The first quarter of 2022 was bookended by trips to A&E and filled with multiple periods of ill health. I started the year with a ruptured ovarian cyst, my CFS flared a lot and I managed to hurt my back badly at some point in the middle of March. Then Jesse caught a cold that led to an asthma attack and an overnight stay at Bristol Children’s Hospital. Due to staff shortages, his school was also closed for a week. This all happened against a global backdrop of conflict and upheaval. I don’t know about you, but I’ve been feeling pretty fragile.
Somehow, against the odds, work continues apace. Here’s Q1 2022 in review…
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What Felt Good in Q1?
In January, I launched and sold my first ‘bundle’ of services. Priced at £300, The Confident Blogger Bundle included a recording of a workshop I delivered last year, a 1:1 blog content planning session and written feedback on two pieces of writing. Due to my ill health, the launch itself was stressful and chaotic, but I was pleased with the results. I’ve also had some great feedback from the people who purchased. I would love to experiment more with this type of offering and continue developing the coaching/education side of my business.
I completed two big web copy projects in Q1 and wrote 22 pieces of blog and email content for clients. My workload was intense at times, but I’m proud of the copy I delivered. Hannah Baskett’s website is still under construction, but I loved the way she repurposed some of her new copy in this Instagram caption.
Two projects I worked on last year also went live this quarter. This is the second time I’ve collaborated with Merrie & Bright and it’s been amazing to witness the brand’s evolution over the last few years. It’s also been almost 10 years since I first met Charlotte of Wilden London. I love working with start-ups, but there’s something very special about supporting established business owners as they embrace a new chapter or change direction.
Finally, working on my own content felt particularly good this quarter. As well as blogging here, sending my monthly Letter From Love Audrey and creating a couple of reels on Instagram, Charlie and I finally relaunched Friends With Business Benefits. Creating a podcast is a lot of work, but it’s also a lot of fun and we’ve shared some great episodes so far this year. I also did an Instagram Live with Social Pip reflecting on our big wins {and epic fails} from 10 years in business and appeared on the Simple Scrapper podcast chatting about my new hobby.
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What Didn’t?
Answering the question above has helped me realise I’ve achieved a lot since the start of the year, but it didn’t feel that way when I was in the thick of it. Whenever my health is bad, I spend a lot of time comparing myself to others and wishing I could do more. I need to work on showing myself more compassion when I’m forced to slow down.
My boundaries were tested in quarter one. As a result of standing firm, I had to ride out some serious discomfort. Ultimately, I know I made the right call, but as I wrote in a recent letter to my mailing list, I’m a permanently exhausted human who feels things very deeply.
Over the last few months, I’ve also spent a lot of time feeling very overwhelmed. Beyond feeling unwell and managing a busy workload, I’ve struggled with the ‘return to normal’ that feels anything but. I still feel very anxious about catching Covid and generally out of practice when it comes to leaving the house and socialising with others. Is it just me, or is life post-lockdown more exhausting than ever before?
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What Did I Learn?
I didn’t learn anything new this quarter, but I was reminded of some important lessons from the past. Rest is productive. Taking care of yourself gives you more energy for your art. The only people who take issue with healthy boundaries are the ones you need to have boundaries with the most.
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My Goals & Intentions in Q2
The most exciting thing to happen so far this year is the reopening of Australia’s borders. If you read my blog post back in January, you’ll know visiting my little sister, her husband and their new baby was top of my wish list for the year ahead. Well, my wish has been granted! I’ll be spending just under 6 weeks in Sydney later this year.
By taking most of the summer off, I’ll also be realising a long-held business dream of mine. I’m still finalising the details, but a big part of my plan involves working a few months in advance for my retainer clients. I also want to get ahead with my own content so I can keep showing up here while I’m away. In other words, I’ve got a lot of writing to do in Q2!
Other goals include giving my website a bit of an overhaul and running another online workshop. I’m feeling a little overwhelmed by everything I need/want to do, so my first step should probably be figuring out what’s achievable! I’ll let you know how I get on.
- Love Audrey
P.S. This post was inspired by Katie Morwenna. You can read her Q1 review here. Charlie and I also shared a conversation about Q1 on the podcast.
