stop wondering start making (via lovely clusters)

for me, it’s easy to wonder too much. i’ve been wondering a lot lately. today, i’m going to take some of my own advice, get off of here and start making. i encourage you to do the same. see you tommorrow!! love, bonnie

wrap up: {inspiration} {making} {motivation} {start} {typography} {wondering} {words}

thank goodness for google calendars, else i would have never realized that this year is already half way over! back in january i posted a list of goals for 2012 and wanted to do a little check in to see where i’m at with them. though it looks like i have a ways to go, there’s nothing like publicly announcing your goals, it’s such a motivator! i would love to hear yours as well. :)

12 thoughts and goals for 2012:

1) start a garden at our new place.

2) keep focused on communication with all of my friends and family across the states. work in progress!

3) get my dad out to california.

4) start soaking my own beans and sprouting my own sprouts.

5) continue to educate myself on the subjects that are near to my heart (food, health and creative endeavors). work in progress!

6) continue to put God first. in my time, my day, our finances, and in every way.

7) get back into my yoga routine.

8) submit a design portfolio to the fabric company of my dreams.

9) start saving above our norm, in efforts to prepare for a home and family in the coming years.

10) practice presence. life flies by to quickly. not sure that i will ever cross this one out!

11) visit bend, the grand canyon, lake tahoe and santa cruz.

12) nourish my creativity. work in progress!

how are your goals for 2012 coming?

wrap up: {2012} {goals} {july} {motivation} {year}

do you ever feel like you just need your own personal squad of cheerleaders to keep you motivated?  there are so many ways that owning a small business can chip away at your motivation, and that’s often what you need the most of!  whether it’s from boredom, busyness, or stress from trying to break even- we’ll talk about some motivation boosters today.

bee hive print

try to limit your time-wasters. in particular, time spent on the computer.  it’s amazing how i can sit down at my mac and not really even know what i did when my consciousness returns 3 hours later!  with everything that can ‘suck you in’ it’s important to set some boundaries for yourself.  between computers, ipods, phones, emails, convos, twitter, facebook, formspring, & flickr, there are many reasons to step. away. from. the. computer.  else, you may find yourself there all day, then stressed and unmotivated when it comes time to work.

harris tweed yellow harris no more

try something new. when you make the same things over and over again, it’s really easy to feel like you’re in a rut.  work on some new designs or try learning a new technique.  maybe take a break from your workspace and online shop to do a local craft show or trade event.  whatever it is, try to break your habits and spice things up again!  when there’s something new to look forward to, your motivation will surely begin to bounce back.

yellow warblers watercolor painting

make your space inspiring. one of the quickest ways (i’ve learned) to kill my motivation is to have a messy workspace.  sometimes i try to work through the clutter, but it never fails to effect my inspiration, and nag on my motivation. surround yourself with things that make you happy like flowers, artwork or pictures and reflect on them when you’re feeling a little bogged down.  it’s also helpful to just take a break and change the mood.  go for a walk, open the windows, fix some lemonade, or anything that will help rejuvenate your spirits.

the bluemoon. flying earth headband

slow down. sometimes motivation can lack because you’re not selling enough, other times it can be because you’re selling too much.  if you’re the latter, don’t forget that you’re a one woman (or man) show!  try to slow down or find some help.  if you’re flat out selling to much to keep up with, and you can’t make-one-more-(fill in the blank), you’ve got to find a way to take it down a notch.  hire a nanny, or someone to help you with shipping.  raise your prices, don’t relist as much or just close your etsy shop for a few days until you can regroup and pick yourself up again.

those are all things that i’ve done to help boost my motivation.  what do you find works best for you?

wrap up: {biz} {etsy} {indie} {motivation} {shop help}