Sunday, November 10, 2024

The Good, the Dangerous, and Classes Realized

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Can we discuss the truth that 2020 is

ALMOST

OVER?!

The tip of the 12 months—any 12 months—is all the time my favourite time.

Not simply due to Christmas, however the twinkling lights and apple cider undoubtedly assist.

However as a result of we’re about to get a recent begin. A clean slate. An entire new 12 months.

It’s Heath’s fault that that is at present caught in my head.

​Heath and I are obsessive about objectives (in case that wasn’t evident already) and these previous few weeks in December are an opportunity to replicate. Relaxation. Determine what’s subsequent.

I’ve been occupied with every little thing that occurred in 2020. The great, the dangerous, the loopy tough, the primary two months of the 12 months, which felt like a unique WORLD than the remainder of 2020.

One factor Heath and I all the time do on the weblog is to share our 12 months in evaluation on the earlier 12 months and our objectives for the following. (I’m saving the objectives for after Christmas.) Let’s begin with the great things.

OR you’ll be able to hearken to this weblog publish in podcast type:

2020: The Good

Journey

Okay, to begin with, we spent over a month in Florida final January, and guys, why did we not do that yearly as RVers? It was every little thing I wanted in life.

Heath and I switched up our journey schedule this 12 months to suit higher with an energetic child. This meant staying in locations for 2-6 weeks at a time and slowly exploring an space.

We LOVED touring this fashion, particularly when it meant so many choices for having fun with fall throughout Colorado. I see extra leisurely lengthy stays sooner or later.

Enterprise

The tenting trade SOARED this 12 months. Heath and his staff grew Campground Reserving 244%. (I’m about to show 30 and I nonetheless can by no means work out how folks calculate percentages over 100, however I do know that’s actually good.)

And my e book, printed over three years in the past now, outperformed final 12 months’s gross sales. This could possibly be as a result of so many extra folks purchased RVs this 12 months, however I additionally suppose it’s as a result of I took the time to replace the e book’s content material.

(We’ve got an outstanding visitor publish from creator Lindsey Nubern on learn how to know if you need to replace your e book. For those who’ve received a e book that wants a lift in content material or gross sales, I like to recommend it!)

Heath & I additionally set to work with our pals Kara & Nate to plan and emcee their documentary premiere again in January—a lifetime in the past! Somebody advised Heath this 12 months that being an entrepreneur is an excuse to work with pals. We so agree and love any time we are able to say sure to tasks with pals. Extra of that in 2021, please 🧡

A great portion of our enterprise power this 12 months went towards studying about shopping for and working a campground.

We’ve toured properties, met with contractors, talked to realtors, buyers, mentors, pals—aaaand we haven’t pulled the set off on a property but. We’ve been shut—a number of occasions!—however issues preserve falling by way of. So I suppose this a very good factor that occurred in 2020 but in addition a irritating and tough factor.

We’ve got some irons within the fireplace that we’re at present pursuing, however property homeowners don’t need us making something public till the ink is dry, so we’re going to be fairly tight-lipped on any property particulars.

However the precise coolest enterprise factor of the 12 months was in all probability being on the quilt of Rootless Journal.

This can be a whole self-importance factor, however since I used to be a child, I all the time wished to be on the quilt of {a magazine}. I believed it might be because the world’s first prima ballerina/pop singer however a journal situation dedicated to being an RV entrepreneur is fairly superior too 🙂

Household

And lastly, just about every little thing about Ellie. This 12 months she realized to crawl. Stroll. Speak. Soar. Sing. Dance. The opposite day she walked over to our creation calendar, pulled out a Hershey’s kiss, unwrapped it, threw the wrapper within the trash, and yelled “extra!” earlier than she even ate the chocolate. She’s a genius, and clearly her mom’s daughter.

However as a lot as I really like her, maybe the most important win of 2020 was discovering childcare for Ellie this fall from a stay-at-home mother on the town. There’s solely a lot work I can do throughout nap occasions and now Ellie has a BFF.

Full-time RVing this 12 months, being a full-time stay-at-home mother and operating a enterprise, AND attempting to purchase a campground…it was loads. And I wasn’t doing something nicely. Now I’ve 20 hours every week that I will be productive on the enterprise, and it feels so GOOD.

2020: The Dangerous

Compared to so many others, nothing horrible occurred to us in 2020. However we did have some really onerous moments and fell in need of objectives, as a result of that’s life.

The most important second was canceling our convention in March, although we already had 100+ attendees on-site for the occasion. What a loopy time.

We talked on the podcast about how we made the fast pivot to a digital occasion, dealt with partial refunds, shipped out t-shirts to attendees, and blazed onward (episode 201).

We haven’t closed on a campground but, like I already talked about, which looks like a significant fail for 2020 since that was our #1 purpose this 12 months. However objectives shift and we realized again in July that we wanted to discover a home first and a campground second. So we might be full steam forward on a campground in Q1, AND we’ll lastly launch the Campground Startup podcast on February 1st (one other mission we have been going to begin in 2020!).

I believe one of many worst elements of 2020 for me was feeling like I couldn’t do something the way in which I wished to. And never in an “I need to take Ellie to the pool and educate her to swim, oh wait all of the swimming pools are closed without end” form of method.

I began engaged on my subsequent e book this summer season, like actually working. I wrote a number of chapters. Felt actually good about it. Phrases have been flowing. Submit its have been in every single place. Tales and recollections flooded again to me.

It’s the e book I wished to put in writing again in 2014 once we first began RVing, sharing tales from our travels and what life on the highway was like.

However then we have been caravanning with pals. Ellie switched from two naps to 1. Heath began working extra hours to boost cash for Campground Reserving. Household was driving up from Texas to go to us. I used to be behind on a course we have been launching that wanted consideration. I didn’t have any little one care choices, solely late nights and early mornings.

I didn’t really feel like I had any management over my time.

So I’ve a number of chapters of a e book written that I haven’t checked out in far too lengthy, although I deliberate on publishing it this month.

This was an enormous emotional battle for me and an enormous theme for us for 2020. I couldn’t be a mother, a traveler, an entrepreneur, and a author . I wanted assist and I wanted to chop again. (That is one thing Heath has felt too as he’s now operating a 9-person distant enterprise with staff all around the world.)

Which is why childcare felt like such an enormous win for me. And why it was the correct time for a sticks and bricks.

And so once more I be taught the lesson, I can do every little thing, however I can’t do every little thing on the identical time.

So ending my subsequent e book goes on the checklist for 2021 together with our podcast and our campground. It’s going to be a busy 12 months, I can already inform!

2020: Main Classes Realized

Along with studying for the millionth time that I can’t do every little thing , Heath and I realized a number of different huge classes this 12 months.

Life is just too brief to not do belongings you need to do, even for those who do them badly.

In November, I partnered with my good friend Barb of RV Foodie Kitchen to host a nightly cooking present. It was a dream come true.

Besides I actually tousled cooking ALL my recipes. And I might’ve carried out 1,000,000 little issues in a different way.

However it was actually enjoyable.

I did it, although it was scary. Additional work after I didn’t have further time. I used to be in no way geared up or expert sufficient to do it. Ellie ate uncooked batter whereas I used to be distracted speaking to the digicam. I had 1,000,000 excuses to not strive (I’m shifting right into a home proper now, we now have pals visiting, I’m not an actual prepare dinner, the checklist goes on).

However I nonetheless did it. This can be a lesson I attempt to lean into just a little extra every year: do the belongings you need to do, even for those who’re not prepared. I remorse by no means attempting greater than I remorse making errors as I am going.

Give your self grace.

I believe 2020 taught us all learn how to give ourselves grace.

Learn how to let go of our fastidiously constructed plans. Learn how to pivot. Learn how to float. Learn how to not maintain ourselves to metrics or numbers.

However as an alternative, give attention to progress.

I didn’t do yoga 365 occasions, however I did 150 occasions (due to Yoga with Adriene). And that’s waaaay higher than final 12 months.

Progress > excellent, as they are saying.

You do you.

There was a time after I would reply to emails all the time encouraging folks to additionally strive full-time RVing. We cherished it a lot OF COURSE these whole strangers on the web could have the identical magical expertise.

However over the previous couple of years, I’ve modified my strategy. As a result of full-time journey isn’t for everybody. Beginning a enterprise isn’t for everybody.

And that’s one thing we’ve shifted on our web site this 12 months. Like extra assets for distant work and being a digital nomad basically, as an alternative of solely assets for beginning a enterprise. You do what’s best for you (and I’ll publish the assets, interviews, and visitor blogs from allllll the touring consultants).

That is one thing I need to do extra of in 2021—extra visitor blogs and interviews with people who find themselves smarter than me.

We’re ADULTS.

Heath turned 30 yesterday. I flip 30 in two weeks. (Ellie won’t ever flip 30 as she agreed to remain tiny and cute without end.)

And we’re embarking on a complete new decade of life.

Our 20s have been wonderful. We met and received married. Traveled greater than we ever thought we may. Had a child. Purchased a home. Began a bunch of companies. Paid off all our scholar debt.

I count on 30 to be chock filled with much more adventures.

Extra on setting objectives and planning for 2021 subsequent week 🙂

Till then, wishing you secure travels, good well being, however an unhealthy quantity of Christmas cookies. Tis the season!

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