Goals: I’m used to setting them. I do it often. I make myself “to do” lists which are just short-term goals. And sometimes I spend a day or more ticking off those goals from the list. With having this week off, the goals were vast and all over the place but included things like making cookies, deciding on a stain for the new trim in the bedroom and testing it out, doing laundry, cleaning the house, that sort of thing.
Lately my goals have been so short-sighted like that, a precarious list of daily or weekly “to do’s,” schlepping along from one to another and proclaiming victory after something gets crossed off. It’s akin to putting in a quarter at the Atlantic City slots and getting back $10 in change: you’re excited but it’s temporary because you know all that’s going to buy you is another cheap, watered-down drink. It’s not that I don’t know how to set long-term goals. I do. It’s just, lately, I feel as though I’m jumping from one puddle to another, not even worried about making a splash, but rather I’m more focused on making it to the next puddle. I’m leading a temporary existence.
I was on Twitter when Laura Gesin posted a link to her blog post about creating a vision map, a personal manifesto of sorts of achievable goals. “What a fantastic idea! This would be a great way to put into pictures what I want to set out to do over the course of 2011.” I set out on a similar path, finding free pictures on the Stock Exchange website in addition to using some of my own NexStitch images.
Can you tell what my design-oriented goals are this year?
I’ll say in addition to Laura’s ideas, I like the idea of using the vision map as a desktop image, a constant reminder and roadmap of the year ahead.
I asked in my group – come join us if you’re not a member! – “What crochet or knit-related New Year’s resolutions are you making for 2011? Are there certain yarns or tools you want to acquire or a certain project you want to tackle?” For me, it’ll be all about design, design, design. How about you?
I love it! I made mine my desktop on my laptop too! At first, I thought it was a bit too new age for me, but the vision map exercise really did get me to think about my goals for the next year and really focus my efforts.
Thanks for sharing yours.
What an amazing idea – thanks for sharing I want to create one of these too!
Happy 2011 to you and your family.
I really need to solidify my crochet/design related goals for this year. I have lots of ideas for designs but I’m slow to get them moving because I get distracted by other patterns I want to try. I’d really like to shape my business a bit more this year to become a bigger part of my income, and do it in a way that will remain fun for me
Laura, I’m just so glad you shared the idea to begin with. It was a great way to visualize what I had been thinking all along. I’m going to make a separate one for my personal goals not related to designing. I need the constant reminder of what I said I was going to do (and follow through).
Sheryl, you should! Happy New Year to you and yours.
Amy, I always get distracted by other things too. I say I’m going to do something but getting sidetracked makes that difficult if not impossible. I need to strike a balance between work, designing, and home life that doesn’t compromise too much of one for the other.