16 Lessons I Have Learned This Year

• That you need to keep growing and the only way to do that is to invest in growth: personally and professionally
• You have to be uncomfortable over and over again in order to realize what is possible
• There are no shortcuts
• Evolution as a person is imperative to reaching your full potential
• Always remind yourself of what is really important
• Never criticize another; their perspective is worthy of your respect regardless of whether it is the same as your own
• If you don't have a dream, you are just treading water
• People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime - don't try and make it something that it is not
• All business is challenging and while you may have good days, weeks or months - no matter what size company you have, you will have bad days that will test your ability to move forward
• People will hurt you and sometimes they don't really mean to or are not capable of realizing their actions - and that is ok
• You cannot be everything to everyone - so stop trying
• Know your strengths and weaknesses and employ people to pick up the slack
• While charity begins at home, it's what you do on the outside that can really be a measure of the person you are
• Not everyone will be on your "team" and that is more than ok, as long as you know who they are
• Drink water, eat well and exercise - and never discount the value of these three basic things
• And be kind regardless of whether you think someone deserves it or not.
• Being an entrepreneur is exhausting and one of the hardest things to achieve is focus. When you have so many ideas going through your brain, it takes a person who has a goal in mind and understand the value of one step at a time, to make it happen.

Somedays I want to reach for the stars; open Marketing Eye around the world, build a game-changing marketing technology company, set up an incubator in rural Australia, have my own dog accessory label, start a luggage brand, paint, write and travel - but I cannot do it all at once. That is the reality. If you want to do something well then you just have to focus and finish the job at hand or employ people who can do it for you.

The next six months is going to be completely different because with these lessons, I now have the experience and tools to drive my business and life in the direction that I want for it to go.