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Can we speak about the truth that 2020 is
ALMOST
OVER?!
The top of the yr—any yr—is at all times my favourite time.
Not simply due to Christmas, however the twinkling lights and apple cider positively assist.
However as a result of we’re about to get a recent begin. A clean slate. A complete new yr.
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Heath and I are obsessive about targets (in case that wasn’t evident already) and these previous couple of weeks in December are an opportunity to replicate. Relaxation. Determine what’s subsequent.
I’ve been fascinated by every thing that occurred in 2020. The nice, the unhealthy, the loopy troublesome, the primary two months of the yr, which felt like a unique WORLD than the remainder of 2020.
One factor Heath and I at all times do on the weblog is to share our yr in evaluate on the earlier yr and our targets for the subsequent. (I’m saving the targets for after Christmas.) Let’s begin with the good things.
OR you’ll be able to take heed to this weblog publish in podcast type:
2020: The Good
Journey
Okay, initially, we spent over a month in Florida final January, and guys, why did we not do that yearly as RVers? It was every thing I wanted in life.
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Heath and I switched up our journey schedule this yr 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 business SOARED this yr. Heath and his group grew Campground Reserving 244%. (I’m about to show 30 and I nonetheless can by no means determine 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 yr’s gross sales. This might be as a result of so many extra folks purchased RVs this yr, however I additionally assume it’s as a result of I took the time to replace the e-book’s content material.
(We have now an exceptional visitor publish from writer Lindsey Nubern on easy methods to know if it’s best to replace your e-book. In case you’ve received a e-book that wants a lift in content material or gross sales, I like to recommend it!)
Heath & I additionally started working with our mates Kara & Nate to plan and emcee their documentary premiere again in January—a lifetime in the past! Somebody instructed Heath this yr that being an entrepreneur is an excuse to work with mates. We so agree and love any time we will say sure to initiatives with mates. Extra of that in 2021, please 🧡
A very good portion of our enterprise power this yr went towards studying about shopping for and working a campground.
We’ve toured properties, met with contractors, talked to realtors, traders, mentors, mates—aaaand we haven’t pulled the set off on a property but. We’ve been shut—a number of occasions!—however issues maintain falling by means of. So I suppose this a great factor that occurred in 2020 but additionally a irritating and troublesome factor.
We have now some irons within the fireplace that we’re at the moment pursuing, however property house owners 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 yr was in all probability being on the duvet of Rootless Journal.
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This can be a complete self-importance factor, however since I used to be a child, I at all times needed to be on the duvet of {a magazine}. I believed it will be because the world’s first prima ballerina/pop singer however a journal concern dedicated to being an RV entrepreneur is fairly superior too 🙂
Household
And lastly, just about every thing about Ellie. This yr she discovered to crawl. Stroll. Discuss. Bounce. 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 yr, being a full-time stay-at-home mother and working a enterprise, AND attempting to purchase a campground…it was loads. And I wasn’t doing something properly. Now I’ve 20 hours every week that I may 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 arduous moments and fell wanting targets, as a result of that’s life.
The largest second was canceling our convention in March, despite the fact that 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 seems like a serious fail for 2020 since that was our #1 objective this yr. However targets shift and we realized again in July that we wanted to discover a home first and a campground second. So we will likely be full steam forward on a campground in Q1, AND we’ll lastly launch the Campground Startup podcast on February 1st (one other venture we have been going to begin in 2020!).
I feel one of many worst components of 2020 for me was feeling like I couldn’t do something the way in which I needed 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” sort of means.
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. Put up its have been all over the place. Tales and reminiscences flooded again to me.
It’s the e-book I needed to write down again in 2014 after we first began RVing, sharing tales from our travels and what life on the street was like.
However then we have been caravanning with mates. Ellie switched from two naps to at least one. 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 baby 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 couple of chapters of a e-book written that I haven’t checked out in far too lengthy, despite the fact that 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 unexpectedly. I wanted assist and I wanted to chop again. (That is one thing Heath has felt too as he’s now working a 9-person distant enterprise with workers everywhere in the world.)
Which is why childcare felt like such an enormous win for me. And why it was the proper time for a sticks and bricks.
And so once more I study the lesson, I can do every thing, however I can’t do every thing on the identical time.
So ending my subsequent e-book goes on the listing for 2021 together with our podcast and our campground. It’s going to be a busy yr, I can already inform!
2020: Main Classes Discovered
Along with studying for the millionth time that I can’t do every thing unexpectedly, Heath and I discovered a couple of different large classes this yr.
Life is just too quick to not do stuff you need to do, even in the event you do them badly.
In November, I partnered with my pal 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 achieved one million little issues in a different way.
Nevertheless it was actually enjoyable.
I did it, despite the fact that it was scary. Additional work after I didn’t have additional time. I used to be by no means outfitted or expert sufficient to do it. Ellie ate uncooked batter whereas I used to be distracted speaking to the digital camera. I had one million excuses to not strive (I’m transferring right into a home proper now, we have now mates visiting, I’m not an actual prepare dinner, the listing goes on).
However I nonetheless did it. This can be a lesson I attempt to lean into a little bit extra every year: do the stuff you need to do, even in the event you’re not prepared. I remorse by no means attempting greater than I remorse making errors as I’m going.
Give your self grace.
I feel 2020 taught us all easy methods to give ourselves grace.
let go of our fastidiously constructed plans. pivot. flow. 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 yr.
Progress > excellent, as they are saying.
You do you.
There was a time after I would reply to emails at all times encouraging folks to additionally strive full-time RVing. We beloved it a lot OF COURSE these complete strangers on the web could have the identical magical expertise.
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However over the previous couple of years, I’ve modified my method. 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 yr. Like extra sources for distant work and being a digital nomad basically, as an alternative of solely sources for beginning a enterprise. You do what’s best for you (and I’ll publish the sources, 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 lovely without end.)
And we’re embarking on an entire 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 pupil debt.
I count on 30 to be chock filled with much more adventures.
Extra on setting targets and planning for 2021 subsequent week 🙂
Till then, wishing you protected travels, good well being, however an unhealthy quantity of Christmas cookies. Tis the season!