Welcome to 2014 and welcome to Looking-Glass Translations’ new blog!

The new year is the perfect time to get a fresh perspective on things and venture into the unknown – and LGT will be making no exceptions here! In this new blog, I’ll be posting about language, business, law and translation. I cannot promise regular posts at the moment, but I can promise quality posts when they come.

With this in mind, and since it’s the new year, I thought I’d dedicate this first post to some new year’s resolutions. Here are mine, all of which feed quite handily into some key themes for the blog this year:

  1. Practise saying ‘no’.
    I want to continue to say ‘no’, since this has benefited me both on a personal and professional level. Find out more in my upcoming blog post entitled ‘The Power of No’!

  2. Practise saying ‘yes’.
    I also want to continue practising saying ‘yes’ to me and my business – as well as to the things that scare me and the things that I enjoy. This applies especially to my upcoming part-time teaching position in Austria, which I will be taking up alongside my existing business obligations in February. I like variety and being busy, and so the position seems like a perfect opportunity, and I’ll be blogging about the experience of holding down the two jobs here!

  3. Simplify complicated things.
    In particular, I’m hoping to simplify my working processes and my bookkeeping system; by simplifying things (i.e. by doing less to achieve the same result), I will be able to do more. Essentially, this will allow me to boost my productivity once again this year – a favourite activity of mine that will be revisited again and again in this blog throughout the year, and one that I’ve also already written about in other publications.

  4. Be a healthier freelancer.
    Healthy freelancing is a big one for me this year. A side effect of enjoying being ‘always-on’ is that you forget what it’s like to ever switch off, and I am guilty of occasionally often skipping meals when I’ve become totally engrossed in a project. I’ll also continue trying to drink more water (brain fuel) and will keep at my three hours of pilates a week for the sake of my sanity. This newsletter is a big inspiration on that front.

  5. Give something back.
    I’ve always been a fan of giving back, and I have a strong record of pro bono work as a result. However, I’d now like to take this a step further and give back to the translation industry. I’ve been here a little while, and now feel in a position to contribute something to the next generation of professional linguists. Consequently, I’ll be posting an occasional series on ‘things I wish I knew’ when I started out. I’ll also (hopefully) be launching a new side project in partnership with local institutions which should definitely tick this box!

  6. Finish studying for my legal secretaries’ diploma.
    This one is fairly self-explanatory. My diploma, an A-level-equivalent qualification in law and legal procedure (with legal drafting) has been fantastically helpful in my day-to-day work, and I look forward to completing my studies so that I can move onto the next long-term CPD challenge!

What resolutions have you set for you and your business this year? Here’s hoping all of us stay happy, healthy and motivated for the whole of 2014!