2023: My Year in Review

Yes, it's one of those posts. I love to reflect on what has / hasn't worked each year and consider what I want to be different in the following year. I'm not going to say 2023 has been the best year ever : it has been a journey of discovery and a place where I've experienced professional and personal growth and of course there have been ups and downs: I'm always very open to sharing these as I think we all can struggle at times. 

What I'm celebrating:

Overall, when I look back this year has been great personally and professionally: of course, like most years there have been times when I've wondered what I'm doing or have had self doubt: these are becoming less frequent. I've done a lot of work on myself over recent years especially on letting go of some things and working through some things which have been helping me back this has helped me to be calmer and more present : I think my stress levels have been the lowest they have for a long time!

- My second book "How To Feel Better" was published and became an Amazon bestseller: What was exciting about this book is that it was stocked in real bookshops: I've loved getting photos of people spotting it all over the UK! 

- Both businesses I run turned a profit and Optimus had a 22% upturn in revenue: we've continued to grow sustainably and over 95% of students have said the training is good or better. The training business is in great shape with a strong, committed team and we have a wider range of qualifications.

- I started a brand new business : The Accredited course academy: this took me two years to launch and I'm working with people on creating accredited and certified programs with everyone from the ICF to CPD courses to in-house certifications.

- I re-joined a mastermind and strengthened relationships with my peers: I can often be a bit of a hermit and am not into cliques, I was reminded how it's great to have other business people in your circle and really enjoyed spending time with my peers and learning from them. 

- I feel really settled where we live: we've built up some great friends and we have a lovely lifestyle: it was a big move a couple of years ago and it's paid off.

What I've learned :

As always it's mainly about me and how I show up, I've noticed I can easily fall into patterns of working too much and have had to have a few words with myself about how attached I am to my phone. I'm always mindful of being more present with my loved ones and getting my balance right : I'd say I'm about 80% there on this (a work in progress). A health scare in March bought everything into sharp focus and has been a catalyst for me recognising I need to prioritise my own well-being (ironically what I'm really good at helping others with) 

I had a time when my anxiety and mental health were not great this year: it was only for a short period however it was another reminder of how fragile life can be and meant I went back to therapy which works well for me. 

- To let go of control : I'm someone who struggles when I don't know how things work: I've learned to take a step back and trust my team rather than needing to understand everything : it feels great 

- When I've got a lot on I can neglect my own self care : I've been really aware of this and have started to make sure this comes first as I know the basics: sleep, exercise and diet make such a difference. 

- I've been saying we need to do more corporate work for years .. yet, we've not had a proactive strategy: this has changed and we're already getting results.

- The right support makes such a difference : personally and professionally : I'd held off some things which when I committed to have really helped me and I'm learning to ask for help more. 

What I'll take into next year: 

I'm loving the range of things I do in my businesses and will be building on these: it feels like there are solid foundations to build on which is expansive to reflect on. 

- A renewed focus on speaking with a focus on Wellbeing, Stress reduction / management and performance : I already have some slots booked in. 

- A proactive approach to working with organisations: we've had outstanding feedback from the work we've done and I love working with people to develop coaching skills which support performance. 

- More delegation : we're planning on getting a CEO / Operations manager in 2024 so I can take a step back from some of the day to day tasks. 

- Growth of the accredited course academy : I think certification and accreditation are so key so can't wait to support people with this. 

- Spending more time working on my own well-being and happiness. 

And.. I'm bringing back some things: My Coaching HUB podcast which I loved doing and put to bed at the end of 2022, my Youtube channel which is a great place for people who want to learn more about what we do at Optimus. 

I'd love to know what are your plans for 2024? and what have you thought about 2023?