2024 dreaming

Some thoughts on things I would love to do next year

My 2024 vision board

The start of a new year. Ahhhh, it feels like breathing in clear mountain air, doesn’t it? Fresh and cleansing.

In reality, of course, putting up a new calendar doesn’t mean anything really changes, but I love this time of year for the sense of hope and possibility that it brings. It gives you a chance to reflect (which I’ve done here) and to dream about what you’d like the next twelve months to bring.

There are all sorts of benefits to speaking your goals out loud, but this year, I’m feeling like I want to hold them a bit closer to my chest. For now, at least. Maybe it’s because I am not setting specific goals - as in, the numbers I’d like to hit with followers or subscribers or my income.

I do have an amount of money that I’d like to earn, but instead of focusing on that as my goal, I’m thinking about the actions I take throughout the year, and hope that taking those actions consistently will help me reach that higher income number.

My word for 2024 is Energy, and some of the spaces I want to focus my energy next year are:

• My clients. I’ve been working hard this year to make my offer as good as it can be, both in terms of how it comes across as an offer, and in terms of what I deliver to clients. Next year I want to continue to refine this and help more authors feel confident and clear about their marketing.

• Substack. I will continue to show up most weeks and create content I think is interesting to read. Some of it will be helpful marketing content, some of it will be what I’ve been thinking about lately. I commit to spending energy writing here.

• Instagram. This is SUPER interesting because I did not expect this to be on my list at all even a few months ago. But I have radically changed how I approach my Instagram content (which I will write about in January) and now I enjoy it way more, am starting to get far more referrals from it, and the content I share there leads into content on here and on The Empowered Author Facebook page.

• Building connections. This has many pieces to it:

  • I want to do a lot more outreach next year. Every month, I would like to host an author or person who helps authors, on this Substack, to talk about marketing.

  • On the flipside, I would like to appear on more people’s blogs / newsletters / Substacks / podcasts / Facebook groups etc. I’ve got a call out for your help below, and as part of this goal, I’m going to be pitching myself to at least one place per month.

  • Networking more, both in terms of my local community, and in terms of my industry.

  • I have made new, wonderful friendships this year, but have also really let a lot of friendships slide and have fallen out with more than one person, which is not AT ALL like me. I would like to put energy into building those relationships back up a bit.

• Building up my personal energy as a resource. This is a weird way to phrase this, but essentially, in 2023 I have really focused on my health in a way I’ve never done before, and I want to continue to do that - and expand on what I’ve done so far - in 2024.

I would love your help!

If you have a podcast / blog / newsletter / Substack that you would like me to write something for, please do drop me a note! Similarly, if there is someone you think I should pitch myself to, tell me.

On the other side, if you have had success in selling and marketing your book and would like to share your lessons, I would love to have a chat with you about sharing them here, so do get in touch if that is something you’d like to do.

If you’re getting this via email, you can just hit reply to get in touch, or if you’re in Substack, you can email me here.

That’s my list!

Not necessarily very SMART goals, but I think they’re all reasonably measureable by the actions I take, vs what the outcome ends up at.

There are a few things on my mind that I haven’t shared, but I’m holding those close to my chest (for now, anyway). One thing I know for sure is that things will change as the year progresses. What I’m aiming for now may well change as my energy (ha) shifts throughout the year. So I’m already looking forward to seeing where I am at the end of next year, and how much of this I can say I did vs. how much no longer applies.

What’s on your 2024 list? Any big or small goals you’d like to share? Do you have a word for the year? I would love to hear from you!