same here Deb, we should try to meet up again in 2010
Great choices Deb. One of my biggest points of focus this year is positivity. Last year drained me – mentally, physically, emotionally and financially. I’m looking forward to keeping my days as positive as I can by listening to my Law of Attraction tapes, DVD’s and listening to fun music versus the negativity of news, etc.
Good luck in the new year! I’m excited for you.
Thanks, Gayla. I’m excited for you too! 2010 is going to be big, I can feel it.
This is a really good challenge — and a tough one. H’mmm…I think my three words for 2010 are passion, strategy and compassion. Let’s get going!
Good ones, Leslie. Passion is my favorite, it’s what drives us.
I agree on the 1st and 2nd point. But I’d love to replace the 3rd with my own, perseverance. Why perseverance? For a beginner, struggling to build a good blog is a daunting task. With millions of blogs accessible on the Internet these days, to get readers’ attention is getting tougher. The competition among bloggers is tight enough to choke us – novices- and makes us reconsider like hundreds of times if blogging is bringing more advantages than disadvantages to us in any way possible or not. I went through a phase (and maybe I am still now) when moving forward is as painful as giving up.
Very good points – and you’re right about the competition. Though I worked very hard to build this blog network, I wonder if it would be as popular if I started it this year?
My three words new, growth, job.
As I focused on which words these floated to the top. I was slammed last year. For this year I want a new creative job. I want creative growth. Undoubtedly achieving those three little words will mean some inner growth and searching. Sometimes that is painful. I cannot go on re enacting the definition of insanity. Which is doing the same thing expecting different results!
Jill we can’t make important decisions without a little soul searching. As painful as reality might be, it’s worth taking a look if it means finding the proverbial pot of gold.
Discipline, direction and focus are the three words I need to take to heart Deb. I am all over the place with my attempts to write. I need to be disciplined and actually pick something to focus on. I start so many projects but finish NONE! Not a good way to build a writing career eh?
So this year I have to focus, but on what? Oh dear!
Happy New Year Deb.
I don’t think there’s a writer alive who can’t claim having multiple projects going at once. In 2009 I began slowing down and completing one thing at a time. I’m not a fan of multitasking.
Please keep us posted on your progress.
I sure will, Deb. Now I’ve said in public I need to do these things, I believe I’m going to do them.
Prosperity, focus, and discipline are my three words for 2010.
I to have learned a lot from my mistakes in 2009. As far as my online business goes I now know what is working and what is not as far as my marketing goes. For 2010 I will concentrate on the profitable areas of my business, and cut out the wasted time. To our most profitable year yet 2010!