In 2011 I began the annual practice of blogging a personal review on January 1st. As I was in the midst of a long divorce, and my work was suffering because of it, I wanted to let everyone know why. I now believe it’s a good exercise to look back at the previous year, review your goals and determine what you can do to improve your goals, practices, etc., for the upcoming year. This dovetails into your sweepstakes hobby because it needs to fit your lifestyle.

My 2022 goals?

For some reason, I didn’t create a goal list in my 2022 annual blog as I had done in previous years. I did create a list for my bulletin board to focus on those goals. They were to:

  1. Write and publish three books: Prizes, Prizes, Everywhere!, A Man Called Friday, and a workbook companion to The Name It & Claim It Game. This was ambitious, to say the least.
  2. To regularly post on all my platforms for both Contest Queen and Idea Majesty. That means I want to blog and post on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, TikTok, etc., consistently.
  3. Finish upgrading all my technology to improve the quality of the content I create. Laptop, camera, lighting, etc.
  4. Let go of my pandemic weight and then some. I believe everyone puts getting healthy and fit on their list of goals every year.

How did I do?

  1. I can’t believe I set the same goal two years in a row. What was I thinking?! Write and publish three books?! The amount of work involved is astronomical. I was only able to finish one book. It was Helene’s last book, A Man Called Friday, and her only work of fiction. It will be available this January.
  2. I had difficulty keeping up with the level of content creation and promotion for two businesses. I finally realized I was going to need to put systems in place to stay organized. I signed up for Jenna Paige’s Magic Marketing Machine program to master Instagram, and as the process is transferable, it will work for all my other platforms. (She has a free training video on her site if you are interested in seeing if it’s for you.) I also hired a part-time virtual assistant, Brenda Lee, to help with large projects and social media. At some point, I will get ahead of the curve and stop creating content in the moment, or even late, but rather schedule it days or weeks in advance.
  3. In 2021 I purchased a new phone, microphone, and office chair. I immediately saw an increased quality in my TikToks and the sound quality of my live streams. Plus, as my business is all online, sitting for hours at my desk became much more comfortable. Last year I got a new laptop, monitor, camera, and backdrop. You can definitely notice the visual difference during my live streams and workshops. My last purchases will be lights and backdrop banners.
  4. I managed to let go of 5 lbs, but I would like to let go of the balance. know The weight stayed, so back on the goal list for 2023.

What about my hobby?!?!

I had the best year I have had for prizes since 2010. I even had my most winning day ever!! Five prizes, including a trip! And I was so busy I didn’t fill out my Wins Tracking Spreadsheet properly (Scroll down to download your FREE copy.), so now I have to go back and catch up. (I promise to report back later!)

I also attended my first Annual National Sweepstakes Convention since 2016. It was so much fun. (You can read about my adventures here.) I am already booked for this year. Will I see you in Scottsdale, Arizona? (2023 convention list.)

What do I want to accomplish in 2023?

BOOKS: Now that I have some help, my focus will be publishing Prizes, Prizes, Everywhere! and creating the companion workbook to The Name It & Claim It Game. I discovered this year Helene had planned to create one but never did.

CONTENT CREATION: As I progress through Jenna’s course, I hope you will see an improvement in the quality of posts, along with consistency, across all platforms. As my purpose is to teach others how to win–in all areas of life–having systems in place to do so, I believe, will help me help you. This hobby is ever-evolving, and since social media came on the scene, it’s changing at a faster rate. Staying abreast of all the changes can help you win regularly.

WEBSITE: Dovetailing with updated Content Creation, I plan to revamp the entire Contest Queen website. Easier to navigate. More modern. Maybe even a new logo. We shall see.

What about FUN & LUCKY?

Now is your chance to look back at your hobby, what worked, what didn’t, and what you won in 2022. It’s only then you know if you can stay the course or if you should pivot for 2023.

FUN: Try new things. Bigger prizes are being given away to those people that are creative. Be willing to photograph, film, bake, cook, etc., and then post on TikTok or Instagram. When you are having fun, that will come through in your entry. The sponsors love happy, authentic followers and fans.

LUCKY: If you aren’t winning or are frustrated, that may be the change you need to make this year. Create a system for winning. You literally have nothing to lose and everything to gain. The #2 mistake I see people making is not being organized. Being organized will increase your odds of winning because you will be less likely to disqualify yourself. Just like going to the gym, consistency is key to seeing results.

Previous adventures.

If you are new to me, you can read previous annual posts to see what goals I set, what I achieved, where I fell on my face, and, most importantly, how I picked myself up and kept going:

What steps are you taking to ensure 2023 is fun and lucky?