It’s been such a productive and fun year that I’m very excited for 2016.

Before I get into the 6 mistakes I made this year, I want to send out a huge thank you to…YOU! Whether you read my posts each week or you’re joining me for the first time, I’m so glad you’re here. 🙂

As I reflect on this past year and write out my goals for 2016, I’m thinking about what worked and what didn’t work in my business and how I can improve personally and professionally moving forward.

I made a lot of mistakes (everyone does) this year. While mistakes are unavoidable, it’s important to learn from them. I see event planners making the same mistakes I made, so as you make your New Year’s resolutions or goals for 2016, focus on the process that allows you to reach those goals.

To be successful, focus on the (baby) steps that will help you reach your bigger goals. And remember, progress not perfection.

6 Mistakes I Made This Year That You Can Avoid

Not asking for help (enough) – no matter what stage of life or business you’re in, asking for help can change everything, but it’s important to create a relationship with the person you need help from before you ask for help. Almost weekly I receive an email asking for help, but the sender wants me to plan their entire event for free, and I’ve never met them or heard from them on social media! Ask for help, but build a relationship first.

Don’t listen to complainers – recently I had to ask a very good friend to stop complaining. Honestly, it was SO hard to ask her to stop, but it was affecting me negatively and I couldn’t tolerate it anymore. I’m glad I took a stand for myself, instead of letting it pass and being annoyed with her, but initially I did feel bad because I know she was ‘just having a bad day.’ Watch out for naysayers and complainers in your life.

Stop making excuses – for 5 years I worked in sales so I was on the phone A LOT. The skill of listening to people and hearing the language they use is one I’m grateful for because I quickly realized language and what and how you speak reflects what’s going on inside. I took this personally and started paying attention to the words I use, and “yay, but…” tends to come out of my mouth a lot. While I’m not perfect and still say this between the things I want (“I want to start my event planning business, yay, but I don’t have any experience and nobody will hire me.” Sound familiar?). This one has been a big reality check for how I run my business and how it influences my personal life, too. Pay attention to the words you use.

Not paying attention to my financial situation (I learned this one the hard way) – It’s easy to have a financial advisor take over your finances or never open your bank statements, but sticking your head in the sand only leads to more insecurity and worry. Now I keep track of everything I spend money on. I have a spreadsheet and every penny spent is documented – always. It’s allowed me to know where I spend my money, save more and invest more in my business. Take accountability for your finances – no matter what.

Not celebrating my accomplishments – it’s easy to let things pass because they’re “no big deal.” However, if you don’t celebrate even your smallest accomplishments then it’s hard to keep going when things get tough. Celebrate your successes. Always.

Avoiding setting up systems – this takes time but start setting up systems as early as possible. Start by identifying what you love doing and are good at vs. those tasks you avoid because you don’t want to do them. Once you’ve got your list, find someone (whether you find an intern or hire an employee) who loves doing the tasks you don’t enjoy. Allow them to focus on the things you dislike so you can focus on the parts of planning events and running your event planning business that you love. Do what you love and delegate the rest.

Favorite Christmas Songs

As we move into the holiday season and the parties and celebrations, enjoy this time with your friends and family with a collection of our favorite Christmas songs.

I’d love to hear from you. In the comments, tell me about one mistake you’ve made this past year and what you learned from it. Happy Holidays.

P.S. Looking for event planning training, learn more here.