Note to my future self

At the beginning of the year, I like to write myself a note that I can open in twelve months time. It allows me to think about what I want this year to hold and sets my intentions for the year. This is a great exercise to do on your own or within a team. This year I thought I would share mine with you.

Friday, 18 December 2020

Dear future-self,

You made it! It’s the end of 2020, and you have now been running Elm Communications for over two and a half years. The leap year is done, and you can start to pack for a few weeks break at the coast.

Hopefully, this holiday will be less eventful than last year. It’s been a big year of rebuilding on the south coast after the fires devastated the region this time last year. Towns that were affected are still getting back on their feet, but it was nice to see Canberrans discovering the beauty of the coast in winter and bringing tourism back to the area.

Murphy Brown (your five year old labradoodle) is doing well after his Addison’s Disease diagnosis. You have read waaaay to much about the disease, and you need to stop questioning the vet every time you see them. He is fine now and just as energetic as ever.

2019 has been another year of surprises. If you have learnt anything since starting Elm, it’s that anything can happen. Eighteen months ago, you weren’t sure you would get one client. In 2019, you had eighteen clients and got to work internationally! In 2020, you had over twenty-five clients. You got to work on projects you are passionate about, locally and internationally, and with teams that you enjoy being a part of. You reached out to more communications professionals and helped them find a way to demonstrate their value within their organisations. This is your purpose, and you love what you do.

You got to partner with some amazing people this year like Samantha Sutherland and Big Bang Social to deliver really important work. Working with other consultants is still one of the great joys of freelancing! The network of people you have expanded this year helps make working alone more fun.

You got better this year at saying – enough is enough. It’s possible you are still a perfectionist that has a scarcity mindset, so you probably took on more than you should have. But you did get better at finding a balance. You spent more time down the coast and hanging out with family and friends. Importantly, you spent a lot of time playing ball with Murphy.

2021 is just around the corner, it’s the last year of your 30s. It’s time to start thinking about the future of Elm and where it’s going to grow.

Me