Four Simple Goals

The dear Elsie over at A Beautiful Mess is hosting a Four Simple Goals challenge and I thought I'd take part, as I have about a million goals to accomplish before the end of the year.  It may be nice to pick just four to stick with and really focus on accomplishing them.  I'm going to do four personal goals and four professional goals, but I'm keeping them light and simple in order to make them attainable before 2011 creeps its way into my life.

Personally...

I'd like to get out of the house every day.  When working from home it's so easy to get stuck indoors and I really miss the hustle and bustle (well, as hustly and bustly as a little town like Felton gets) of the real world.  So even if it's just a walk across the street or a drive down to the local coffee shop, I need fresh air to thrive.  My current occupation doesn't require me to run many errands (bless the concept of internet ordering!) but that doesn't mean I can't create reasons to move around freely.

Wake up earlier.  As I'm getting older I'm finding I need less sleep than I did in my young adult years (yes, I'm very ancient at 25, aren't I?).  Because I go to bed when the lobster goes to bed, I'm hitting my pillow around midnight every night and waking up around 9:00a...  I need to get out of bed around 7:30a to feel my best.  Or go to bed much later.

Take more care with my appearance. The ugly truth of the matter is that I work from home, so I work from ratty teeshirts and jeans or pajama pants.  I'm thinking that waking up in the morning and putting on makeup and a cute outfit will not only help productivity, it will help self confidence.  I really have a lot of cute clothes I could be wearing.  I'm quite the boots and jeans girl in general, but a few cute tops could only help.

Create a blog space that reflects myself and my talents.  This one overlaps personal and professional, but it's needed.  Did you know that in real life I'm a graphic designer?  Not obvious by this blog AT ALL.  I'd like to re-create this space into someplace calming and creative and inspiring.

Professionally...

I'd like to define my branding.  This is a tough one, but I think this goal is just a few steps from completion so I think it's doable.  Really the only things left are the online shop, switch etsy names, and get a Fall Creek Fibers blog set up.

Spend more time creating and learning new techniques.  There's really no excuse not to.

Be better about keeping tidy and organized (virtually and physically).  I feel so much better when my office is clean and tidy and when my computer records only take 5 minutes to update rather than 3 hours.  This is a good every day goal for me...  Pick up after each work day.

Keep lists.  This used to be the way I did things but I sort of let my creative side take over and now my days are unstructured and scattered.  Lists are important.  They keep me on task and they don't let my flighty tendencies rule my professional life.  My flighty tendencies can rule my personal life all they want to, but I've been working hard on this dream and there's no room for flight here.

So there we have it, an exercise in kindness to myself and my business, as well as a way to keep myself going in the direction I've carved for myself.  I'll keep you updated on the goals as they are accomplished or as they better me and my business.  What are your four simple goals?  I'd love to hear them!  Leave a link or a list or some love in the comments if you see fit.  :)

Hope you guys had a really magical week!

Renewal

There's nothing like getting up early to catch the perfect light on your front porch. This one is named "Wanda" and is worsted weight merino, 198 yards of yummy squishiness. Keep an eye out for it in the shop on October 1st!

Yesterday I was feeling a bit bored of life... You know the feeling. "Where do I go from here? Why hasn't anything new happened? Why doesn't home feel comfortable? Is this really it?" It was a difficult day spent spinning on my mother's couch.

So last night after an obligatory stop at the pool hall to hang with the boyfriend and friends (did you know I can be somewhat of a hermit? And a flake? But I showed up for a drink and a laugh... That's love.) I came home and did a little renewal ritual. A hot shower was in order, then a tiny little clean up of my bedroom (as in put away the piles of clean clothes and packing materials). How can I sleep comfortably with a big pile of 'to do' staring at me from the corner of the room? I lit a candle for a new day, a little aromatherapy (spearmint and eucalyptus for clarity of mind), some craft supply organization, a moment to write in my journal, and a deep sleep.

And you know what? Today feels good. Mr. Lobster is still sleeping soundly (he didn't get in quite as early as I did) and I got up early to use these moments of quiet to do a little revamping. The etsy shop is all ready for its first scheduled update, there's a new blog banner, my roving is organized, and the morning gave me some great pictures of the yarn I finished yesterday. I love the light on our front porch at 8:00am. It's just perfect in every way.


Our camping trip was lovely. It was really really cold and rainy, but so nice to get away for a couple of days. We did a lot of sitting by the fire trying to keep warm, we climbed some rocks, walked around the lake, and spent time talking and focusing on ourselves. Even though we were freezing, I wouldn't trade a view like this for the world.


I think the dogs had a good time, too.


And now, Lobster is awake and I'm going to try to convince him that we have a serious lack of eggs benedict (hold the ham, substitute avocado, please) in this house. See you tomorrow!

Blog News.

I've been thinking a lot about this blog and how I can make it better for me. I've come up with a few things... One, I need to spend more time here. I love when my fellow bloggers update their blogs. I need to spend a little bit more time commenting on the entries of others and showing my appreciation for the glimpses into their life. Two, I need a bit of a schedule to stick to. Normally I don't do well with schedules, but these days I feel like a few guidelines may help me to focus my energies. So. After I get back from my mini vacay this week (I'll be back on Thursday) we will have a beautiful and structured blog.

Now we will have Things I Love on Wednesday (because Sunday just doesn't cut it anymore).
TGIF Friday.
And introducing... Best shot Monday! Monday will be the day to share my favorite photo of the week. I'll try to make it a new one (that you haven't seen here, or on my flickr, or facebook).

Also, I've decided to update my etsy shop twice monthly (beginning in October), around the 1st and the 15th (to give myself time, a goal, and a little bit of structure). For the month of October, blog followers will receive 15% off their entire purchase (less shipping, discount to be refunded through paypal)! And not only that, but new blog followers from now until October 31st will receive 20% off! The only thing you have to do is follow my blog via blogger publicly, and mention when you're checking out on etsy (in the message to seller box) that you are one of my minions. That's it! How exciting! It's a thank you for sticking with me. Keep an eye out for my October update and spread the word!

Now, I need to get back to packing.

A new year.

My word for 2009 is this. Reinvent.

re•in•vent 
1. to invent again or anew
2. to remake or make over, as in a different form
3. to bring back; revive

As I was driving home in the dark (winding roads, my companion, a sense of renewal, Alanis on the radio) this word resonated within me. I have visions of what I want to be by this time next year, and these goals are not out of reach. It is incredibly important to me to have something to show for 24 years on this earth... those things live here (in my heart, hearth, soul, body, mind, home). These are those things.

This year I will:

Reduce my footprint. I will begin with trying to buy locally above anything else and by buying bio-degradable packaging (no styrofoam or plastic). It shouldn't be terribly difficult, considering I live in Santa Cruz County and there are farmer's markets and local shops galore. Making this a habit is high on my list of things to reinvent. In this light, no more plastic water bottles! There's no excuse. Also, there's no reason to go through as many plastic bags as we do (mainly used for groceries and pet waste). This can be remedied very simply and I will reinvent the idea of grocery runs and pet waste.

Bring back the body I want and crave. Every cell in my body cheers when I take care of myself the way I like to (want to, need to, crave to). Eating right (greeeeens and fruits!), cutting out sugar and carbs, running (walking, hiking, swimming, yoga, tai chi), and drinking nothing but lovely water with some fresh fruit in the bottom of the pitcher. I like this life for making me feel bright and colorful (vibrant, daring, worthy, healthy, sexy, brave). If I can remind myself daily of the way I want to look and feel, I can accomplish this. Nothing drastic needs to take place, no fasts or miracle diets, just plain healthy living and healthy loving. A reinvention of self. (Also, when I feel like I've accomplished what I want and need, I give myself permission to pierce or tattoo it.)

Work hard for something I want. Of course there are many things I want that will take a lot of hard work, and this is more of a generic statement than a specific. So I'll settle for working hard on a degree, working hard on a career, working hard on reinvention of self (I hope to do this one anyway), working hard on my contract work, working hard on my novel, etc etc etc. I feel this past year has been a lazy (hazy, dreary, boring, trying, lethargic) year... My working hard in 2009 will help me to renew, transform, reinvent.

And there we have it, three rather lofty (and also refreshingly soft, forgiving, humble) goals for 2009.

A beautiful focus on reinvent. Coming soon... 24 things to do before I turn 25!