Approaching the New Year

Goals. New Year'  Resolutions. Getting organized. As we approach the new year these thoughts keep roaming around in my head. And since I am a creative person, they are giving me a headache.

Ok that's not really true. Somehow I am lucky and I seem to have just enough creativity, drive and organization that most of the time I can be very productive. Most of the time. 

I am still struggling on what, if anything, I want to do with the new year's resolution hype. January seems like a good time to start off with some new goals. It's the beginning of the year and easy to think we are establishing a clean slate. I am just worried I might set some goals and never look at them again and forget that I even set them. That's what happens to a busy person who is focused and doing a lot. We forget the big picture. (And yes, I am referring to last year's #1 goal to write my marketing book that I completely forgot about on January 2nd.)

There was a time when I was kind of obsessed with with goals. A few years ago Dreama and I spent the entire month of December talking on the Artists Helping Artists show about setting goals and getting organized in your art business. (I do need to mention that this was 100% my idea and Dreama thought I was a bit crazy to do this. I think she was right.)

The good news is I can skip over the entire lose weight, exercise more and be healthy thing. Dave and I read the book "Younger Next Year" a few months ago and are on a new regime that involves exercise and diet. So that's already in place.

So I am going to set a few goals and write them on a few post it notes and place them in my office and in my studio. I have even added them to my desktop screen so everyday I will be reminded of my goals. (Just select a photo and add the text of your goals. Then save the photo as your desktop photo. I used picmonkey.com. You can see the photo at the top of this post.)
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Goals for 2016
1. Remember every day that I have the greatest job (and life) in the world. I really do feel like I am on vacation everyday and I don't ever want to forget that.
2. Focus more on the big picture. This includes the list in my memo book of my "good ideas" and new projects I want to focus on. (FYI, I have an aqua colored memo book that I refer to as my bible. It's the book that I write EVERYTHING in. Things like AHA show ideas, goals, daily to-do lists, commission notes and ideas, workshop notes, painting ideas, theme and series ideas, composition sketches and christmas gift lists!)

Here is a photo of my memo book. Sorry the photo is blurry but I want you to be more focused on the concept than the content. The one rule about the book is that you can and should write anything in the book. It doesn't matter what it's about. Just write it down. I find writing down helps me remember things.
​If you don't have one of these you should get one today. Some people use their computers to store ideas using programs like Evernote. I lke the old fashioned way with pen and paper.

So what are my big picture goals? They include things like consolidating all of my websites, offering more online classes (like webinARTs), expanding my brand, finetuning my abstract marketing plan with interior designers, and it goes on and on and on.
3. Redefine my blog. Yay! I am already doing this one. (Actually I added this one in because I knew I had already started it. It wasn't really a major goal but I like having one goal that already has been started.)
4. Define, develop and explore new avenues to sell my art. This goal is all about "not doing the same old thing that every other artist is doing". It's about looking for new places in print media, online and in person to sell my art. I have my fingers crossed that I will be selected as a vendor at the 2016 Pasadena Showcase House but I know it's a long shot. At least I am trying new ideas!
5. Stop doing the things I don't like to do. This is a tough one but probably the most important. And it doesn't entail waking up one day and stopping cold. It's more important to try to fix or rework what you don't like to do first. Especially if it's an importnat part of your business. If you can't make it work then yes, you should stop doing it.

I found a great article titled "50 Ways Happier Healthier and More Successful People Live on Their Own Terms". You night consider a few of these ideas if you are looking for some goals or resolutions for the new year.

OK. That's it for now.