Reevaluation....

via Pinterest

Merry Christmas! and Happy Holidays and best wishes for a happy, creative, and prosperous New Year! Although we're just barely past Christmas, my thoughts are already turning to 2012 and wondering how I can be more creative and infuse my jewelry and my business with better energy in the new year.

Whether you make jewelry as a creative outlet or it is part of your business, it is always appropriate to set some goals or actions for your work as one year comes to a close and another brand new fresh year begins.
Some of us are listmakers, some of us are goal oriented, some of us make lists of short and long term goals, and many more of us have no idea where to even start.

I've compiled some different ideas for making and achieving different goals you may have for your work in 2012.....

1) Make your dream list. List every BIG DREAM you have for your work in 2012. List every big thing that you can think of! Want to write a book? want to enter a large craft show? want to establish an online store? maybe write an article for a magazine or simply submit your work for publication? Make a list and establish a basis for your dreams!

2) From that list, pick 2 dreams. NOW, make two separate goal lists so that you can reach those dreams. What do you need to do to reach those goals?

3) Make tiny lists for those 2 dreams. Make sure it includes every baby step that you need to accomplish those dreams. The steps in your list may be as simple as finding the tools to make that thing you've always wanted to make. Or going online and researching ideas for submissions for magazines....whatever the tiny steps are for reaching your dreams.

4)IMPORTANT: MAKE MANY MORE EVEN TINIER LISTS! WRITE THEM OUT AND MAKE EVEN TINIER LISTS BUT MAKE SURE THAT THEY ALIGN WITH YOUR TINY LISTS AND YOUR 2 BIG DREAMS. It may help you to get a small planner or a sketchbook or journal. Try to block yourself out some time once a week to help you manage the tiny steps.

5) Check your progress each week by seeing how many small steps you have made. Don't worry about the BIG DREAMS yet. Just concentrate on the tiny steps until you've fulfilled a list. If you need to make more lists, go ahead!

Once we break things into manageable bites, we can accomplish great things, even when the task or dream or goal seems insurmountable!

Maybe lists aren't your thing....

Maybe you can pick a WORD for 2012. ONE word that can embody everything you want to accomplish. Picking one word for your year can be a great way to align your work your values in a growing manner even if you're not list oriented!

Make sure if you pick a word, that you keep it at the forefront of everything you work on. You may need to tape it to every surface in your house to keep it in your mind!

CARRY THESE THINGS WITH YOU EVERYWHERE YOU GO.

If you keep a planner or a sketchbook, carry it with you everywhere, even if you don't think you NEED it. If you've chosen a word, tape it to your workspace, your computer monitor, inside your wallet....everywhere. Make your ideas real by keeping REAL, immediate reminders everywhere you go!

I'll be checking up on you throughout 2012 to see how you're doing!

In my next post, I'll show you my lists and words and I'll keep you in check with my progress!

Happy New Year!