Most people I know pick a word of the year for inspiration. But because I have to be different, I pick a song of the year. I’ve been doing this for several years now and a song has always made more sense to me because it’s broader. And I like that option. A song provides the vibe I want or am feeling for the upcoming year. And every time I hear it, it gives me a boost of inspiration.

Here’s a list of the songs I’ve chosen over the past 7 years with a bit of context for each (and a favorite chair from that year).

 

 

 

 

2017 “Don’t Stop Believin'” by Journey

Back in 2017, I had been doing chairs for almost 5 years. It started as just a hobby in 2012 after taking my upholstery courses. I was having fun and seeing if I could possibly sell some. So by the time 2017 came around, I was serious about making chairs my full time business. I worked as an educational consultant and was frustrated because I couldn’t quit my job…I wasn’t making enough money to support my family. “Don’t Stop Believin'” was the song that gave me hope through my frustration and discouragement.

2018 “Already Gone” by The Eagles

I made significant steps toward my dream in 2018. I raised my prices and offered more services. I wasn’t quite where I needed to be, but I was close. That summer, I decided to take a 6 month leave of absence from my job and see if I could make this chair business fly. “Already Gone” was the attitude I needed to adopt to make that job transition.

2019 “Don’t Stop Me Now” by Queen

By 2019, I was full time doing chairs. My leave of absence turned into quitting my day job and doing chairs full time. I joined a coaching group to help me make more money and figure out how to market my business. I was climbing the mountain and felt that the world would soon be at my feet. “Don’t Stop Me Now” was my battle cry and encouragement to keep working hard at what I wanted. In addition to selling my chairs, I created my first course, DIY Upholstery for Beginners.

2020 “What a Feeling” by Irene Cara

By the beginning of 2020, I stopped worrying about whether or not I could make enough money. All my hard work was finally paying off. Even though Covid hit, I kept my head down and created 5 new courses during that year. I sold a record number of chairs too. “What a Feeling” reminded me that I could have it all…and what a great feeling that was!

2021 “Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor

During 2021, I continued to focus on improving my business and my joy of doing chairs. Anyone who does any type of work knows that any job can become joyless…it’s work. I not only wanted to do chairs, but I wanted to continue to love the work. I got better at setting up boundaries and taking time off to enjoy life. “Eye of the Tiger” was the reminder to keep my focus on what I wanted my business to be.

2022 “Gonna Fly Now” by Bill Conti

Can you tell I was a child of the Rocky movies?  2022 was the year I collaborated with Frances Valentine, hosted my first PINK Creatives Retreat with my friend Sara McDaniel from Simply Southern Cottage, and was featured in HGTV Magazine. “Gonna Fly Now” was the perfect theme to remind me to continue running the race, setting up good business practices, and balancing all the things that I wanted.

2023 “Swingin’ with My Eyes Closed” by Shania Twain

Finally, we are in 2023 and I have a lot of interesting things coming my way this year. First my book will be released late spring. (Don’t worry, you’ll know when that happens!) I’ve got some other secret things in the works that I’ve never tried before. I can’t share them just yet, but I’m going into uncharted territories that will affect my business and personal life. I don’t know the outcomes or the road quite yet. So, Shania Twain’s song, “Swingin’ with my Eyes Closed” seemed like the perfect fit for how I’m feeling about this year. Every time I hear the the song, I’m excited and get that boost of encouragement…it’s going to be a year for the books.
Want to hear my playlist? Click below to listen.

What’s your song or word of the year? It’s never too late to create your vision for the year.