Wrapping up 2015 : My WINS list

The end of 2015 is just around the corner. In the past, I have always treated the transition from one year to the next as just any other day and an arbitrary way to mark time. This year, however, I read THIS post by Denise Duffield-Thomas and I also decided to fully commit to following as much advice as possible from Leonie Dawson's Shining Biz and Life Academy as possible, including doing a year end reflection to close out 2015.

I still need to do some reflection work to complete Leonie's year end closing ritual, but Denise's ritual was basically to realize how many WINS you had over the past year and to list them out.

Honestly, my first thought was, "UGH! 2015 suuuuuuuuuucked! Like hardcore SUUUUCKED!"

But, guess what?

There were bunches of low points, but there were also a TON of high points too! Admittedly, most of those high points (or WINS) happened in the last two months, but they totally count, right?

Here's my list of 2015 WINS:

• Finally listed custom pet portrait coloring pages in my Etsy shop (find them HERE)
• Searched for, found, and began to implement SEO tools (my favorite HERE)
• Got many of my coloring pages to the FIRST pages of related searches on Etsy
• Had my two highest EVER grossing months on Etsy in November and December
• Made it a point to read more (my favorite hobby, so why wasn't I doing it more?)

• Learned to say NO to projects or requests that don't feel right
• Learned to let go of the guilt associated with saying NO
• Learned to say, "That sounds like an exciting project, but I don't think I'm the best fit for your needs. I think you should reach out to {{insert name}}."
• Cut several toxic relationships on social media
• Cut way back on my soda drinking (I'm totally addicted to Coca Cola!)

• Sought an opportunity at another company when my current employer said they couldn't offer me full time status, a raise, benefits, etc despite offering me a promotion
• Got full time status, a raise, benefits, etc when my current employer decided they couldn't afford to lose me
• Told my boss and her three bosses exactly what I thought my company needs for continued growth and to strengthen my two work sites and they agreed
• Started bicycling to my day job on most days 
• Lost 1.5 pants sizes and ALL of my asthma symptoms thanks to bicycling so much

• Started this blog in an effort to face up to and track my debt and thus motivate myself to pay it down faster
• Started coaching a coworker on a book he wants to write and helping with ghostwriting some of it
• Outlined a 4-volume ebook series on homeschooling
• Told two coworkers about a five novel arc I had outlined on my phone and committed to having a few chapters written before New Year's Eve
• Got an idea for another novel 

• Realized there is an entire industry that I don't enjoy working with in my editing and writing business and started saying NO to potential clients in that industry

What are YOUR 2015 wins??? I wanna know! Post a comment below...

~*~*~*~*~*~

Also, HOLY SHIZZLE YOU GUYS!!!! I mentioned the Thug Kitchen cookbook in THIS post and my son and I have made a few more soup recipes from it and OH. EM. GEE! So delicious! 

So far we've made several soups and oven fries. SOOOOOO good! Funny thing though is that the amounts that result from some recipes are interesting...the tortilla soup recipe could easily have been cut in half and the chickpea and dumplings recipe made so much I'd cut it down by even more than half next time! The potato leek soup, however, could easily be doubled.

Check out the potato leek soup -- it was delicious. Super creamy and yummy! I have a tiny serving left that will go in my lunch for work tomorrow.

 And, the insane amount of chickpea and dumpling soup (AFTER we both had a large serving!):

~*~*~*~*~*~

I didn't pay off any debt officially today, but I did set aside $18 towards a small debt that I owe to my city for a traffic ticket (oops!). The original debt was $215 and I'm down to $65 remaining with a payment plan of $50 per month. My next payment is due January 12th with the final $15 due on February 12th. I want it paid off NOW so I can snowball the payments ASAP into the next debt I want to tackle.

I'm setting aside the money in an envelope and will keep adding to it until I have enough to pay it off or until January 12th, whichever comes first.

I have two expenses on Monday that I can't avoid -- emissions testing for my car and annual registration -- and set aside money for those already, but I haven't decided if I'll do registration for just one year or if I'll do it for two (my state gives the option of one or two years). Whatever money is leftover from those expenses will go in this envelope. On the one hand, it would be nice to go for the two year registration and not have to worry about it for an extra year. On the other hand, it would be nice to pay this debt off entirely! I'll probably decide on Monday...stay tuned!

~*~*~*~*~*~

DEBT TRACKING:
Original total: $110,000
Paid off yesterday: $0
New total: $109,940 

***SET ASIDE TOWARDS MY CITY DEBT: $13***

This post may include affiliate links.