2021 the year you either got what you wanted….or you got what you needed 😳
I was in the latter camp!
2021 was yet another transformative….and pretty challenging year (as they all are when you’ve booked yourself a ticket on the personal growth train!).
Not much passport action (again) which has had a bit of an impact on how I felt. Lots of growth and learning.
I’m not a big crier but I think I cried more in 2021 than ever before!
Right let’s start with some celebrations and focus on the good things that happened (then I’ll tell you about the ugly cry bits from 2021):
Celebration 1 – This year my business turned 9 years old!
I can’t believe I’ve been supporting myself, whilst living out my dream to travel with my business, for 9 whole years. Massive achievement.
What a ride it’s been – from travelling to so many countries, creating a global movement, speaking on stages around the world, exceeding my original goals, and making amazing friends in the process.
I actually did a whole Truth Bombs series sharing behind the scenes of the route I took and the lessons I learned along the way (lots of lessons!). It was real and transparent and I think you’ll learn a lot from it.
If you’re interested I’ll link to it below:
I have a bit of a story that I’ve grown my business quite slowly. One of the reasons for this is that I didn’t put life on hold whilst I waited for the business to be bringing in enough money.
I created the lifestyle whilst building the lifestyle business.
That actually had a big impact on my success. There was no Plan B – I wasn’t waiting to see if it would work, I HAD to make it work. That does something to your mindset.
I’ve noticed a pattern in my business growth – I seem to grow a lot in the space of a year and then I kind of “maintain” the next year – like I am recalibrating at that new level.
Which makes sense.
I used to think this was a problem, but now I realise this is how I grow.
Growth spurt…..usually due to working with a coach or investing in a mastermind.
Recalibrate…and get comfy at the new level.
The messy bit – the bit where the real growth happens, before the tangible results show up (2021!) 🤪
Go again!
Also now I am even more aware of this pattern. I can choose to focus on reducing those maintenance and recalibration times a bit more.
Celebration 2 – Meant for More Landed!
This time last year I lost my brand philosophy due to a trademark issue. I talked about this in last year’s review here).
I had to step into my next-level brand and philosophy and that took some work internally for me. There was some imposter syndrome stuff to deal with that’s for sure. I lot of the year I’ve had to coach myself through the “not good enoughs”!
But I did it. Plus I got myself a fancy new trademark: Meant for More® has landed.
Celebration 3 – New brand in the house!
To mark the massive uplevel with the Meant for More® Trademark I decided it was finally time to level up the brand too. I invested in a brand designer who built me a lovely new website and moved me from my infamous hot pink brand…to orange. I also booked a photoshoot in Malaga (which was a big deal because until then my brand photos were always taken by my fabulous photographer buddy in the UK). Surprisingly, I didn’t struggle at all with the colour change in fact I think my clients miss pink more than me!
Celebration 4 – I had my own back more than I didn’t
I started the year with a 100-day exercise challenge and kept going until July when I got sick, I’m super proud of this and it reminded me just how much has changed for me personally. I really am showing up as the version of me I want to be and that has been YEARS in the making. (It’s really not about the exercise).
The things that really supported me this year were my self-care rituals. My daily routines. Usually, people are what support me, this year I was that person and in the past, I haven’t always been able to rely on myself, so this feels like a really big celebration.
Celebration 5 – The holy grail: Working less and earning more
Last year I had my best year financially and due to not being able to travel anywhere I ended up working a lot more than I usually do. I noticed a massive shift in my energy levels in 2021 and very early on in the year I decided to change some of my business goals. This meant I didn’t work as many hours, yet I’m not far off last year’s income. My focus changed from growing and scaling to making sure my current clients navigated another year through a pandemic.
This was a decision that meant almost 70% of my clients renewed for 2022 🧡
Celebration 6 – I’ve started a podcast!
Due to a whole heap of things, it’s now not launching until later this month (Jan 2022) but it’s ready and I can’t wait to share it with you.
Celebration 7 – I’m now a certified EFT Practioner
I felt like I needed some extra mindset support so I initially did this for myself!! But now my clients love the added bonus of tapping sessions to shift whatever comes up as they step into their next levels!
Celebration 8 – Money is all around me
All my “buckets’ (aka bank accounts) are bulging nicely! Mainly due to the fact I can’t spend it on travel like I usually do!! Plus I’m heading into the next 12 months with more income secured than I earned living in London on a corporate wage. Slow and steady works!
Don’t forget to look at how far you’ve come 🙂
THE REAL STUFF
2021 was a bit messy. It challenged me.
I picked “All In” for my word of 2021. I had some big projects I wanted to pull off and they were going to require me to go “all In”.
Little did I know that would mean something entirely different.
All in on healing. Releasing. Letting go.
All in on the inner work.
All in on the inner growth.
This year brought up so much old pain for me to work through.
And lots and lots of tears. Sometimes publically too. Gah.
Nearly all my support systems dropped off very early on in 2021. This one always gets me – I’m a sensitive soul and I take things far too personally (and I know that we are all navigating life as best we can), this felt really hard.
My biggest lesson was that I really do have my own back.
I can rely on myself when the going gets tough.
My self-care rituals. My mindset toolkit. My productivity system…..All put to good use in 2021!
There were times that I felt like I had gone backward. After years and years of doing the inner work, my mindset was being tested.
Big time.
All my old limiting beliefs and stories popped up.
Was I the one to lead a global movement for women who knew they were meant for more??!
I’ve talked myself through so many mindset blocks.
I remember having a little smile to myself in the mirror (through the tears) knowing that THIS is what growth looks like sometimes.
So many emotions to navigate.
I actually feel like I have gone through a bit of an initiation and I am so ready for what’s coming next.
I’ve passed another test!
Now because I have been in “the arena” for 9 years I know what massive uplevels look and feel like. This was a tough one – I think it’s 6 years since I had such a big one (when I made the tough decision to leave my relationship and life in the UK).
Who said following your dreams was easy?!
Sidenote: My income did not suffer because I have a business model that supports me to not always be “looking for clients”
I know something big shifted in 2021. I just have to keep doing what I’m doing so that the results can show up physically now.
I survived the growing pains! I’ve released, let go, and all that messy stuff.
2022 feels like stepping out into a new world knowing “I’ve done the work”. I have arrived at my next level.
The best thing about 2021
….was realising just how intentional I have become about how I live my life.
About who I am BEING on a daily basis.
This has been literally years in the making.
I have let go of so many old sabotaging ways.
Of people-pleasing. Of abandoning myself for others.
Of the “should’s”
Of the limiting beliefs.
Of trying to fit in.
It’s taken me years of practice.
But I feel like I AM (more than I’m not) the person I want to be, and that feels like the biggest win yet!
IMAGINE WHAT’S POSSIBLE FROM HERE!
I really do know without a doubt that my work matters.
My signature Meant for More framework is well and truly battle-tested and supports everyone who uses it to keep claiming more from life and business.
I am having a huge impact on my clients’ lives. I get messages all the time, cue more tears because honestly, nothing makes me sob more than a good life-changing client win!
All the tweaks to the system have been worth it. All the experimenting. All the “failing”.
All the dropping in and out of alignment as I try and find “my” way of doing this thing called life, with a side of business.
I no longer judge myself so harshly when I don’t achieve things.
I check in on myself how I feel, am I on track with who I want to be, how I want to feel, am I aligned to my values.
I think the all-in theme was for this.
All In on BECOMING the version of me who is absolutely ready to claim her next “more”.
Like never before.
And that’s perhaps where the struggles were this year – when my values were not getting met whether that was by me or by others, I suffered more.
I am heading into 2022 with way more confidence about my work and am forever grateful for my clients who continue to help me with this.
Transformation is now at the core of #meantformore.
It always was.
After years of testing and tweaking, and doubting and experimenting and clients literally telling me as they achieve even more game-changing results.
I can see it now!
What a ride.
Yes, the growing pains can be tough.
Yes, it can feel lonely sometimes (Join us in The Lab if you need THE highest of vibe support crew to navigate your next uplevel).
Yet it’s 100% worth it (I’ll take growing pains over “plodding through life” thank you very much).
I think my word for 2022 is “Transformational” – and as I always say, when I have just come out the other side of a “messy middle” it’s a good time to work with me because I will push and challenge you to claim even more, as I do the same for myself!
So get yourself into The Lab or book an Activate Session.
Thanks 2021, you were emotional – but I see what you did!
2022 let’s get intentional about this transformation.
Love Jo x
