As the 2017 year comes to an end I have, like many people, been thinking about what I’d like to accomplish in the coming year. For me, 2017 was a year full of unknowns, transitions and new adventures. I had the opportunity to start teaching design courses at the local college, left my full time design job of almost 4 years, bought a fixer-upper, and started planning my wedding. While 2017 was full of changes and excitement, I am wanting 2018 to be a year of growth and stability. These reflections have been the driving factor for my 2018 goals. Now, some of these goals are strictly professional, while some are more personal to me, but I want to share them all with you. Plus, if I post them on here I will have way more accountability! Without further ado, here are the business and personal goals that I plan to accomplish:
BUSINESS GOALS
Get my AKBD
Those of you in the Kitchen & Bath Industry already know what this is. It is the first certification that you obtain by the National Kitchen & Bath Association that shows you are a committed kitchen and bath designer and have expertise in multiple facets in the kitchen and bath industry. It is an exam that, to be honest, I should have taken long ago.. But I hate tests and didn’t want to commit to the expensive exam and certification fees, membership fees and study tools required to receive your certification. It’s now or never though! Eventually I hope to receive my CKBD Certification which is much more rigorous.
Increase my social media presence
In this day and age it is crucial to have a social media presence, and since my business is relatively new I do not have as many followers as I would like. My main focus right now is on my Instagram and my Facebook accounts, but I am hoping to expand my following on all platforms (I currently have a Houzz, Pinterest, Twitter, etc. I am just not as active on them as I would like). This requires a lot of time, effort and consistency. I am just one person, giving most of my time to clients and other aspects of my business, so this is a challenging goal for me. However, I have taken a few courses on social media and hope to expand on that. I have also started creating content calendars to better organize my strategies and believe it will truly help my business.
Automate/Outsource
If there’s one thing that I’m learning in business, it’s that time is valuable. I have always heard the phrase, “Time is money”, and I understand it now more than ever. Right now I am wanting to be a part of all aspects in my business so that I can fully understand every portion from the ground up. This of course, means working long hours because not only am I working with clients full time, but I am working on the accounting, marketing, social media platforms, and all that fun stuff. There is a fine line in outsourcing; I don’t want to outsource too much too soon, because that could increase my overhead too rapidly. However, not expanding soon enough could stretch me too thin. In 2018 I hope to get to a place where I feel comfortable outsourcing several of the previously mentioned tasks. Which leads me to my next goal..
Help at least 50 clients get their dream space
Whether that be a kitchen, bathroom or living room I hope to help 50 clients get the space of their dreams. With 12 months in a year that is just over 4 clients per month, so this seems challenging yet doable to me. The reason I like this goal so much is because it’s measureable. I love meeting new clients and helping them transform their space into something more functional, practical and beautiful. Design can really have an impact on someone, and I want to be a part of that.
Okay, now that we’ve talked about all the goals related to Justine Marie Designs, it’s time to move on to my more personal goals. Which, obviously still go hand in hand with my business since the more personal goals I’m achieving the more my business will succeed and vise versa.
PERSONAL GOALS
Live a healthier lifestyle
Yeah yeah yeah, isn’t this everyone’s #1 New Year’s Resolution? Well it’s mine too. I don’t necessarily want to “lose 10 pounds” or “go to the gym 5 times a week”, I just want to make more time for myself. Wake up and eat a breakfast (instead of waiting until 2PM and then eating 3 showroom donuts because I forgot to eat and didn’t pack a lunch). In 2017, I always said, “well if I have more time I will go workout later”, and obviously that never happened. So I have come to the conclusion that I need to make time for myself and put my walks and workouts in the calendar just like any other appointment. Because, my health should be a priority, right? So in 2018 I would like to make it more of one.
Volunteer/Find a cause
This is another thing that I regret not doing more of in 2017. Again, I always said, “well if I had more time or more money then I could volunteer or give more of it”. But, then I heard a statistic that really made me think about this topic.. If you make over $35,000 a year, you are in the richest 2.8% of the world’s population. That is pretty crazy to me, and I’m selfish if I wait until I make more to give some. So, I would like to find a cause that I am passionate about, and volunteer more. I am really interested in helping refugees or children in need, and I have found some great organizations that I hope to be a part of. If you have heard of any, please let me know. I also consider this a business goal as I plan to incorporate my volunteer work with Justine Marie Designs.
Remodel my kitchen
Alright this one seems vein compared to my prior goal but if I have to live another year with my current kitchen I will set it on fire. My house was built in the 70’s and the kitchen is totally outdated and not functional whatsoever. I think it’s only right that a kitchen designer has a nice kitchen. Which is why sometime this year I would like to remodel my kitchen. The design is complete and the product is partially selected, now I just have to make it happen. It will make one great before and after!
So there you have it, a list of my 2018 Goals, both business and personal. 2018 is going to be an exciting year! I hope to continue to grow my business while remodeling our home and raising an 8 year old, and in May my fiance and I will be getting married, in HAWAII! Which getting planned is a goal in itself. I wanted to share these goals with you because I want to grow true connections with my clients and followers, and believe a brand is more than just a logo and a website. I hope you enjoyed reading about my goals, and are inspired to jot down some of your own.
What are your goals for 2018?
Justine
