blog | 2009 Goals | CreateSean Web Design

2009 Goals

Tuesday December 30 2008

I don’t believe in making resolutions, particularly at the beginning of a new year. To me it seems more natural to make goals throughout the year and update them regularly as targets are achieved or deadlines are missed. This is the first time that I can remember making goals for the new year, but the timing is correct this time around.

I also strongly believe in the S.M.A.R.T.E.R system of goals, which I’ve been using with my university students for the past four years. Clearly S.M.A.R.T.E.R is an acronym, but what does it mean?

S = specific
M = measurable
A = acceptable
R = realistic
T = time oriented
E = extendable
R = recorded

The point of this system is to help one create true goals rather than dreams or wishes. Goals are targets that while challenging can be realistically achieved within the set deadline. The most important aspects are that goals are acceptable. This means that one is making them for ones own reasons. The goals has intrinsic value and meaning to the creator of the goal. The goal is not made because your employer has set it, your spouse or some other external entity. That may be a contributing factor, but should not be the primary one.

The next two most important aspects are time oriented and recorded. A goal needs a deadline. Stating that you want to open your own business …. eventually – is not motivating, has no sense of urgency and will likely fail stated like that. A better goal would include a deadline.
Goals also need to be written down and reviewed daily. The act of writing a goal down makes it more concrete and like a deadline adds to the sense of urgency. Write your goals down where you will see them regularly – post-its on your monitor, bathroom mirror or refrigerator. Another part of recorded involves sharing your goal with others, this can be done in a blog post or more privately with a small group of friends or colleagues.

My original plan when I set up my freelance business back in July was to try and get 1-2 clients completed before the new year, solidify my understanding of CSS and start to learn jQuery. To that end I’ve been more successful than expected. I’ve completed two sites, have another almost completed, have learned some basic jQuery and feel much more confident with CSS. I’ve done all this while teaching full-time and having most of my evenings written off due to my wife working late and needing to watch my young children. I’ve also got one more client secured and two more in negotiations.

Time to up the ante and get my goals set for 2009.

Become a member of the ExpressionEngine Professionals network
Complete 4+ clients before Jun 30
and a further 4+ clients by December 31
Redesign CreateSean Web Design – it was put together in hurry and I’m not happy with it
Improve my understanding of typography to the point where I can make informed decisions about why a font is good or bad for a project rather because it “just looks right”
Be more disciplined when working – learn how to turn off twitter, RSS feeds, Email and Lexulous

My current med-range goal is for Summer 2011. At that point I will be returning to Canada, after 14 years overseas. Web development is going to be my new career so I need to be able to have a stable and large enough income to support myself, my wife and two children. It’s large, not guaranteed, but definitely doable and I’ll be returning to Canada regardless of where the business stands so the urgency is definitely there.

Sean inscribed these words of wisdom on Tuesday Dec 30, 2008 at 05:42 PM

| tags: css, 2009, goals, jquery, s.m.a.r.t.e.r, |

Comments

Dave wrote 51 words on Wednesday Dec 31, 2008 at 03:16 PM

Good thoughts, and I wish you lot’s fun of realizing your dream! Or, goals, as you say .

Being a freelancer is both fun and difficult, but it’s oh-so worth it. To hell with cubicles and cubicle ways of thinking, long live creativeness!

..and a happy new year, of course.

-Dave

Justin Long wrote 28 words on Sunday Jan 18, 2009 at 03:52 PM

Sean,

Great post and I wish you the best of luck joining the ExpressionEngine Pro Network. I have adopted the same goal setting structure.

Justin Long ~ http://therealjustinlong.com

Sean wrote 19 words on Sunday Jan 18, 2009 at 05:27 PM

Justin,
Glad to see another EE user new to freelancing. Looking forward to seeing your site up and running.

Justin Long wrote 67 words on Sunday Jan 18, 2009 at 06:25 PM

It should be up and running by friday. My designer sent it to me way ahead of schedule so I didn’t have as much time as I would of planned. I guess it is better really early then really late. I should have it up and running by Friday then hopefully by the end of February I should have my FoxyEE cart integration up and running too.

Sean wrote 9 words on Sunday Jan 18, 2009 at 06:29 PM

What are you going to be selling with FoxyEE?

Justin Long wrote 170 words on Sunday Jan 18, 2009 at 06:42 PM

I offer monthly subscription based services for restaurants such as support contracts. I also focus on restaurants that currently don’t have websites so I offer a lower cost way to get a site up with a domain name and email and a contact form. I have paid a few designers to create templates that the owner can choose from and I have a kinda of preset naming system I use so I can offer a site to a client with all of their information in a very short time. I am trying to finish an ebook that I am working on that is about 50 pages that goes over the importance of having a website for a restaurant but more importantly a well designed updated website. It is about 50 pages and will be available for download for free but I want to collect peoples info and FoxyEE will allow me to export their data into my CampaignMonitor Database and my address book so I can follow up with them.

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