Year in Review: 5 Tips to Analyze Your Work

2011 marks the end of my first full year of blogging. I decided to sit down and review Little Luck Tree as I would a business, and I thought I'd write down some tips so you can do the same.

I sat down with a notebook and my annual statistics, either from Google Analytics or Blogger. Then, I started to make lists:

1. Identify your most popular posts. This will show you what your readers enjoyed. Then you can begin to look at what made them popular: Was it the topic? The photography? Was it featured somewhere that allowed it to draw new readers? Did it have popular search terms attached to it? 


2. List what worked for you this year. Did you advertise on other sites--and if so, how did your investment pay off? Did you connect with other bloggers in the community, via social networking, commenting on their blogs, exchanging guest posts, or reaching out to them personally? I realized that the best thing for me to do to draw readers is to provide good quality posts consistently--and reach out to other sites to promote my work.

3. Identify areas to improve. This is a very helpful practice. For me, I was able to recognize that I tend to be undisciplined with my blogging and my communication. I realized that it would be helpful for me to have a set time to blog and catch up on e-mail. I also need to accept how much time I can give to blogging so I don't fret when I don't finish a post. Finally, I realized that I should start to develop a style for my brand, something "that's so Luck Tree". Where do you need to improve? Photo quality? Communication? Consistent content?

4. List what you enjoyed. I believe fully that everyone should absolutely love what they do. How you spend your day is how you spend your life, and this includes blogging and business. You probably started because something inspired you, so knowing what you enjoy about what you do will help you focus on that inspiration and help reduce the less-than-ideal parts of the job. For me, I enjoy experimenting with crafts, fashion, recipes, graphic design...but I do not enjoy feeling pressured to make a blog post at the end of a project, so I'm going to work on my mind-set in the future. List what you enjoyed--then make a plan!

5. Create attainable goals for 2012. You should have a series of short-term (monthly) and long-term (annual) goals that you have listed, that you can refer to, and that you can focus your energy on. I tend to want to accomplish a lot or try so many different things that I get lost in my projects, so I am going to be more focused this year. I have very specific goals I want to attain and I am going to keep them handy so I won't get lost. Post your goals somewhere prominent--maybe in your workspace--and then refer to them often.

How do you like to review your work?

♥ Shannon

Good Practices: Crazy Sexy Juice

I first read about Kris Carr in VegNews magazine. The girl blew my mind. She was diagnosed with cancer and decided to turn her life around--and she turned countless lives around with her. She embraced a healthier lifestyle and created a crazy sexy empire!

The biggest takeaway I took from Kris was to start juicing it up! I encourage you to do the same. It is so easy, so healthy, and surprisingly tasty! The idea is to juice up your fruits and veggies to maximize your intake of vitamins, fiber, beta-carotene and more!

Here's a great recipe for easy, tasty juice--and it's only the beginning:

1/2 large cucumber (peeled if not organic)
1-2 apples/pears
1 head of broccoli
2 huge fistfuls (about 1/2 a bag) of spinach, romaine, or kale
3 large celery stalks
1/2 inch ginger root (or a spoonful of ginger)

Juice 'em up and squirt in some lemon juice. (If you've got picky eaters, use more fruit to sweeten it up.)

I've been drinking this daily and it gives me so much energy!

(Shhh, you can also freeze the leftover pulp and toss it into spaghetti, chili, or pizza sauce to amp up the fiber content...your kids/spouse won't even notice the difference!).

Check out the Crazy Sexy Community, drink your juice, and change your life!

♥ Shannon

Good Practices: $100 -- Three Easy Ways!

So, this holiday season I was pulling all the stops for a bit of extra cash. I realized that there are some really brilliant ways to make money--with little or no effort! Each year, I plan on making $50-$150 each time I try one of these three things:

1. Yard Sale

I put very little effort into this one. Not only was I able to reduce some of the clutter in my house, but I made some spending cash off it as well! By practicing good advertising and presentation, with clear prices, and a few big ticket items (for me, the old CD player and some picture frames), you can walk away with some serious dough.

2. The Rewards Card

Seriously, all I have to do is spend money...and then I get a little spending bonus at the end of the year! Check with your bank to see what kinds of rewards program you are eligible for. Read the fine lines, of course. I earn 2 points for every dollar I spend as credit on my debit card. Just make sure you're paying off your card right away (interest rates on debt will totally cancel out your $150 end-of-year bonus, friends!).

3. Collecting Change

Images: 1 2 3

I suppose I have Matthew to thank for this one. The man leaves a trail of coins everywhere he goes--the dryer, the car, the bedroom floor, every chair/couch in the house...and I just squirrel it away and cash it in at the end of the year. It's so easy with Coinstar. Find locations near you and check out how the machine will pay up: it might be cash at the store with a 10% fee, or free if you get a gift card (Amazon, Borders, and Starbucks are just a few examples of gift card options). $100 for doing nothing.

So there you have it friends--three ways to make $100 (or more!). Go forth and spend.

♥ Shannon

PS: If Matthew is reading this, of course I spent your change buying you a present!

Good Practices: Warm it Up!

I have had it in my mind to start writing a bit about good practices for living a healthier lifestyle. Hopefully, dear reader, we can learn a little something together! So, for my first installation, I'd like to chat a bit about hot tea.

First, let's talk about flavonoids; these little guys work as anti-oxidants, which help to prevent free-radicals from corrupting our cells, tissues, and organs. We are exposed to these free-radicals through pollution, contaminants, and the natural aging process. Flavonoids, especially the ones found in Green Tea, help cleanse our bodies (1).

Green Tea also shows an ability to fight against cancer (2) and obesity (3). Chamomile Tea is linked to boosted immune systems and even bolstered reproductive activity (4).

And if that wasn't enough, trends show that people are happier when the consume hot drinks, especially as the weather gets cold. According to John Sicher of Beverage Digest (told to LiveScience), "People in general are responding to beverage products with health and wellness benefits."

I love my routine of caffeinated tea in the morning, like a strong Green or Black, and something caffeine free in the evening, such as Mint or Chamomile. I suggest spending the extra buck for organic teas, and drinking out of a gorgeous cup!

Enjoy!

♥ Shannon