Did you make any resolutions this year? I think resolutions are a great way to evaluate where you are and where you want to be, but as we all know, they can fade away pretty quickly. I haven’t made any resolutions in a couple of years, but instead have chosen, like many others, to designate a word that will guide me throughout the year. Last year, that word was Intentional.

At the beginning of 2015, I decided to make a very conscious effort to live with this word in mind. It’s such a huge concept…one of my favorite bloggers even built a brand around it. (By the way, if you haven’t checked out The Lively Show, you really should!) The beauty of living intentionally is that it means something different for each individual. For me, the main focus was my career.

I officially started Milly Media in January and signed my first client in February. I took on just a little more at a time until finally, in August, I was able to quit my job and work for myself full time. It has easily been the most difficult, most terrifying, and most rewarding experience of my life.

But each client I’ve added, each connection I’ve made, each event I’ve attended has been an intentional part of the plan. My business is almost 100% referral, so making worthwhile connections and being intentional about the reputation I am creating is so important.

So naturally, this year’s word is just kind of an extension of that.

The word I’ve chosen for 2016 is Fearless. I’m sure you’ve seen me post this quote on Instagram or Pinterest a few times, because I love it so much.

I feel so incredibly blessed to have basically stumbled into a field that makes me happy. I never would have thought that restoring a house and starting a blog would unlock so much inside of me. Even though I’m now in what my hubs calls an “eat-what-you-kill lifestyle”, I am the happiest I have ever been and feel more at peace than I ever could have imagined. Those that are close to me have definitely noticed the difference. But now that I feel like the sky really is the limit, I just want to keep pushing!

Milly Media took off so much faster than I had planned (and y’all know this type A girl had a plan, complete with color coded charts and spreadsheets!). My goal when I started last January was to be able to quit my job and run Milly Media full time within 18 months. It took 8. My goal was to be back on par with what I was making when I left my job as an accountant within 12 months. It took 2. That’s fantastic news, but it’s a little scary, and completely overwhelming at times. So now, I want to be fearless in growing my business.

My new goal is to have so much business that I need to hire an assistant within one year. It wasn’t until a couple of weeks ago in a conversation with Charles that I realized this doesn’t have to stay a one-man operation forever, which is all I had ever really pictured for Milly Media. I now know that I can dream bigger, and I can achieve those dreams. It just takes work.

This year is going to be all about stepping outside of comfort zones. I have 6 seminars lined up with a few small business centers across the state in which I will teach new small businesses about the importance of social media and blogging for business, as well as a few social media 101 courses. Getting up in front of a crowd as an “expert” is something that makes me extremely nervous. But I’m learning that that’s just part of the journey.

I’m also going to strive to be fearless in the pursuit of big clients. It’s a challenge for me to not be too timid or even too humble when it comes to attracting clients. Learning to speak up and not be bashful about my services, my rates, and my expertise is something that still doesn’t come all that naturally to me, but I’m gaining confidence.

When it comes to the blogging business, I plan to karate chop through those safety nets too. I stepped way outside my comfort zone last summer and attended my first blog conference, and it was so wonderful. I learned so much and met some pretty amazing people. I can’t wait to attend more this year!

Lastly, I’m pledging to be fearless about asking for help when I need it…in all facets of my life. I’ve learned that asking for help is not a sign of weakness, but rather a way to embrace the relationships that I’ve nurtured. I plan to do more of that in 2016.

To help keep me accountable, I’ve officially submitted my word for the year to My One Word. My mom turned me on to this site, and it’s a great way to keep your word in the forefront of your mind throughout the year. You can submit your word here!

Did you choose a word this year? Did you make any New Years resolutions? I’d love to hear what your goals are for 2016! Tell me in the comments below!