I'm not a resolution person, but I am a "goal" person. I like something actionable (obviously) and I'm a big fan of to do lists (you already know all this). At the start of each year, I like to come up with something things to "complete" in the next 365 days.
This is what I completed in 2014 :
- take a pottery class
- start a podcast
- finish decorating the house (hallway, master bedroom, entryway & bathrooms)
- launch a shop newsletter
- grow a decent vegetable garden (25% complete)
- finish off the backyard (75% complete)
- take a trip as a family
- capture one photo of the three of us each month
- take my shop in a new direction
Overall, not too shabby. My pottery class plan failed because the workshop I wanted to go to never called me back (and I never followed up). I made progress on the house, but it's not "done." We built planter boxes and grew veggies but they didn't thrive like I hoped they would. We made massive progress on the backyard, but it needs some more succulents.
Business-wise, it was an exciting year. MAKE29 launched, the podcast launched. I got my newsletter going and I came up with an idea for GET TO WORK BOOK which I really hope is my first Big Product That Grows Beyond My Reach.
The focus in 2015 is about half business / half personal (which is how my life is). I want to :
- finish MAKE29 strong (and get rid of my remaining product)
- start a new bday project (called MAKE&GIVE30) which will hopefully provide great blog content and challenge me creatively
- launch the new planner
- clear out my office cupboards and better use the space
- finish the house for real (hallway, master bathroom, bed side of our master bedroom)
- grow a much healthier backyard garden
- add (more) succulents to our backyard
- continue with the capsule wardrobe (and after summer is over get rid of everything that didn't get worn during all four seasons)
- take a roll of film of Ellerie each month
- eat dinner together!
- make time for a monthly date night
- keep hitting my 10k steps (tracked with the fitbit)
As always, listed out, it feels like a lot. But some of these are just worked into my daily routine (steps, dinner, wardrobe, film photos). Some I'll accomplish in a weekend (clear the office, decorate the master bath, frame photos for our hallway, add some succulents). Some I'll work on over a season (the garden, the planner). And some are a constant work in progress (the new bday project, date night plans).
I love to have a healthy mix of goals. Some that take a long time. Some that are easy. Some that are hard. Inevitably, I won't get all this stuff done, but that's okay. That's an equal part of the process. No matter what happens, I've learned that starting with some actionable goals helps me have a productive year.
Looking for more practical goal-setting inspiration? These posts might help : how I schedule daily tasks, how I tackle huge projects & the difference between goals and to-do list items.
Since writing this post, I created Get To Work Book! It's a day planner + goal setting workbook that is designed to help you take your big goals turn them into something real. Learn more and shop the brand here.
Other posts you might enjoy:
- on motivation
- how I tackle huge projects.
- time spent consuming vs. creating.
- why I set goals
- tips for success with long-term projects
- more thoughts on "balance."
- creative books I always return to.
