Choosing One Overarching Business Goal for 2012

I’ve had this post in my queue for weeks, partly because I wanted to force myself to set ONE big priority for the coming year.

Then, over the weekend, Problogger named me as one of their 20 Bloggers to Watch in 2012. After a few fist pumps (and watching sales comes in on my social media consulting guide), I realized this means I really have to bring it in 2012.

So I began to re-think my goals, especially this one big goal. And then I did a double take. Was I really re-consider my approach just because people are watching? That’s not what’s gotten me this far. What’s gotten me where I am now is writing for 27 readers. So why would I change my approach now and start worrying about what other people think?

That brought me full circle, and I began listing my mini-goals for the coming year:

• Launch my first digital course about how to use social media to Make Your Own Luck. I’m wrapping up the prep on this now and hoping to make it available in March or April.

• Take at least one big trip. It’s looking like a three-weeker to Nicaragua. This will be the first test of whether I can travel and continue growing my biz at the same time.

• Continue writing about careers, adding another well-respected blog or publication to my repertoire. I’m also thinking about writing a traditional book on creating your own career, an idea that’s still in seed stage.

• Keep growing my business, with a focus on digital products. That means coming up with and acting on new ideas re: lifestyle entrepreneurship.

Laying these all on the line (and I write about them in more detail in my newsletter, Solopreneur Secrets) helps me answer the bigger question: how can I use all of these ideas to create one overarching goal for 2012?

By bringing everything I do under one umbrella. And that’s what I want to focus on this year: stringing all my projects together under one common theme, adding cohesion and focus to my slashes.

If I had a manifesto, it would be creating the life you want to live. My eguides and courses fall under that theme. So does my work around moving forward in your career. And I’m creating my own ideal lifestyle by figuring out how to make money doing work I love and finding time for travel along the way.

So that’s what I’m going to focus on this year, whether I have 27 readers or thousands: helping you create the life you want to live, and finding that balance for myself, too.

Does all of your work fall under one umbrella? Got any tips on doing this successfully?