In this personal post, I share my 2015 goals and word of the year selection, that’ll help guide my intentions.
I love blank slates, fresh starts and new beginnings. Since I moved to Florida, I even love the month of January (it’s 80 degrees at the time I am writing this…). Like many, I began the new year filled with resolutions, hopes, and dreams. This year, I’m sharing them publicly ::eek::. I had initially wanted to break my list into separate goals for “life” and “work”— but blogging, designing and living have really become one and the same for me, making the line between my personal and professional life very blurred. Instead, I ended up with a single, master hodge-podge of a plan for 2015.
Following my goal list, at the bottom of this post, you can find the one word I have chosen to make my focus for the year. Let’s do this:
{Goal 1} Set working boundaries to create more margin
There’s something called “superhero syndrome,” which bloggers tend to be afflicted with. It’s having that feeling you are the only person capable of {answering a question/educating the general public/helping a friend out/helping a stranger out/saving the world/fill in the blank and we will feel obligated to do it}. I think being a firstborn child (guilty), only intensifies this problem.
2014 was an enormous year of growth for my blog, but I also felt incredibly burnt out at the end of it. It’s taken me a long time to understand the difference between working hard and working smart. My goal for 2015 is to put this into practice.
In addition to blogging and running my Etsy shop, I have one freelance client that I work for every month. Some months, it’s only a few hours, and for a couple, it’s like having a full-time job. This makes it tough to plan and schedule my days, but this year I vow to do more prepping of blog posts, printables, and social media during the slower months, so the crazy months won’t feel like a fire drill. Or an actual fire.
There’s a misconception that it’s challenging to work from home because there are too many distractions. I think that most of us have a different challenge, which is knowing when to call it a day. This year, I plan to set working hours, so that when my hubby gets home from work, we can spend quality time together, instead of working til 2am or whenever I fall asleep on my keyboard. I’m hoping that this will also free up time to do more of what I love, besides blogging and designing.
{Goal 2} Read more, watch more tv, see more movies and go to the theater
I bet not many people have “watch more tv” on their list of goals for 2015, but I’m owning this one. These activities are my favorite, and I have gotten into a bad habit of feeling guilty about indulging in them. Consuming entertainment, whether it be through books, screen or stage, is not just about vegging out for me— they make me feel alive. It’s through these mediums that I am able to recharge, be inspired and even educated.
I got a head start on this initiative by reserving a bunch of books at the library, adding a few tv series and movies to my Netflix queue and scoping out the schedules for local theater (and some broadway shows!). Have any suggestions for me? I’d love to hear what you are reading/watching…be prepared to discuss. 🙂
{Goal 3} Make more meaningful connections
I can chalk this one up under “lessons I learned in 2014”. I’m a pretty shy person, both in real life and online. Once I get to know you, you may have trouble shutting me up, but I’ve never been the best about initiating conversation, or meeting new people. Something finally clicked last year and I realized that I’m not alone in this boat. As a result, I’ve connected with some really amazing readers and bloggers who I now consider to be friends.
This is one of those areas that are in the center of my venn diagram of life and business. Through online connections and collaborations, I’ve seen a significant increase in blog traffic and professional success, but more importantly, I have formed relationships that have helped me become a better person. In return it has offered me a chance to share my gifts and talents with others. More of this in 2015 can only lead to bigger and better things!
{Goal 4} Use my talents to make a difference
About a year ago I started sharing Motivation Monday printables on a weekly basis and the feedback has been amazing. Aside from the people who just like getting free stuff, I’ve also gotten messages from readers who have said that my printables cheered them up on a bad day. I’ve heard from people who have given the printables as gifts to sick friends and lot of teachers who have told me that they hang up the prints in their classroom to inspire their students.
There is nothing that brings me more joy than knowing that I am using the gifts that God has given me to help other people. This printable and quote is one of my favorites, and a wonderful reminder that sometimes it only takes something as small as Motivation Mondays to make a difference— but that doesn’t mean I am going to stop there.
I’d like to find more of these small things that I can do with great love and maybe some bigger things as well. I have one giant idea that I’ve been sitting on, that I need some more time to develop. In the meantime, I would LOVE some suggestions for ways that I can use my gifts to give to others.
{Goal 5} Revamp my Online Shop
This blog and my online stationery shop, Enchanted Prints are my two babies. Since the blog came first, the shop has taken on some stereotypical second child characteristics, often lacking the care and attention that the former received. While the shop has thrived and I’m very proud of it’s success, there are updates I’d like to make, to create a better user experience. Some of these improvements will include:
– Updating the Enchanted Prints website, which hasn’t been touched since it was created a year and a half ago
– Updating each instant download listing to include a guide to printing and troubleshooting
– Researching and revamping keywords
– Adding new designs (many of which are already done, but not posted)
– Updating photos and artwork
{Goal 6} Do something creative (non-computer related), every month
In 2015, I want to get back in touch with my creative side. The one that laid the foundation for my career and this blog, yet hasn’t been a part of my life in over 10 years. My goal is to step away from the computer and allow myself to revisit some of my favorite creative mediums, including drawing, painting, sculpting, photography and jewelry making. Of all of my goals, this is the one I’m most excited about because I’ll be sharing my creative “renaissance” with my readers and have hopes that some of you may even join me in this journey. Check back in later this week where I’ll outline more details about my monthly creative challenge, and how you can get involved.
My Word of the Year
These six goals culminate what will be known as my “word “of the year. This is a practice that many individuals choose to do to set themselves up for success, and I hope that you will join me in picking a single word you’d like to focus on. My word for 2014 was actually the word “focus”. As a creative, I tend to be all over the place— jumping from project to project and idea to idea, without always thinking them through or leaving myself enough time and space for them to thrive. If I was giving a report card for my word of 2014, I’d probably give myself a C+. I certainly made strides and became mindful of this struggle, but “focus” is still something I’d like to continue to work on in 2015.
The word I’ve chosen for this year combines the principle of “focusing” with two of my other weaknesses: decision making and saying “no”. These struggles, along with some prayer and soul searching, have led me to this single word:
When I turned 30 (a year and a half ago), I felt a shift. It was as if a lightbulb was turned on, opening my eyes to the fact that life truly is short. I realized that if I wanted to do and experience everything my heart desired, that I had better get moving. Since then, I’ve been mindful of this— eliminating the word “someday” from my vocabulary. With so much that I want to do and accomplish, identifying and eliminating wasted time has become just as important as dreaming and planning. Along with making sure I fulfill my strongest desires, is to identify the ways that God has called me to do his will (see goal #4). With all of this ammunition, I want everything I do in 2015 to be done with purpose and on purpose.
This post was a little longer and self-indulgent than I usually share, but I hope that I’ve inspired you to do some of your own soul-searching and goal setting as we dive into the new year. Let’s make it the best one yet! I’d love to be encouraged and to do some encouraging back— please share your goals and “word ” in the comments, or leave a link to a post where you share your thoughts about starting the new year.
Photo Credits: Opening artwork by liskina-nora via Creative Market // Desktop Computer by Kate Maxwell // Books by Jorge Mejía peralta via Flickr Creative Commons // Laptop by Madebyvadim via Creative Market // Paintbrushes by PEMIKA via Creative Market // Floral Background by UpStyled
Fonts used in opening artwork: Naive Inline // AW Conqueror // Charcuterie
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