Event Planning Tips, From the Experts, Your Event Career
My Event Planning Goals for 2017! Part One
QC tutor Regina Young is the owner and creative director of Meant2Be events, a top Arizona wedding planning firm that manages over 250 weddings a year.
Anyone who knows me knows how big I am on goal setting and accountability. I have pages and pages of reflection, milestones and opportunity every year that I outline. So when the school came to me and asked me to write about goal setting, I am not sure that they were aware of what they were getting into. So much so that I feel compelled to break it up into three posts. We are going to digest, create and learn to generate higher standards for your coming year! Here goes…
One of the biggest missteps in goal setting is something I feel like almost everyone I talk to is guilty of. The ideas are swirling in your head; dreams of more money, more power, more recognition, and a slimmer waistline are easy to conjure up. We all wish for a bigger this, a shinier that, right?
The importance of reflection
But the most important place to start your goal setting is gratitude. Look how far you have come! All those amazing people who supported you or challenged you! Each risk, each win, each fail that taught you a valuable lesson.
And each area of your life affects the next, more bookings meant more cash flow, more cash flow meant more fun, but less time to do it in. Some people have come and gone from your life this year, and that’s ok too.
The sum of all of that is what makes up your 2016.
The fact remains that the only change between 2016 & 2017 is going to be your approach to it. The clock doesn’t strike midnight on New Year’s Eve and all that you know or are experiencing radically changes. My crew will be working, so for sure the party goes on for us! But really, the only way to move forward is to evaluate where you have been.
Start by journaling
So here’s the first step. Write down all the areas in your life by category. For example: Family, Health, Wealth, Spiritual, the list goes on.
Now evaluate what has occurred in that area of your life this year. Write down EVERYTHING. The good, the bad & the ugly. The more authentic you are the more realistic and successful your plan moving forward can be. Since the intention of this is create an inspiration for your coming year for this we will focus on the WIN column.
For example this year we won the 2017 Knot Choice award for like the millionth time, I hosted an event for Jess Levin editor of Carats & Cake, was nominated for another chair position on the WIPA board, and was also made a business ambassador for Honeybook. I made my first risotto from scratch, celebrated my one year wedding anniversary, oh yeah, and I had my first baby! Lots of WINS!
Your WINS list should be longer. Way longer. In each category, think of at least 5 or so things that happened in 2016 that you deserve a pat on the back for! The list should be professional as well as personal. Don’t hold anything back. We all spend too much time being our worst critic. This is your chance to pat yourself on the back.
Next, we will take the foundation of honors, accomplishments and achievements and look at how to expand and grow into 2017.
