Dare to Join My 2021 Local Guides Goals Challenge

[KarenVChin]

Local Guides,

Last year, I had such grand plans. I bet you did too!

I created the 1st ever 2020 Local Guides Goals Challenge here on Connect. Many of you responded and took up my Challenge, and tagged me along the way during the 1st half of 2020.

Then March came. The world changed. Many of us had to stay home for months literally. For many, we had to get creative with our Local Guides contributions to Google Maps.

As we stayed indoors, those who submitted our Local Guides Connect Live 2020 applications had to get creative with our video application submissions because of COVID-19.

I can speak for myself – my 2020 Local Guides Goals – changed dramatically because of the Pandemic. Did you have great goals but fell short and did not achieve them too?

My Original 2020 Local Guides Goals

1. Reach Level 9
2. Attend Connect Live 2020

Up until mid-March, I was regularly contributing to Google Maps (eating at restaurants, drinking coffee at cafes). I took a “Surf & Snow” Family Vacation to Hawaii, not knowing this was right before the 1st shutdown.

Then it all stopped! During this time, Google posted Tips for hosting virtual meet-ups that motivated me to host a virtual Local Guides meet-up.

I started small. I wondered who would join me? I came up with a “Show & Tell” theme. My first virtual meet-up, Show & Tell Pet-Friendly Local Guides, was in early April.

From that 1st meet-up, eight months later, I have hosted 16 Local Guides virtual meet-ups, first by myself. Then later, I invited Local Guides friends to co-host with me @ErmesT and @Kwiksatik .

I want to thank all 350+ Local Guides who have attended my 16 Local Guides virtual meet-ups in 2020!

My 2020 Google Maps Stats as of Dec 13, 2020

• Surpassed the 100+ million photo views (112+ million (3,600+ photos)
• My 623 reviews have been read over 1 million times
• I am still Level 8 (need 3,000+ points to reach Level 9! I could make it!)

I did apply for Connect Live 2020, although Google canceled it. Here is my application (including video).

What are my Local Guides Goals for 2021?

I have factored in the Pandemic. California is currently at Stay-at-Home until the first week of January, which means restaurants and cafes are closed, except for takeout (takeaway). Most of my activities are confined to be at home.

I also include Ermes’ 2021 Local Guides Goals because we will be each other’s “Buddy” support system together. We have similar Local Guides philosophies.

My 2021 Local Guides Goals

1. Contribute every week to Google Maps
2. Reach Level 9!
3. Host monthly virtual meetups. 2021 Theme: Help Local Guides be better at being Local Guides
4. Write a monthly Connect post, not related to meet-ups. (Minimum of 12 Connect posts)
5. Use my social media savvy to support and promote the Local Guides program and the Local Guides community as a whole

Ermes’ 2021 Local Guides Goals

1. Contribute every week to Google Maps
2. Promote and encourage the correct way of adding accessibility to Google Maps to my fellow Local Guides.
3. Increase the number of places added to my Accessible Life project with the whole Local Guides community’s help
4. I want to reach out to 10,000 individual Local Guides on Connect by the end of the year

Local Guides, now it’s your turn!

• What were your 2020 Local Guides goals? Did you meet them or not?
• What are your 2021 Local Guides goals? Don’t be shy. By stating them publicly, you make them real and will be motivated to keep them.

Let’s use this below Connect post thread as the 2021 Local Guides Goals Support Group. We can encourage, motivate, and support each other. Chat about our 2021 plans in a safe, non-judgemental environment. We can brainstorm and provide each other feedback on how to earn more Local Guides points in what we each do in our daily, everyday lives.

Google Moderators, Connect Moderators, and the Local Guides Team are welcome to participate if you are interested in supporting your Local Guides goals too!

Be sure to use hashtag #2021LocalGuidesGoals when meeting your personal 2021 Local Guides goals throughout the year.

Celebrate 2020, Share Your 2021 Local Guides Goals virtually!

To help you get inspired and motivated for 2021, please join Ermes and me for our December 27th virtual meet-up to celebrate our 2020 Local Guides accomplishments and share our 2021 Local Guides goals together. It will be my final meet-up (Number 17!) for 2020!

RSVP NOW

Sound like a plan? Are you “in” for this 2021 Local Guides Goals Challenge? Will you be joining our Dec 27 virtual meet-up?

Cheers,

Karen

[ErmesT]

Thanks for mentioning my Goals for 2021 @KarenVChin

Yes, it is true that we have a similar philosophy, and the meaning of numbers is for us very different from what we normally we read here in Connect.

It doesn’t means that we are not happy to receive millions of views on our photos, but simply that our target is not to simply receive a large amount of views.

I am proud of the (few) views that I can receive on an accessible parking lot, more that the million view in a very popular shop.

Of course, I will share a lot of numbers soon, but it will be a surprise

[Amiran]

Wow, another meetup by my amazing friends @KarenVChin @ErmesT

I’m really happy to join another meetup organized by you. It will be fun and inspiring to attend such an interactive meetup.

I always have a good feeling by attending your meetups

[KarenVChin]

Wonderful @Amiran ! Great to see you right at the end of 2020! Looking forward to read how you respond to the RSVP questions and what your responses will be live to the questions we will be asking (camera on preferably ).

See you on the 27th. Happy Holidays to you and your family.

Cheers,

Karen

p.s. If you have friends in the Iran Local Guides Community who would be interested in joining us, please free to forward the Dec 27 meet-up post. The more the merrier!

[Amiran]

I just registered dear @KarenVChin ,

And be sure, this time I have no doubt about that question

I have many friends in the Iran Local Guides community but the meetup is in English and maybe not all of them prefer to attend. For previous meetups, I told some friends but unfortunately, they didn’t put the time to RSVP. Even for my own Persian virtual meetups, few ones attend. Anyway, I will share this great meetup with other friends and hope they attend.

p.s. I posted the links into our local Telegram group with more than 150 Iranian good Local Guides, lets see how many of them will read my message and how many will attent.

[Sophia_Cambodia]

That’s lovely and a big achievement there @KarenVChin great job and hope 2021 is going to be better!

[YagnikThanki]

@KarenVChin congratulations for your achievements.

My 2021 goals are

• contribute weekly

• To achieve level 7

• Want to remove spam.

[SauravBhagat]

Great initiative!

My goals for 2021:

1. Post a useful list weekly

2. Remove/flag spam

3. Helping Small Businesses in optimising their listing.

[system]

Sure , Hi @KarenVChin Thanks For Sharing

[system]

Hello @KarenVChin and @ErmesT , I’m new to Our Local Guides Community and I liked your initiative of the final virtual meet-up. Wishing to meet both of you in the meeting. I Will try to fulfill my 2021 Goals.

[Akkidroid]

I just registered for the meetup, though this pandemic was the worst i could have ever faced. but still thrive to complete my goals

for the new year resolution, my few goals would be

• i would love to explore a new city other than my hometown
• get featured on the Instagram page of the local Guide
• host / co-host new meetups
• get a stamp on my passport, the dream of visiting any new country, and learning their culture.
• move on to other levels.
• to gain a 52-week streak on the local guide program
• and lastly, attend the connect live 2021 (FINGERS CROSSED FOR THAT)

[KarenVChin]

Thanks @Sophia_Cambodia for your well wishes. What about you? How was 2020 for your Local Guides goals? Have your figured out what your 2021 goals yet? Want to share?

Have you RSVPed to @ErmesT and my Dec 27th Celebrate 2020 Share Your 2021 Local Guides Goals virtual meet-up? If you have not attended a virtual Local Guides meet-up in 2020, this is a great opportunity to do so. We usually have many of the active members of the global Local Guides Connect community attending.

Cheers,

Karen

[KarenVChin]

Thanks @Akkidroid for RSVPing. You have great, well-defined 2021 Local Guides Goals. They are all do-able if the world will cooperate in 2021 .

Happy Holidays to you and your family!

See you on the 27th!

Cheers,

Karen

[KarenVChin]

Welcome, welcome @user_not_found ! Happy to be the first to welcome you to this great online community.

You know @ErmesT and my 2021 Local Guides Goals? What are yours? Don’t be shy!

Happy to see you RSVPed for our Dec 27th virtual meet-up too! Ermes and I always like Local Guides newbies to join us.

In the meantime, why don’t you introduce yourself in Google Moderator @DeniGu ’s Introduce Yourself December 2020 post? We have a huge India Local Guides community. I am sure you live near a local community. Or you can start your own Local Guides Community in 2021!

See you on the 27th!

Cheers,

Karen

[system]

Thankyou for welcoming me .

Yes, I’ve read yours and Ermes Sir’s 2021 goals. I’ll join the community ,as you told.

The Goals over which I want to succeed in 2021 are:

1.Support “Make Small Strong” initiative by Google in India, I’ll try to bring those small shops, businesses and more on G Maps.

2. Try to reach Local Guides lvl 6.

3. Would swipe up unnecessary (wrong info) stuff from Maps.

And more Goals.

I’ll interact with all on 27th.

[KarenVChin]

Thanks @YagnikThanki for your good wishes and for sharing your 2021 Local Guides goals here. You have achievable goals for next year.

I am happy to be the first to welcome you to this great online community (i checked your Connect profile).

Did you RSVP to @ermest and my Dec 27th virtual meet-up too? Ermes and I always like Local Guides newbies to join us.

In the meantime, why don’t you introduce yourself in Google Moderator @DeniGu’s Introduce Yourself December 2020 post? We have a huge India Local Guides community. I am sure you live near a local community. Or you can start your own Local Guides Community in 2021!

Hope to see you on the 27th!

Cheers,

Karen

[KarenVChin]

Thanks @SauravBhagat for your kind words and for sharing your 2021 Local Guides Goals with us.

What types of lists do you like to create for Google Maps? Food or drink related? Accessibility? How have you been helping small businesses this year?

Cheers,

Karen

[KarenVChin]

@user_not_found – What were your 2020 Local Guides goals? Did you accomplish them? You know @ErmesT and my 2021 Goals - do you dare to share yours here?

Cheers,

Karen

[Yannick_S]

Hi @KarenVChin & @ErmesT
Thank you for all you do to keep us motivated in the LG community.

I joined you in 2020 Local Guides Goals Challenge and my Goals: There was to become an Master Photographer ( ), reach level 9 , ConnectLive2020 , … Unfortunately, with the pandemic we did not reach all of our goals.

But, I’M IN 2021 Local Guides Goals Challenge,

• Stay alive
• Contribute every week to Google Maps
• Reach Level 9!
• Minimum, 10 POSTS on connect (Not for Meetups )
• Editor, Correct, … as many errors as I can on Google Maps, in short, make my city more accessible on Google Maps
• Trying to help grow our communities (#TeamDRC & #FrenchLocalGuides

Happy end 2020 to all

Happy 2021, let’s make this new year better than ever!

Y-Nick

[YagnikThanki]

@KarenVChin Thanks. Sure. I will join the 27th virtual meet-up. Yes. I am contributing in maps but local guides connect is new for me.