Consistency In 2019

Happy New Year! I hope you and yours are enjoying a lovely holiday season. This year I took last week off completely for the first time in a long time. I hope you did the same.

Rest and Recharge

If you can swing it, I highly recommend a solid break from all things work at least once a year to reconnect with loved ones and recharge. Just like good sleep, adequate rest, relaxation and time away from work makes everything better.

It also gives you a chance to really reflect on the last year. What worked? What didn’t work? What do you want more of? What do you want less of? Giving yourself permission to take some quiet time and really think this stuff through makes a huge difference.

2018 Review

2018 was my best year ever as a UX consultant, but a bit lackluster in some respects. I had plenty of work coming in, but a lot of it was what I call “DSM”, or “Doing Stuff For Money”. I’m learning to say no to those kinds of opportunities, but it’s never easy with a family to support.

For example, in July and August I turned away two large “whale” projects. They were both last minute requests without clear definition or deadlines. Accepting either of them would have taken several months and caused a lot of family stress, so I politely said no.

As September rolled around I was really worried about income for Q4, but then something wonderful happened. Several people signed up for my UX coaching program and I had the opportunity to work on a smaller project for a cause and client I believe in.

If I had accepted either of the other two big projects, I would have had to turn this smaller opportunity down. And this project is really special. I look forward to every moment I’m involved with it. I’d like a lot more of that in 2019 :)

2019 Theme: Consistency

I want more consistency in 2019. More consistent clients and projects. And more interaction with blog readers like you :)

Most importantly, I want to consistently grow personally and professionally. That means confidently saying “no” to the things I want less of and actively pursuing the things that help me grow and add value.

Large corporate web design projects have been my bread and butter for over 20 years. While they are definitely good for cash flow and I’m very grateful for them, it’s time to do something different. So next year I intend to consistently serve smaller clients, causes I believe in and develop my own products and services.

Coming Soon: Group Coaching

To that end, I’m doing a lot more coaching in 2019. Thanks so much to all of you who signed up for my UX coaching program in 2018. It was a pleasure working with you.

Since our time together, many of you have started new jobs, improved your workflow, or leveled up your freelance businesses. I’m honored to have played a small part in your success.

I’m in the process of redesigning my coaching program for 2019 so it can serve a lot more people. This probably means doing less one-on-one meetings and setting up a group UX coaching program in the future.

In the meantime, prices for one on one sessions are going up in 2019, so book now to get my lowest rates.

Wishing you all the best in 2019 and beyond!