Seeing the words "third quarter" in the title makes me wonder how we're 75% of the way through the year already, because it feels like I was just sitting here deciding what my 2013 goals should be. I made a list of things to work on this year--not resolutions, though, because those have too much of a pass/fail vibe, and I think that as long as you're improving you can give yourself a high-five. It's time to check in to see how they're going now that I'm approaching the home stretch.
1. Exercise everyday. I think setting the bar at "everyday" was a mistake. Sometimes I'm tired or eating nachos and it's just not going to happen. BUT! I am getting it done 4-5 days a week. Lately it's been a combination of hiking at the arboretum and doing yoga in front of the TV.
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3. Read two books a month. I was an overachiever and read Divergent in about 12 hours a couple of Saturdays ago, but then it took me two weeks to read the next in the series because it wasn't as good. Bummer. I'm back on my non-fiction streak again
4. Reach 900 sales in the Oh Nostalgia Wedding Collection and 300 in Oh Nostalgia. Nope. Life has totally changed. Let's look at this in more detail in number five...
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5. Overhaul both product lines. Overhauling isn't quite what happened, because I ended up closing the wedding shop indefinitely on August 1st. It was time. That shop was my baby and what enabled me to quit my day job and work for myself, but mentally I was moving on to interior design and I just wasn't enjoying the wedding side of jewelry-making anymore. It was a lot to keep up with when I had classes, and I couldn't see the point of stressing myself out when I knew jewelry wasn't my ultimate career goal, anyway. I might bring it back someday, but for now Oh Nostalgia is reppin' Etsy alone and I'm totally fine with that.
6. Paint the cabinets. DONE!
7. Plant stuff in the garden. Planted, yes. I planted stuff so hard. Got my hands all dirty and everything. But then I accidentally killed everything when it got hot. (Remembering to water the plants is not exactly top of mind with me, so...)
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8. Stick to a budget. Well, we did book a trip to Paris for Thanksgiving, and that's not exactly what I'd call saving money, but we've made a big effort to eat at home more instead of going out several times a week. And going the DIY route for all of our house projects has saved us some major coin, too, so I think the scales balance out. If not, I'd give us a solid B for trying.
9. Focus more on interior design. Absolutely, 100%. I'm taking classes full-time right now and might overload my schedule in the spring so I can finish sooner. Fingers crossed.
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10. Do more DIY projects. I haven't done these in the way I imagined I would, but my god have we been doing a lot to the house. Totally counts.
Did you set any goals for 2013? How are they going? Anybody else rocking some half-dead plants in their yard? What about getting stuff done around the house?
Great that you are working on your goals! For us this year has been mostly moving and travelling! are
ReplyDeleteI love that last photo!
ReplyDeleteYeah, I set a lot of goals...some of them I've met, some of them I haven't. I have been drinking more water, which I'm happy about, and am still very much on track to get my master's in December, but I haven't written nearly as much as I'd planned! And there is no hope of it at this point - student teaching leaves me with no time.
I feel the exact same way about setting "New Years Resolutions!" I much prefer the idea of setting "goals" or "things to work on." Sounds like you are working hard on yourself, your business and your future! And I can relate to things not going exactly as you planned, but its a good reminder to be flexible! You're doing great!
ReplyDeleteYou're doing great!
ReplyDeleteI love yoga, it has teached me so much about myself and also improved my flexibility so much. I couldn't leave without it now!
I love reading non fiction more than fiction, for some reason. I really want to read more, but I never seem to get dragged into it. I guess is because I read a lot for my university classes and essays, and then I don't have energy left to read anything else (which I recognize is a lame excuse).
I closed an online Etsy shop (where I sold paper cards and papererie) earlier this year too, as you I knew it wasn't what I wanted to do, and the small amount of money I was making with it didn't really worth all the stress and hours I had to spend doing it. It made me sad to close it, but at the end it was the right decision.
Good luck for the last 25% of the year! (time goes by so fast!)
I'd say your year is going really well! It looks like it's been a year of learning and change...and that's a good thing. I'm so happy your interior design work is going well and that you might even get done with classes early!
ReplyDeleteSounds like it's been a great year for you! I love that last photo and the veggies planted in the crates - so chic :)
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your interior design classes!
I think you're doing really good! I think my only real goal was to read 20 books this year and that ain't gonna happen lol! I think booking a trip to Paris makes up for the other stuff you couldn't do. :)
ReplyDeleteI think you've made great progress! And I think it's smart that you are reevaluating your goals as you go and changing them when it makes sense. Sometimes, I think people feel like failures if they don't meet goals exactly as they pictured at the beginning of the year, but that's not real life. Things pop up. Circumstances change. We change. It's all a process anyway, and there isn't really a finish line to cross.
ReplyDeleteI didn't make any concrete goals this year, but I think I might make a few simple ones for the last remaining months. :)
I'd say you're doing great! I'm impressed. In all honesty, I don't plan much anymore. I keep goals in my head and lots of mini 'to do' lists. But I'm just an anxiety-ridden person by nature so I've had to rework the way I look at things and go with the flow a little more, especially with work stuff. I did have a goal of redoing our floor, which we did this weekend. So woot! Oh yeah, and to get pregnant. There's that. :)
ReplyDeleteI guess I'm tired, I just read you were tired OF eating nacho's!
ReplyDelete:-)
I've never even tried with plants in this house because of my track record. It sounds like so many of your other goals are going well, though! Congrats on all of your accomplishments this year.
ReplyDeleteYou are such an achiever woman! :)
ReplyDeleteI'm always into planting and growing things in the spring and early summer, but then when it gets hot and everything starts do die, I give up and don't care anymore... it made me laugh to read that about your garden. And I loved the wine box idea in the photo you posted.
One can set goals for the year, but then life gets in the way. I think you get an A for effort, decision making, and actually doing the things that made sense as the year progressed.
ReplyDeleteYou're doing great. The shop revamps makes sense -- and you now seem truly focused on Interior Design. I think you have tremendous talent and will do great in that field.
ReplyDeleteMy own goals? Well, I flunked gardening. Big time. And Etsy sales aren't quite where I'd like them to be, but I had a really good month in both shops in August, and I'm hoping to gear up for the holidays. The quilt shop job has nixed my Fall craft fair plans, so I won't have that extra income source, but I am getting way more custom orders via Etsy. I'm doing OK on the diet. Daily exercise is a struggle, but I manage 4-5 times per week.
I think 4-5 days a week is excellent! I was doing well there for awhile myself, but... I got lazy?
ReplyDeleteHaha, I also have the tendency to forget to water plants and to read an entire book in 12 hours. :)
I definitely feel like I need to write down my goals like this so I can follow through with them...glad to see you've finished some of these things!
ReplyDeleteSounds like you are doing well to achieve the things you want to achieve before the year is over. I write down things I want to do throughout the year, and so far things are moving forward. I can't believe we only have a little over 3 months left till 2014.
ReplyDeleteValerie
Everyday Inspired