I can’t really sugar coat it: 2017 was a very tough year for me personally. I know that social media can make things appear wonderful, and it is my goal to live life honestly, openly, and authentically. Some topics are not really able to be shared publicly, though, and I am definitely hopeful for a more peaceful 2018.
That being said, looking back on my 2017 Quilting / Blogging Planning, I think that I had a very productive year and met most of my major goals:
2017 Shorter Term / Actionable Goals
- Co-host 2017 New Quilt Bloggers Blog Hop It was great!
- Goal 1: Move the schedule up so that it is over by summer. We did and I think it was a good improvement. Many thanks to those who provided helpful feedback and helped us make this change.
- Goal 2: Work for a smooth transition with new co-hosts and start phasing myself out (I think 2017 will be my last year to co-host). 2017 was my last year as a co-host, and I certainly will do what I can to support the co-hosts for 2018 and share details for the plans for next year when they are announced!
- Give myself a raise (I am going to $25/hour for my time). I did this but I shifted away from making quilts for others to more of a pattern writing business model.
- Focus on pattern writing (I have soooo many ideas!). I did!
- Submit ideas to magazines more frequently. Check!
- Say “no” to most bees, swaps, and quilt alongs for the year: basically, I’m aiming for slightly more “selfish” quilting for the year (although focused quilting is probably more accurate).
- In that vein, I did not sign up for the Stash Bee in 2017, but I am participating in Molli Sparkles Honey Pot Bee as all the blocks I make in that bee I will be keeping for myself. I think I kept a pretty good balance here with a few QALs and the Honey Pot Bee.
2017 Big Picture Goals
- Remember my overarching life goal of seeking mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual balance. I do remember this and it is a constant balancing and re-balancing act to try to find some kind of center.
- Continue to embrace the “seek rejection” philosophy. I tried a lot of new things this year; some with greater success than others.
- Be gentle with myself. I would like to say I did well with this goal, but this can be very hard.
- I have some big picture goal thinking to do. Honestly, I want to be open and flexible with my plans in case life continues to be a bit unpredictable in other non-quilting areas. The things I thought might come to pass did not as 2017 threw me some pretty big curve balls. But, staying open and flexible meant I was able to make the time to be there to support my loved ones (and myself) through a very tough year.
2018 Planning
I sat down with my favorite tea, my 2018 Quilter’s Planner, some paper, and a pencil this past weekend and put together some thoughts for what I’d like to achieve in 2018.
2018 Shorter Term / Actionable Goals
- Make 3-4 bed quilts for us!!
- My husband and I have already picked out the color palette to use: Kona Cotton Ocean, Astral, Lake, and Sky.
- Quilt 1: Kaleidoscope Plus
- Quilt 2: Wholecloth: Playful Foxes
- Quilt 3: TBD
- Quilt 4: TBD
- Take time for self care!
- Pick one thing each month – reading, baths, walks outside, gym or yoga time, etc.
- Repeat: “Time expands when I need it.”
- Repeat: “It is OK to plan for and allow myself me-time.”
- Mail something – a note, postcard – to my nieces each month.
- Write a blog post 3 times a week.
- Be online less (this is an evolution of some big picture goal setting, see #4 below).
- I spend a lot of time every day engaging with social media. I really, really appreciate your participation and interaction, and I get a lot out of the online community. But I need to cut back my screen time and realistically what that is going to mean is setting a time limit to my being online.
- Continue to focus on pattern writing.
2018 Big Picture Goals
- Remember my overarching life goal of seeking mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual balance.
- Continue to embrace the “seek rejection” philosophy.
- For those unfamiliar with the idea, reaching out and asking for something (magazine submission, for example) can seem overwhelming and hard due to the fear of rejection or being told “no”. Letting myself ask and submit with the risk of being told “no” is scary, and resiliency in rejection is something I want to continue to cultivate within myself.
- Be gentle with myself.
- Continue to work on big picture goals while being open and flexible to what life has in store.
Linking up with the 2018 Planning Party.
Do not think of it as rejection, just difference of opinion. We all see different things when we look at something. I absolutely love your transparency quilt. The first time I saw it I was mesmerized. Although, I can see someone else looking at it and thinking that it is a too simple, because they couldn’t see the transparency effect. As they say “beauty is in the eye of the beholder”. Also, if you love it , it doesn’t matter if anyone else does. Submit all that you love and be happy with yourself.
It sounds like you have chosen some very achievable goals. I hope this year is more calm for you and still productive. I have certainly enjoyed your QAL.
I like that you are going to be gentle with yourself and allow more me time.
I hear you on the being brave in the face of potential rejection front. I’m trying to cultivate that myself. Perhaps we can put an even more positive punch to it by saying we will “brave rejection.” Words are powerful. “Seeking” it almost sounds like we’re hoping for it. “Braving” it sounds to me more like we know it could happen, but we’re going to walk to it, anyway. 🙂 Here’s to a beautiful, peaceful, and successful 2018!
I know what you mean about spending too much time online. I have stopped doing most link parties because of the time it takes to reciprocate by visiting the other blogs and commenting. I refuse to rush the seasons too, trying to enjoy each one in its time. Getting more exercise has been beneficial this year, and I hope I can keep it up next year. I’ll be looking at my overall goals and linking with your party (and Cheryl’s) after the holiday. Then I’ll be done with linkys for a few months. I hope that will allow me more time to create and quilt, and get a special event for February done on my blog that I really want to do.
Great goals. I like the ‘seek rejection’ perspective. I am going to try submitting ideas to magazines this year and that is a good way to think about this.
Two years ago I started limiting myself on social media GREATLY and became my old self again. There is a happy balance that can be found and sounds like you are on the right path to achieving that balance. Regarding mail, check out fabric postcards. They are quick to make, can be written on, and so easy to individualize. Something tells me your nieces would love them.
Good for you, Yvonne, for seeking “me” time and less internet time. I started doing that this year and it has done wonders for me. Also, love the part about mailing your nieces! They will LOVE that! Cheers to a wonderful 2018, my wonderful friend!
There is Postcard group on yahoo that you can join in on what swaps you want to. Makes being creative easy when you don’t have or don’t want to have much time doing the larger swaps.
I really appreciate how thoughtful you are in your planning. I’ve felt a little out of control, ie. in survival mode lately, and I’m hoping to snap out of that once we get thru the holidays. Hoping 2018 is a much better year for you in the ways that matter most.
I love how open you are with your thoughts. I started setting an actual wind up kitchen timer when I turned on the computer-really helped with my time limits. Remember that each rejection takes you that much closer to the next YES. You will never get to yes without out getting the no’s out of the way. They are not rejecting you personally they just don’t need what you are offering at that moment in time.
As I have become more mature ( read getting older, in truth) I have found it a little easier to say NO to requests, it may be as easy as someone wanting to stay overnight, or do we have surplus fruit or veges from our garden, or to actually say no to myself when I want to do something but know it is beyond my capability. Your goals, those achieved and those for 2018 are reasonable, achievable, and very realistic. I think you do so much, and are so thoughtful with the QAL, blogposts, and all else , and with your quilt designing too, Please make time for you and Michael in 2018, to have your own quilts, will there be one for each season? Grab that curve ball and throw it so far away, with many hopes and wishes for 2018 that it will stay so far out of reach for you both,
I can tell you have put a lot of time and thought into your goals, which means you will very likely achieve many of them!
I have to comment on the “less time online” item. You are by far the most active person I have noticed in terms of commenting on blogs and Instagram. I always appreciate the comments you leave on my blog and IG — they’re never just “looks great” but always thoughtful and specific. I suspect that many others also notice and feel the same way. But I have thought to myself before that it must take a lot of your time to be so thorough! I’ve tried to do it myself and usually find that I lack the mental bandwidth to make it happen on a regular basis. All that is to say that your desire to lessen time commitment is definitely understandable!
Meant to add that I’m sorry to hear your year was so rough, and I wish you brighter days in 2018!
Yvonne, you’ve done an amazing job this year and should be proud of yourself and your accomplishments. I wish you and your husband and family a very blessed Christmas and a very successful 2018 and beyond.
Yvonne,
Many of your goals and resolutions resonate with me. I have some very similar goals, you will see those when I finish the post and link up.
I hope 2018 is a year filled with creativity and balance. This year was rough but my guess is you are a bit stronger for it.
I appreciate all you contribute to the online quilting community and if you pull back a bit, spend a little more time for yourself, we all will understand and commend you for it. Balance is by far the hardest goal to achieve (for me anyway)
I admire your honesty and your goals Yvonne. I finally got a blog post up to just get caught up in my own mind and move forward. I’m inspired by your list to get a list of my own made. I feel scattered but need to do this! I’m sorry your year has been tough. Life can be a real sticker. Best wishes for a wonderful new year! Hugs!!
Balancing screen time and the community that comes with it with the time it takes away from other things can be a difficult thing. I struggle with this balance as well. Great goals, Yvonne. I am sorry to hear that you had a rough 2017 and am hoping for more light for you in 2018.
The goals as usual Yvonne are well written in a way that you can follow them. I love your big picture goals they indicate such a willingness to engage with life and what comes your way.
You’ve chosen wonderful goals for the year. I wish you the best with all of your goals. I didn’t call it a goal, but making a quilt for my bed is in the plans right now. I’ve been a quilter long enough and it is time to get myself a quilt. I think I should add submitting a pattern to mine, but I think I need focus on pattern designing and writing first.
I like your “seek rejection” goal. Being unafraid makes us seek out more challenges in life. All the best for 2018
Wonderful goals. Good luck. You are an amazing artist. You’ve got this.
Your annual planning is always very thoughtful and I love that. I think you’ve got some very worthy goals. I really hope 2018 is good to you.
I enjoyed reading about your goals, past and present, Yvonne. I appreciate the honesty and thoughtfulness that you put into it. It’s very motivating to read about someone else’s journey and how it relates to my own. I can truly relate to spending less time online and saying “no” more often.
I hope the struggles of 2017 turn into positive learning experiences that inch you toward a better new year. Thanks for all you do for the quilting and blogging community.
I’m trying to focus more on selfish/focused sewing for 2018. I have a huge WIP collection and more projects that I want to make than I know what to do with. But with two young kids, I find that too much of my limited sewing time is going to Bees, swaps, etc. Similarly to you, I’m leaving Stash Bee for 2018 after participating for 4 years. When sign-ups came around, I kept second guessing my decision but I hope that having the time to actually do more sewing for me will give me more enjoyment for 2018.
I hope your 2018 is a better year with fewer tough moments and struggles than 2017!
You have a good balance of goals and aspirations Yvonne. Self care and caring for loved ones is so important, if you neglect them it impacts on everything else. It can be so hard to say no but if that’s what your instincts tell you listen to them, you won’t go far wrong. You give so much to the quilting community, give just as much to yourself, you deserve it.
Always look forward to this event. Linked the other day. here’s to a wonderful 2018.
You are an inspiration to me! For the first time I am going to make a list of such goals and work on them. In the past my “goals” have been nebulous and free flowing. Thank you for making this process clear for me!
Balancing all the roles in life and still making time for yourself is such a hard thing, but it’s so worthwhile. Wishing you every success in 2018. Hope 2018 holds only good surprises and curves.
Your goals really resonate with me and I’m so impressed at your follow-through on last year’s goals as well. I especially appreciate your goal to “seek rejection” — I know that I anticipate rejection to the point that I often find myself allowing opportunities to slip by or letting myself avoid even starting on projects simply because they won’t meet my expectations. But of course when I act with more bravery and less self-judgment I find that I am often less hurt by actual rejection than I am the anticipation of it! Anyway, I applaud your willingness to stick your neck out there and go for it. I hope that 2018 is better for you than 2017. <3
You continue to amaze me with everything you accomplish. I think you have some great goals to work towards. Wishing you the best in 2018
I love the seek rejection objective. Love reading through your accomplishments and anything you need in the New Year let me know. See you in Feb!
I’m sorry that this has been a tough year, Yvonne,and hope that 2018 is kinder to you. I admire how much you have achieved in terms of this year’s goals and like your plans for next year a lot, especially that you are making quilts for your own home. Good luck with everything that you aspire to.
You are probably the most organized and constantly working bogger I know. Enjoy the next year with all your adventures!
Happy New Year Yvonne, thank you so much for what you do in the online quilting community you are shining light of authenticity & you remind us that most of us need to self care to be the best we can. Best wishes to you & your family for a creative, healthy & happy 2018
Well done with your 2017 goals. I wish you success with your 2018 goals. They are great goals.