Who You Will Be 365 Days From Now Is Up To You

As a freelancer, you need to be clear about who you want to be, where you're going, and what you're willing to do to get there.

When I started freelancing, Managed WordPress hosting wasn’t a thing and GoDaddy was THE website hosting company everyone knew. At the same time, their CEO was a mess, their marketing was overtly sexual and sexist, and in the web design/development space their brand reputation was in the toilet.

But over the years, they secured new leadership, overhauled their marketing, invested heavily in community, and fixed their branding. Eventually, they became a real partner for freelancers and agencies looking to grow.

GoDaddy learned, evolved, and got better — and savvy folks don’t punish the new GoDaddy for old company actions.

Years ago a restaurant near me was so poorly managed that we stopped eating there. The service was bad, the food was inconsistent, and it was dirty and smelled funky. More than five years later a friend recommended we meet there for lunch.

I reluctantly agreed and it was spectacular. My food was fantastic, the service was fast, and the entire restaurant had been redesigned (and it was super clean). My friend shared that several years back, the restaurant sold and new owners overhauled it from the ground up and brought in a new chef.

They learned, evolved, and got better — and they earned my consistent business.

I once saw a woman — we’ll call her Jane — speak at a local networking event. Everything about her presentation, from the delivery to the information shared was terrible.

Years later, I saw her listed as one of the speakers for a conference I was attending and while I was disappointed, I went to her session because I was interested in the topic. This time, everything about her presentation was fantastic.

She learned, evolved, and got better — and I was so happy I didn’t let my past experience dictate my present actions.

Don’t Get Stuck In The Past

Too often we let past experiences get in the way of future opportunities.

We treat brands and people as if they’re exactly the same today as they were years ago because it’s easy to forget just how much time has passed and just how much both brands and people improve over time.

I look back at my younger, inexperienced self — especially in my know-it-all twenties and the early years of my business — and cringe at the things I thought, said, and did. Heck, I look back at myself from two years ago and cringe at some of the things I remember saying.

But that’s okay.

It’s normal for someone who invests in self-growth and learning on a daily basis.

730 days of reading, learning, doing, failing, and overcoming took me from where I was two years ago to where I am today — and I’m definitely not the same person I was.

And two years from now, the same will be true because I’ll have had another 730 days to learn, evolve, and get better.

It’s only when you look back and don’t cringe a little that it’s time to worry, because that means you aren’t learning, evolving, and getting better. That means you’re stagnant and that’s not a very fun place to be.

Looking Back And Looking Ahead

When looking in the rearview mirror, give yourself grace and acknowledge the work you’ve done and how far you’ve come to be where you are today — and don’t be afraid to laugh at yourself a little!

When looking at the road ahead, be willing to try new things, speak up, be curious, show up, make mistakes, fail, overcome, try again, and keep going.

Learn as much as you can from everyone you can.
Read books and articles.
Watch videos.
Listen to podcasts.
Attend webinars.
Go to events and retreats.
Join masterminds.
Invest in conferences and education.
Participate in communities.
Ask questions about everything.

When judging others — brands and people — don’t let your experiences and feelings from the past cloud your judgment today. And, don’t let an assumption that nothing has changed or improved get in the way of new opportunities.

You Get To Choose Who You Become

Your actions over the next 730 days will determine where you’ll be and who you’ll be in two years.

Your actions over the next 365 days will determine where you’ll be and who you’ll be one year from now.

When you invest in improving your business operations, systems, and processes, you also increase your knowledge and enhance your skills. Personal growth is a byproduct of professional growth. That’s why it’s important to know where you’re going and what you’re working toward.

So my questions for you are:

Who do you want to be?
Where do you want to go?
What are you willing to do to make it happen?
Do you want to go at it alone or as part of a supportive community who has your back?

If you’re all-in and ready to step up and do the work needed to build the business and lifestyle you dream of, I invite you to check out Profitable Project Plan and: