Carly Findlay

Writer, speaker, appearance activist. Loving life!

  • About me
  • Say Hello – my book
  • Hire me!
  • Support Me
  • Contact
  • What is Ichthyosis?
  • Ichthyosis + appearance diversity resources
  • Disclaimer
  • Shop
  • Guest post contribution guidelines
  • Growing Up Disabled in Australia

This New Year’s Eve, don’t beat yourself up for what you haven’t achieved – feel good about what you have achieved.

December 30, 2015 Carly Findlay Leave a Comment

As the sun sets on the year that’s past, especially, there are so many voices telling us that what we’re doing isn’t enough. I’ve found this particularly as blogger – not even in December, but all year actually.

In a world where everyone is a diet expert and there are people who call themselves social media gurus but only have a handful of social media followers, it feels like bloggers should be diversifying and value adding, or sink. Maintain your blog but DO MORE to connect with your readers, to reach brands and to boost your SEO. Write a listicle post! Use long tailed keywords! Don’t write a long post as your readers won’t like it! Become niche! It can be overwhelming. And can leave you feeling like you’re not doing it right. (Just quietly, I don’t know what a long tailed keyword is, nor am I aware if I’ve used one, and I’m doing ok!)

As I downloaded yet another interesting podcast, this time about entrepreneurship (it’s called Design Life – with episodes about personal branding and side projects), I realised that this year, many things didn’t get ticked off my to do list. I sighed, wondering when I will do these things:

  • Complete my huge writing list
  • Start a HuffPo profile
  • Finalise a writing challenge I have planned for the disability blogging community
  • Write a short eBook
  • Launch a blogging eCourse (I delivered a mini one last year)
  • Start a podcast
  • Complete start my manuscript and refine my manuscript proposal
  • Do more videos
  • Pretty up my blog.

It’s perfectly fine that I didn’t achieve it all. Because what I did achieve in 2015 was huge.

  • Hosted a blog reader brunch
  • Organised and hosted the Australian Ichthyosis meet
  • Ran Ichthyosis awareness month on my blog again
  • Helped baby Julius by raising money for creams for him (he’s doing really well)
  • Progressed in my day job
  • Wrote stuff I’m really proud of – and got paid for a lot of it – here’s one piece I love
  • Spoke at two writers festivals
  • Performed at the Fringe Festival
  • Met the former Prime Miinister
  • Was mentioned in an end of year wrap about women pushing back
  • Planned my wedding (!!!)

Everything on my to do list is part of my side project. My side project is mostly my writing, which leads to other great things. While I had lofty goals to make it my full time job, I’m not sure that’s feasible. My side project makes me very happy (mostly) but it doesn’t make me a full time wage. It does supplement my income very nicely and also lets me develop and build on skills, plus meet fabulous people.

As we say hello to a new year, there can be pressure to change, to do things differently. Do more, be better, overhaul yourself, your diet and your career. But why can’t what you’ve done be enough? It’s enough for me. And I won’t feel guilty for not doing more or being different to what I am.

In 2016 I have no goals. I will just keep writing, keep honing my craft. And I believe that will help me achieve those other goals I didn’t tick off my list. I will chip away, continuing to find happiness and help people in my side project.

I wish the same for you. Don’t change because someone’s telling you to. Don’t do something at such force it’s no longer fun. Don’t beat yourself up for what you haven’t achieved – feel good about what you have achieved. Keep doing what you love. Keep being you, because you’re great. And if you want to make a change to your life or set a big goal, do it because of your own reasons, not because you felt pressured into it.

Happy new year.

 

 

 

 

 

Share this:

  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)

Related

Uncategorized

Comments

  1. My Office Books says

    December 31, 2015 at 2:48 am

    Carly, this is such a timely post. All too often we fixate on what we didn't accomplish and forget to celebrate the awesome goals that we did achieve. Thank you for being the warm, inspirational woman that you are. Thank you for reminding us all to celebrate and reflect on the positives xx

    Log in to Reply
  2. cilosophy says

    December 31, 2015 at 8:29 am

    1/1/16 is another day. I did ok in 2015 and expect to do ok in 2016.

    Log in to Reply
  3. Alicia Butcher Ehrhardt says

    January 6, 2016 at 2:38 am

    You did amazingly well in 2015 – best for 2016.

    Life isn't graded.

    I published my first novel in 2015, so I will always be fond of it (the year), and hope it takes off. Still figuring out how to market disabled character (1 of 3)/disabled writer but the book is and isn't about that.

    I'll figure it out.

    You keep writing (I need stuff to read!).

    Alicia

    Log in to Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Socials

  • View tune.into.radio.carly’s profile on Facebook
  • View @carlyfindlay’s profile on Twitter
  • View carlyfindlay’s profile on Instagram
  • View sqoggle’s profile on YouTube

Book me to speak

Sign up for some love in your inbox

Listen to my podcast

Tune in

Enter your email address to receive new posts by email.

Archives

Popular Posts

  • What's with the image descriptions on my social media posts?
  • July is Disability Pride Month
  • Ichthyosis Awareness Month - The Girl Behind the Face: "Life’s rarely been split between either laughter or tears; both have existed simultaneously."
  • Interview with Beth Bradfield from Malory Towers
  • The death of Offspring's Dr Patrick Reid. The TV death that stopped a nation.
  • Accessibility provisions for people with skin conditions 
  • Six at Best - Eddie Perfect - Offspring
  • Disability is not a bad thing! - My keynote speech for International Day of People with Disability in Albury Wodonga
  • Creamoata: a much loved, yet lost food of my childhood. Help me find it.
  • I am not white. My racial identity.

Copyright

The material on Tune into Radio Carly is copyright. The writing in this blog is by Carly Findlay unless otherwise stated. Most photos in this blog are by Carly Findlay unless otherwise stated. Please do not reproduce without permission from Carly Findlay. This blog represents my personal opinions and experiences. It does not reflect those of my employers'. The information I provide about ichthyosis is mostly based on personal experiences. Please seek medical advice or counseling before trying any new treatments I've written about. Where stared, I use affiliate links on this blog. By clicking them, I receive a small percentage of the purchase.

Copyright © 2022 · Daily Dish Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.