For me, 2020 was the most transformational year of my life. I went from having a business that earned just over 6 figures in 2019 to one that earned around $1.2 million in 2020. It was life changing for myself as a business owner, but also for my family as well. My husband left his corporate job and instead of having to rush back in to a new role in 2021 he took some time to think about what he wants to do with his life. My children have the benefit of having both my husband and I home all the time to be with them and support them with what they need. And we bought a new house that we are now renovating. To say our lives changed dramatically in a year is an understatement!

But I don't share any of this to boast - I'm not that kind of person. What I want to do is to inspire you about what is possible if you set yourself massive goals and then make changes in your life and show up in a big way.

It wasn't an accident that last year was like this - I worked harder than I have ever worked and I put myself out of my comfort zone more than I ever had before.

I want to share with you three things that worked for me because they might be what you need in your life and business too.

1. Your health is the most important thing above all else

I wholeheartedly believe that it is no accident that my most successful year ever has coincided with me making some extremely significant changes to my health at the same time. Here is what I did in 2020 and how I think it helped:

I decided not to drink any alcohol in 2020 - this started out being quite hard (I used to be a pretty decent drinker!), by March it was easier and by July I wasn't even thinking about it anymore. As I write this I doubt I will ever drink again as it's been so transformational for me to stop drinking. My sleep is better, I have less anxiety, my weight has stabilised and my overall health is better as well. If I can encourage you to do anything it would be to think about your relationship with alcohol and whether it continues to serve you in a positive way.
Exercise every day - I work with a trainer and do weight training 6 times per week. I pay a fairly uncomfortable amount of money for this training because the paid accountability is what I need to be in the park at 6am most mornings ready to train. If you want to improve your health then think about finding a way to pay for this accountability. I have always been an active person but I've never been as consistent or worked as hard as I have since I started working with my trainer, Miguel. I have set myself huge fitness goals for this year and am geting closer to attaining them - bring on 180kg hip thrusts (I reached 120kg last year)!
I became a vegan for a year - and although I have recently started adding some fish back in to my diet, eating no meat for an entire year has really helped me to think more about the food I'm putting in my body and on the whole make much healthier choices around what I eat. I also feel better for treading more lightly on the environment and being less cruel to animals.
Sleep is everything - if you've been around here for a while you'll know I get up at 5am every day (yes including the weekends!). Many people think I am sacrificing my sleep for this, but on the whole I'm not. I go to bed early and I try to get 8 hours sleep each night. And this is incredibly important not only to allow my body to recover from all the exercise that I do but also to help my brain function at its peak.

So take from that what is helpful for you. But I do strongly suggest that if you want to make big changes to your life then you have to start by looking at your health and daily habits.

2. A growth mindset and the ability to adapt and change will set you apart

If there's one word that was been overused in 2020 it's PIVOT! It started to get used so much I found it so irritating to listen to, but the point most people are trying to make is that you have to be prepared in life and business to adapt and change. In 2020 and 2021 there have been unbelievable examples of businesses that have been willing to adapt to what is happening around them (and thrive as a result) and others that have taken the 'why is this happening to me' approach (who perhaps haven't seen results they would have liked).

If you aren't willing to try new things, add new products and services or deliver your services via different methods, then you are unlikely to succeed beyond ‘the now’. Think of this period as an opportunity to think creatively about how things have been done in the past and what opportunities exist in your industry to change it up.

Remember to always be considering what IS possible rather than what is no longer possible.

And if you want to read more about the concept of a 'growth mindset' then grab Dr Carol Dweck's book Mindset - it's excellent.

3. Show up consistently and share what you know

But I think the thing that worked for me above all else is to just keep showing up and being consistent in what I am doing for you guys. What I have tried to do is to share the things that I know are working for me in the hope that it will also help you as well.

My ultimate aim, which is one of my biggest goals for this year, is to create an even larger and more connected community around design and running a design business. I will be doing my best to show up, support the community and share what I know. But as each day passes I am not the only one showing up and I see more and more of you supporting each other, which is amazing! I see this every day in our course Facebook groups and in comments that you all provide on posts I share on Instagram (e.g. on my weekly 'SketchUp Student of the Week' posts on a Sunday). I am just one cog in this community and although I might be 'leading' it I just love being part of what we are all building and growing together.

It’s important for you to think about how you can build a community and support group around what you are doing as well. This doesn't need necessarily need to be on a massive scale - even just helping one person to think differently about something and make a positive change in their life is more than most people are able to achieve in a lifetime.

Courses and Templates for Designers and Architects

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These courses and templates leave you with work done - not just a long list of things you need to do next. We have a really strong focus on taking action and getting things created that improve your business.

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Enjoy the rest of your day!

Clare x

Dr Clare Le Roy