Tag Archives: Goals

Re: giant list of things to do….

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I am sure that you never have this problem. ;0) Right!

Ok, well, I have to share about all the things I have started so I can start marking some off of my list. It has been awhile.

1. embroidery projects….

  • 2 table runners given to me to finish by my Mom They are about 1/2 finished and require brain power. I can’t do this work on auto pilot. 1 is green and 1 is white
  • Two vintage pillow cases that need embroidery that I bought this weekend. They are gloriously smooth and soft. A little yellowed but washing should take care of that. They are in brand new never used condition. I bought the embroidery thread and I am ready to go!

IMG_2536

  • 1 candlewicking pillow or wall hanging kit that I bought in a moment of weakness to go with a candlewicking kit that I completed 25 years ago. (yeah, right what was I thinking…)
  • 5 heart quilt top squares that I would then stitch into a quilt or make into throw pillows.

2. Frogging to do

  • 1 blue/turquoise sweater 1/2 done…
  • 1 tan sweater vest
  • 1 other sweater
  • 1 blue sweater vest
3. crocheting to do
  • 1 cotton blanket waiting on the yarn. Completed 3/29/2013

  • 1 custom order to do waiting on the yarn, I am still waiting on yarn!
  • 1 chunky granny square blanket
  • crochet one dots baby blanket… I am waiting on yarn….
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  • crochet one granny square baby blanket.. this is also waiting on yarn….

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  • put the crochet trim on two baby flannel blankets
  • Crochet one scarf out of blue cotton yarn
4. sewing to do
  • hem two skirts
  • hem 1 pr of pants
  • hand sew one pillow shut Completed 3/29/2013
  • make a quilt… (I really want to but haven’t bought any fabric or planned it at all.)
  • finish  up about six coat hangers
  • make a purse for summer for me. (I have a pattern that I want to conquer!) It has been hard to sew this pattern but just because I haven’t followed the instructions)
  • This is the pattern I am trying…
    http://snipsnaphappy.blogspot.com/2011/06/rip-my-favourite-jeans.html
  • make up about 10 new cup sleeves…just because I can! :0) Sewed up 8 on Monday!
  • Finish up four pencil bags (completed two!) Just have two more… One more left…
  • sew more baby bibs  (About 1/2 way there on about 12 more bibs). I finished up three and just have 7 left!
5. Do some redecorating….
  • candles….
  • artwork….
  • or throw pillows (new throw pillows for living room…)
  • or something…There are things swirling around in my head just waiting for a free moment.
6. Gardening things
  • Strawberry bed
  • fill in the rest of the beds…  This was completed last weekend…
  • clean out the front flower beds and get them ready for spring and summer.
  • Plant the asparagus after April 15th.
Talk to you later!
I am off to do some of my chores.
Karen

 

What are you going to do different?

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If what we are doing in our business isn’t bringing us the results we want and if Insanity is defined as this (see below)?

http://www.etsy.com/listing/47911287/wall-decals-definition-of-insanity-vinyl

Then why do we keep doing the same things over and over in our business and expect different results. So my question to you is WHAT are YOU going to do DIFFERENTLY this year? How are you going to change the status quo? This has been the question that has occupied my mind the last five weeks. Yes, this question was going through my mind during the Christmas rush. It was a good Christmas season for the shop. Not as good as I had hoped for but quite good anyway. There were some things that I had done differently in the shop and it did pay off.

Since I have been mulling this thought over and over in my mind and the start of a new year is a time for reflection. I was getting frustrated with my inability to come to some decisions. It seemed like the year started with a huge rush of activity; getting kids back to school, kids getting sick, getting some appointments made, updating some paperwork, insurance paperwork, and house keeping stuff. All of it was keeping me from really working on the shop. I felt behind the curve already and we hadn’t even really started the year.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/85132427/wall-clock-retro-black-red-and-gray

I even worked on this questionnaire  from Etsy and was going to do a great big blog article on it.  http://www.etsy.com/blog/en/2013/reflect-on-2012-t/ It was a great place to start but it built in some frustrations as well. I may still do the blog article but really you have no desire to read about my goals unless it is a bullet list and you can scan it quickly.  I am not sure I can condense it down to a bullet list. I even tried to photograph the studio and motivate myself to clean it up because cleaning always has the ability to start a rush of ideas. I did indeed clean up the studio, but then we found some boxes downstairs that had studio items in them… and you can guess the rest.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/110369861/2013-desk-calendar-little-owls

It is a big year ahead of us with some pretty major changes. Like all families some big things and lots of little things are ahead of us. Some of them we have advance notice of and some we don’t.  So here is…finally a short list of things I am going to do in 2013

  1. Try and blog more consistently
  2. Feature other artisans once a week….
  3. Make 12 tutorials for my blog…that is roughly one a month… This is a huge hurdle and one I am rather frightened of.
  4. Keep the studio more organized
  5. Diversify the items in the Studio shop…same style of items just different kinds of things…
  6. Read 4 good books about business… I have two titles that were reccomended by my husband. Since he usually only reads non-fiction he is a great resource.
  7. Try to find 4 brick and mortar shops to consign my items here in my region.
  8. Limit my work time to a more regular schedule which includes time off for family and other activities.
  9. Build a link up spot once a week to help others market their shop items.

Then like everyone else I also have the goals to lose weight, exercise, eat right and save money that fit into the personal list along with

  1. Do the budget thing
  2. Continue working on home improvement projects
  3. Get the veggie garden and flower gardens back looking good.
  4. At least once a week do something fun with kids….
  5. Teach DD to cook and sew…she is the last one to learn. I am on the down hill side of child rearing and she deserves to know learn as much as they did.
  6. Make time for friends.

Talk to you later…

Karen

 

 

 

Why Write Goals?

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After packing and moving for the second time in twelve months, I find myself asking “Why do I keep writing goals just so I can change course four times in three months?”

At least it feels like I am changing my goals all the time. Frankly, I needed some direction on why I need to write another set of goals. I think this is the fourth set in 6 months? So I am reading what some goal setting gurus say. I found this on Michael Hyatt’s blog. He writes like a real person with real life happening. He has five reasons why you write goals but I love this statement here.

“Of course, most people don’t bother to write down their goals. Instead, they drift through life aimlessly, wondering why their life lacks purpose and significance. I am not saying that committing your goals to writing is the end-game. It’s not. But it is the beginning.” Michael Hyatt

Ok, so according to Michael I need to write my goals down to keep me from drifting aimlessly through life. Rather like driving in a new town without a map. You WILL get lost even if you do get directions and finally do end up at the right place. So I will lose time trying to get back on track.

Then there is this comment from the Goal Setting Guide.

“When you put pen to paper you turn your thoughts into something tangible.”

Then the actual act of writing goals down causes me to believe that the goal I have written is actually going to happen.

This is the third gem I found while searching for answers procrastinating.

” To remind yourself of what to focus on. Often we get caught up in our everyday business and lose track of what is most important.”

This is a great point and I think that people in creative jobs need more goals than most. It helps us to stick to the point and keep moving forward. I did notice that many of the articles I read all stated not to be afraid to rework your goals and to prioritize them.

Here are all of the links to the articles that I read for this blog on goal setting.

http://michaelhyatt.com/5-reasons-why-you-should-commit-your-goals-to-writing.html

http://www.goal-setting-guide.com/step-5-write-your-goal-down

http://www.positivityblog.com/index.php/2010/09/30/write-things-down/

Talk to you later,

Karen

PS. I am heading off to re-examine my goals while I unpack a couple of boxes in the kitchen, so I can cook again in an organized space. How is that for a tangible, immediate goal? What is one of your goals for this week?

 

Monday’s Goal Check Revisted!

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Yes, I know that it is Tuesday but all of these goals are going to change as it turns out we are moving soon. I will keep working on some and change some others. Here is the edited list that will expand and grow as the move evolves.

Business goals:

  • Finish three two afghans (I have two left to finish this goal. Currently I have three afghans started….

 

The zig zag chevron stripe is finished. The one on top is started….and I have a granny striped started in my new yarns, and a sampler granny square afghan started.

  • Start three more afghans
  • Sew 50+ cup cozies in new styles ( I prepare for the holiday buying season in advance, because I also home school.)
  • Sew the 30+ new items I need him to photograph
  • Make the new Christmas items…. I started and finished a bunch of these this past week.
  • Blog more consistently (I have been writing ahead and found my blog planning pages…)
  • Write a business plan

Family goals:

  • Take two summery day trips every week (I will be doing this while driving from the old house to the new house.)
  • Make some meals for the freezer for THOSE days when I just really need them. I still really need these and will focus on these for this week.
  • Help K get her things ready for College…. (two simpler things completed this week)
  • Take T for driving practice
  • Exercise (walked and/or exercised three times last week.  YAY!) Totally missed out on this one. I did, however, climb up and down a ladder painting the laundry room and inside of the kitchen cabinets, so maybe I am still ahead on this.)
  • Pack the house room by room and get it ready to move two states away.
  • keep Chocolate Dog Studio open as much as I possibly can since I am paying for some advertising.

Rather lofty goals aren’t they. I also have some personal ones that I have not added to this list.

Personal goals:

  • Work through my Bible study that I stopped this Spring.
  • Keep my kitchen and laundry caught up and ready for action. (I am working on this right now. Having done laundry for 8 days + the before and after camp laundry at a laundromat is enough to make me happy I am blessed with a washer and dryer.)
  • Have some friends over for dinner…or coffee or dessert or something.
  • Read some books about homeschooling (This is on hold until I get settled somewhere).

It has been a wild 8 or is it ten days. I will write about them when I can think more clearly. Some things in our life worked or didn’t work, well at any rate God’s plan for our lives has changed our plans. I am sure that his plan is better than mine but it is rather hard to see at this point in time. We are all well and healthy, job is intact and life is speeding along as usual. So, I am making a choice to be content and happy.

Talk to you later,

Karen