I like to take stock of how far I have come and plan how far I need to go. This year I needed a little encouragement to sit down and contemplate. There are just some years where the one thing you long for hasn't happened. And it is not for want of trying. So this year I have decided to move on and to dream a new dream. It is not the end only the beginning of something new. What will be your dream this year?

I haven't put down my dream, I just need to keep moving, to keep going forward with or without it. Last year I wrote I would 'learn, grow and enjoy'. And it has certainly been that year for me. Running your own business, you learn a lot about yourself – the good, the bad, the ugly. You learn to embrace it all because your business rises or falls on your efforts. But there was one element I had hoped would change, but it didn't.

C. S. Lewis once wrote "you are never to old to set a new goal or to dream a new dream". What will be your dream this year? Will you continue to build on last year? Perhaps you have a long term dream you are building. Let me encourage you as I have been encouraged:

Write it down and make it plain: Dreams/visions/goals are more likely to be achieved if you can write them down and draw a picture of what that dream looks like. Be as detailed as you can and let your mind build the intricacies.

Rejoice at every milestone: Even at the smallest step towards it. Because it takes courage to build something new, to endure the challenges and take the rough with the smooth.

It's ok if it starts to look different to how you imagined: even with the best made plans, things don't always end up looking how we imagined, and that's ok because you grow, people change, finances and opportunities come and go. Just stay true to the core objective. What is it you are trying to achieve and the rest will back that up, whether it looks how you thought it would or not

Do not be afraid or discouraged: it is ok to dream a new dream or set a new goal. It doesn't mean the old one will never happen, but to keep yourself in a negative place isn't helpful either. Embrace life, there are so many opportunities and options out there. And yes it takes a bit of creativity but to keep moving forward will only enrich your life. Instead of standing around wondering what happened.

I have a long term dream which may or may not happen but it doesn't stop me from dreaming a new dream and moving forward with my life. I continue to build my business regardless, in the knowledge that I am still moving forward. Keep going, write down your dreams make a plan and keep growing, learning and enjoying. Do not settle. You have come this far. The end is only the beginning.

Happy New Year!