I was completely wiped after the holidays this year. I am grateful for the amount of business I received, but I was pretty unprepared for it and trying to get the orders filled, on top of working, decorating, shopping, baking, and sewing gifts of my own... well, saying I was exhausted is putting it mildly. To be brutally honest, some days there were tears. But it all got done and after a much-needed break, during which I think I slept more than I ever have before, I've been gradually easing back into reality. Now the decorations are down, the gifts put away, the leftovers eaten. No excuses. It's time to look forward to 2011. Here's what I resolve to do.
Move. I used to run marathons. There's something you may not know about me. However, with the amount of running I've been doing lately, I can barely call myself a runner, let alone a marathoner. Since opening my business, fitness is the first thing to go when things get busy. And that's not right. Game plan: three workouts a week. A yoga class, a run, and a squash game. That doesn't seem like much, and I know Health Canada would shake their finger and say I should be doing much more, but I'm going to start slow. Three is better than none.
Get out. This may seem like a silly resolution to some of you, but keep in mind that I work from home for both my day job and my small business, so getting out of the house, especially in winter, is easier said than done for me. Game plan: my three workouts will get me out of the house three days of the week; ideas for the other four days include blogging from coffee shops and making more plans with friends. I need more ideas.
Number crunch. Numbers are not my thing. My math teachers disagreed (and disapproved of my English major), but I've always found them too boring to care about. Unfortunately, I can't afford not to care. I'm embarrassed to admit that I've been very lazy in the last 6 months or so with my bookkeeping and I have no idea where my business stands. I need to get on the ball before the tax man cometh! Game plan: software and scheduling. After trying several free online accounting programs out there, I've realized that my specific needs don't come for free. This week I downloaded the trial version of Quickbooks Pro. If it's the knight in shining armour it promises to be, I'll shell out the cash. It's worth it. Every pay day will be my bookkeeping day. It's already in my calendar.
Ditch the debt. Tied to the above, I aim to ditch my pesky student debt by the end of the year. It will take some sacrificing and a generous partner, but I think I can do it. My future depends on it, literally: I won't quit my day job until it's gone. So this is my year. Game plan: contribute x number of dollars every month and adjust my spending accordingly.
Make for me. There are so many things on my list of things I want to make. But my guilt over things I should be making for Dear Edna always wins. I'm afraid that this will cause me to lose all love for crafting and creating, which could eventually be the death of my business. Grim, no? So this year I'm going to try really hard to find more time every single week to make things for me. Game plan: look at it like a course and schedule one or two hours a week to make something new. I received a learning-to-crochet set for Christmas. Lesson number one: Monday at 8 o'clock.
Make space. I really have to finish setting my studio/office. Up until now I've been painting and cutting on a console table in my living room and running upstairs to sew, leaving a trail of thread in my wake. I cleared off the table for Christmas and it was a revelation. I loved it. I've been reluctant to work ever since simply because I don't want to set up on the table again! So the top priority since the new year has been to finally get my butt in gear and make space in my office for a functional studio. Game plan: I'm already on a track with this one. Yay me! I'll be picking up my new desk and shelves this afternoon, getting rid of extra furniture tomorrow (fingers crossed) and hopefully putting it all together over the next week. I can't wait!
{image via spreadthelove}
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