The ABCs of Life...G is For Goals

Way back in January, when I was full of hope and motivation I sat down and wrote a blog post about setting goals. So today I thought would be a good day to revisit that post and do a little follow-up. You can see the original post here.

I posed some questions in that blog post; things to think about, so here are my answers:

What do I need to do that I'm not doing now?
~I need to go back to posting a daily to do list and physically check off each one when it is completed. I had started doing that in the beginning of this year, but let it lapse and my productivity, both at home and with my shop, has been affected. There are days that I plan on doing all sorts of great things, but then somehow they don't get done and I put them off for another day. That is a major waste of my time and effort. I know that, but I need to hold myself to being more accountable.
~I need to post shop quotas so I see the steps I need to take to reach my goals. Seeing a number of items I expect to make in a week or a month is so much more effective than saying I need to make more stuff.

What am I doing right and what do I need to work on?
~I am promoting and posting on various social media websites and I do have a blog, which I have posted on more this year than I have in the past two years combined. I continually work on becoming a better shop owner (audio books, trade journals, books, online research). And I haven't given up. I am still positive that I can do this and I will be successful.
~I need to work on learning new sewing skills and techniques so I can offer more items in my shop. I need to work on SEO (like so many others), and I need to find my niche. I think it's still out there waiting for me to figure it out. If I focus on the things that are important in my own life and find a way to express that in my work then I believe I will have found the key.

My Goals
So, I had set some goals for myself, and the truth is I'm not really doing so well with, but in my defense, I'm not totally to blame. 

I have been spending a huge amount of time looking for a job, which has cut into my daytime sewing hours. The dilemma; sew and make stuff that might sell or find a job that will pay? Until I have a safety net to fall back on, the guaranteed money must come before the possibility of money. (I am happy to say, I did find a job and I will be starting next week. It is part time, so I will still have time to sew without feeling guilty.)

I also have a mother who is 94 and has dementia. This is a rough time in our lives, and sometimes what I want to do just isn't nearly as important as I think it is. We moved here to be near her, so when she needs me, the sewing can wait.

So, my first goal is to strive for a specific dollar amount per month that is doable for me at this time. And how did I do with that one? Let's just say, I'm still working on that one.

Set a weekly quota of goods to make.
I started out keeping up with this quite easily, but then I fell behind and then I lost my momentum. Getting back on the horse now.

Blog three times a week
Again I was right on target with that one, but when life gets you down, the last thing you want to do is bring them down with you. It's hard to write positive and uplifting blog posts when you don't feel so positive yourself. At least I did manage to keep up with my "Monday Mojo" blog posts. But, on the bright side, I am feeling better, and I have a bunch of blog posts just dying to be shared.

Craft Fairs
I absolutely want to do craft fairs. Love them and love meeting the people, but when you don't have the money for the table fee, they need to be put on hold. Hoping that changes soon.

So, why would I put myself out there and let you into my not-so-perfect world? Because, none of us are perfect. Life doesn't go the way we plan. Whether you believe in fate, Divine intervention, destiny, or letting the chips fall where they lie...the fact is we are all dealing with "stuff" that will keep us from our goals if we let them.  You are my accountability partner. The next time I share an update about my goals I will have a better report for you. I am not done yet!

The images shown are all from Etsy sellers. I hope they motivate you, too. The shops featured, from top to bottom are:
DecalsForTheWall
DecalDrama
NeueGraphic
Gratitude Jewelry