A Year in Goals

Date: 01/06/2009 - 9:09 am

File Under: freelancing, growth, 2009 goals, tips

For any freelancer to succeed, the ability to grow and push one self is a must. You stop growing (skill and business-wise) and you are only one project away from not making it. A good way to make sure that you will be bringing in new work and getting the bills paid is to set goals for yourself. This is something every freelancer should do, and since the new year is now upon us, I thought that it would be good for me to share a few of my goals for 2009.

I have a few different types of goals that I set for myself in a few different categories. The categories can be anything from new skills (new platform/framework, techniques), to strictly business (increasing your rate, tracking time). As for what types of goals I set, I try to put them in these ranges: (a) goals that I know are easily attainable, (b) goals that will take some time and sweat but will still be attainable, and (c) goals that are so beyond you that you can only dream about them right now (you gotta dream!). Here are a few of my goals for 2009:

Business

  • Track every hour of every day. Accurately.
  • Expand my client base.
  • Add two more clients to my 80/20.
  • Have 50 percent of my income be residual.

Skill Set:

  • Learn Wordpress (and successfully implement it into a site).
  • Learn the Django framework (and successfully implement it into a site).
  • Build a site using one of the CSS frameworks.
  • Build my own custom CMS - - and/or - - Build an iPhone/Android app.

Projects:

  • Have three out of every four web projects I design accepted into top CSS galleries.
  • Launch a concert poster database for past personal work.
  • Win an award from AIGA.

Personal:

  • Apply at a few design firms to see if I have the stuff to cut it with the creme de le creme.
  • Get a job (or job offer) at Happy Cog or Carsonified or some other prestigious company (Google!)
  • Survive my second year as a full time freelancer.

Any one have any good tips for pushing yourself? Any goals you are trying to set for this year? 

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