Creating Success from the Inside Out: The Hidden Benefit To Planning

As a project manager of multiple projects at any given time, I need to be organized.  So, I have a system in place that works well for me.  This system allows me to keep track of everything that needs to be done in a way that it's not all floating around in my head driving me crazy.

However, flip to my jewelry business and my organization and planning would be shameful to any project manager, including myself.  Since I'm generally wearing my creative cap when doing business tasks, I tend to let my passions and imaginations take me away into the clouds.  Until recently, I had a system for tracking all the things I want to try, sites I want to explore, designs I want to create but no long term plan for doing any of it.  Whenever I had time to sit down at my bench and work on my business, I would right then try to figure out what I was going to do - Make items? Photograph pieces? Add items to Etsy? Reach out to a blog?  Try that new technique?  Eeek! I would get overwhelmed and not make good use of my time.  

That's why I wanted to share with you my new planning technique that has given me my freedom back, pulled me out of overwhelm, given me a sense of real purpose, and basically changed my life!  This technique is not novel, but just something I hadn't followed through with before.  If you lack planning and organization in your creative business, then I hope this technique will help you, too.

1. The first thing I did was sit down and figure out my goals for the year for my business, made fun and enjoyable by using Leonie Dawson's 2014 Create Your Amazing Year in Life & Business Workbooks and Calendars. I really got clear on what I want to achieve this year and put dates by which I want to complete each one.  

2014 Create Your Amazing Year in Life & Business Workbooks

2. I looked at each goal and wrote down step by step on a piece of lined paper what it would take to complete it, even if it was a simple project with only 2 or 3 steps.

3. I decided set days each week that I would dedicate to my business.  Before, I willy-nilly worked on my business whenever I felt like it.  Now that I was going to plan for REALS, I needed to make some concrete and consistent commitments to myself.

4. I took Leonie's monthly calendar printouts (you could use any monthly calendar, iCal, Google Calendar, etc.) and input each individual task from step 2 into the calendar and played around with it until it felt realistic and worked with the overall completion dates I was aiming for.  At this point, I crossed some goals off my list because I realized it was just not realistic for me to accomplish everything in the time I have to spend.

Here are some quick tips for this planning stage:

* Think about how long, realistically, each task will take as you place it in your schedule

* Don't put too many tasks into any given day - you will get frustrated if you can't get it all done

* Think about which days you will have more time to spend and schedule the more difficult tasks for those days

* Yes, you have to schedule some tasks that are not fun at all to accomplish - try to pepper those in with a task that is SUPER fun

* Leave some days with little or no planned tasks to allow you some flexibility in case other tasks take longer than expected (and also to provide room for those spur of the moment ideas you just have to explore)

* Input your intended vacations into your planner - if you don't know when you are going to take time off, at least leave some placeholders throughout the year and you can adjust later

5. Lastly, I bought myself a cute planner at Barnes & Noble that I love and I input all the planning information from the monthly printouts into this planner.  This allowed me to take that extra adjustment step needed to get to a comfortable plan.  

Harmony Chakra Bracelet by Anjali Creations on Etsy

Honestly, now that I have my plan for the year, my mind is so much calmer.  Instead of constantly thinking about what I want/need to do next, I just look at my planner to see what's coming up and I just have to focus on that.  I know what days I'm working on my business and on those days I sit down and get those tasks done.  I don't have to worry about the next project that I have planned to start in March because it's all planned out and will be waiting for me when the time comes.

Have your own planning techniques?  Do tell in the comments below!

Creating Success from the Inside Out - 2013 Year in Review

One of the things I have learned about goal setting over the last couple of years is that it's important to take the time before setting new goals to review the previous year's goals.  To take it even further, this time of year is really a great time to look back at the year as a whole and reflect upon the wonderful things that happened to you this year, the challenges you faced, the lessons you learned, and overall the feelings you have about the year.

How do you go about doing this?  There are so many ways.  You could get together with your whole family and make it a yearly tradition.  Make a nice family meal and afterwards have everyone share their yearly highlights, some things that were really hard for them and how they handled it, a few things they accomplished that they are most proud of, and some lessons they learned that they will take with them into the new year.

 

Or, you could keep it private and journal about your year.  Look at your previous year's resolutions.  Which ones did you achieve?  Which ones are no longer valid - you changed course, went in a different direction, or came up with newer, more meaningful resolutions?  Which goals, if any, were too ambitious or unrealistic?  Which ones did you hit out of the park?  What did you do that helped you to fulfill a resolution?  Conversely, what could you do to help you fulfill resolutions that you missed this past year?

Custom Altered Book by RobinsArtandDesign on Etsy

The tool that I used last year and am using this year to help guide me in my year in review, and then to set my goals and intentions for next year, is Leonie Dawson's 2014 Create Your Amazing Year Workbook and Calendar (Life + Business Editions).  These workbooks and calendars are beautiful (you could frame each page!), colorful, inspirational, and each page/exercise helps you to dive deep in a peaceful, respectful way.  The section for reviewing your 2013 year is not only fulfilling, it's fun too.

I print mine out and put them in a three-ring binder so that it's accessible - something that I can review each month to help me reach my goals.

If you are interested in learning more about these workbooks or in purchasing your own, click here.  The links shown here are my affiliate links.  I'm not just an affiliate, though.  I am a firm believer in the value of these workbooks and the content that Leonie offers.  I am a member of her Amazing Biz ; Life Academy and through this group, have met a wonderful community of like-minded business women.

I'm interested in hearing how your 2013 went.  What were your wins?  Overall, how do you feel about the past year?  What lessons did you learn?

Tick Tock Day - December 29th

We all know that with every new year comes the (insert appropriate adjective here) occasion of creating and acknowledging your New Year's resolutions.  But did you know that December 29th is a national holiday, too?  It is Tick Tock Day, so designated that you might complete your previous year's resolutions before it's too late.

So you have two days left to close the loop on things you planned to do this year.  Wanted to learn how to cook that delicious Italian meal?  Decided this was the year you would treat yourself to a tropical vacation?  Now is the time to, at the very least, take the first steps toward those resolutions.

Here is some HVNY Team inspiration to help you close Tick Tock Day with a feeling of success.

Was one of your resolutions for 2013 to have people over, throw a party, or just let loose and have a blast?  Well, if you haven't already fulfilled that wish, now is the time.  Make a plan to go to a New Year's Eve party or look at the calendar and set a date when you are going to have a nice, cozy winter open house in January/February.  Better yet, send out an Evite today!

Harlequin Design Venetian Style Mask by amberhlynn on Etsy

 Did you tell yourself that 2013 was the year you would finally go on that well-deserved tropical vacation, but haven't yet made the plans?  Go online right now and plan that trip.  Book it for later in winter when palm trees and daiquiris will be a nice escape.

Nude Beach Card by Drusilla on Etsy

Was mastering that gourmet dish one of your resolutions this year?  If you haven't already done so, find a mouth-watering recipe online and make that dish this weekend - in time to check it off your list for 2013 and also put smiles on the faces of those with whom you share this culinary delight.

Gourmet 100% Pure Garlic Powder by RockerBoxGarlic on Etsy

Is getting outdoors on your 2013 list of things to do?  Take the last opportunity of 2013 and get outside with your dog for a hike.

Dog Coat in Felted Wool with Buttons By HuzzahHandmade on Etsy

Whatever your unrealized 2013 resolutions are, take a quick review and determine what you can still do to close the loop, take the first step, or complete a lingering project before the ball drops on New Year's Eve of 2014.

Happy New Year!