Manic Monday

Since monthly goals became difficult to manage, I'm going to try biting off smaller bites until I can get something down that's realistic for me.  I'll be highlighting these moving forward as Manic Monday posts.  I'm always overambitious about my Mondays, so this experiment should be interesting.

At the start of the year, I was very excited about doing more crafting, selling some wares, and commissioning trade projects.  After some turn of events, it became difficult to focus on a single task and I have yet to get my Etsy store moving at all.  I have a couple commissioned projects that I've slacked off on because I couldn't give them the attention to detail they deserved.  It's time to get motivated again.  This week is a busy one (the second week of the month ALWAYS is my busiest), but I have at least an hour of time every night to devote to knitting and crochet projects.

On top of that, I plan on starting the Couch to 5K program this week.  I've been successful in the past beginning running programs far more aggressive than this, so I have no doubts this will be completely doable for me.  Since we have the boy this week, I plan on taking him out with me so he can ride his bicycle with me.

In Over My Head...In Yarn

Oh, I'm not complaining.  I love having new projects to keep me engaged and entertained.  I currently have two commissioned projects, one just because, one past due Christmas project, and one that the boy has been asking me to make for a couple months now.

Problem is four out of the five are time-intensive projects.  The fifth isn't time intensive in itself, but I'm applying a new technique (cable braid) that requires I stop and start over frequently.  One of the four is complex. Yet another is going to be made of the sexiest yarn I've had an opportunity to work with (hand-spun and hand-dyed from Anzula Luxury Yarns).  That one I'm a little daunted by because I'm afraid the intended owner won't get to enjoy if for a full season by the time I finish which makes me kind of sad.

Oh, I forgot to include a quickie project I'm in the middle of because with my new, short 'do I found that I am in need some wide headbands.

My desk at work has a pile of yarn on it (and needles).

My side of the couch is covered in half-worked projects I keep alternating between.

My craft area in my bedroom has knitting needles and other notions splayed out so randomly, I'm surprised all my pretty bamboo needles are still in tact (and free from kitty chews).

On top of everything, I promised myself I would come up with one new item to post on my Etsy site.

I better get cracking because I still have dozens of projects I want to get to before summer sets in!  Oh, and I need to learn to sew costume bits before Ren Faire season is here.

Ack!

January Goals

I know!  I know!  It's kind of silly posting goals half-way through the month.  Things have been super, super crazy around here since Christmas and I haven't made blogging a very serious part of that.  I'm regretting that a bit now, but all I can do is try to be better moving forward.

First a recap on December: I totally failed!  No, seriously, I gained some weight and I was so over-stretched on last-minute holiday crafting that I didn't get to make any progress on my Etsy store.  I had hoped that after Christmas I'd get on the ball in overdrive or something, but it never happened.  I did finally post my first item today though and I'm super excited to see where I can go with it.

While I did not post my goals here, I had them written out before December was over.

Goal One: Get back into bellydancing.

I'm already half-way on this one.  I enrolled after the 1st of the year at California Arts Academy for tribal bellydancing lessons with Lydia of Tanjora.  My first class is this evening and I'm a little nervous.  It has been so many years since I've been in a bellydancing class.  I just hope I can keep up with the more spry girls.

Goal Two: Start eating better, goddammit!

It's really essential now.  Really, really essential.  I've written up some guidelines on this I'll save for a future blog post.

Goal Three: Post one item on my Etsy store front per week.

I know, I failed at two last month, why the heck am I adding a third?  Well, I know that the time it takes me to knit accessories is not so considerate that I cannot meet this goal.

Goal Four: Work up to include10 minutes of meditation and 10 minutes of yoga every day.

Wait, four goals this month?  Yeah, four goals.  Twenty minutes a day towards my well-being is not an unreasonable thing to ask of my time.  So that means 20 minutes less wasting my time watching television shows.  Big whoop.  While I haven't been consistent every day, I am up to five minutes of yoga most mornings and taking five minutes in the shower meditating.  It's relaxing and steamy and warm.  More importantly, the cats don't try to walk all over me when I have hot water pouring on me. I'm already experiencing tremendous benefits just doing that small amount of yoga everyday.  I hope in the next year I can resume formal classes (maybe after my bellydance classes are over in late May) or take a couple private lessons when I have the extra cash from my Etsy store so I can continue to be challenged.

No New Years Resolutions.  Frankly, I don't see the point.  This system of setting goals has been a mostly successful venture for me.  I know what I want to accomplish with my life right now.  I don't need a resolution to feel guilty about.  Plus I have lots of exciting things coming up, why feel derailed later?