It’s been a busy couple of weeks at school. End of semester, final exams, last minute makeup work to grade, then the start of a new semester and a whole crop of new students. I’m starting my check-in this way because all of this may actually be why I’m not feeling a lot of focus around my goals even while I’m getting some things done. My perceptions may be skewed at the moment.
These were last week’s goals and what got done:
- Write and publish a blog post for MuseCraft–DONE
- Write at least the bare bones of a second post–STARTED
- Spend at least 15 minutes working on the web page for the new offering I want to put up–NOT DONE
- Do writing practice at least twice–NOT DONE
- Find three recipes to make and freeze next weekend for future meals–NOT DONE (although I did get a giant box of frozen meatballs to use for easy dishes and made a list of dishes to use them in)
- Get my embroidery project stuff reorganized so I can get back to that and eventually finish it.–STARTED
So, things done. Things not done. But I’m feeling like it’s all been in the background of doing all the things I need to do every day. I don’t actually know if this is a problem. It feels a little bit like a problem. I think I want a shining light that I’m aiming for. Instead, I’m just moving along, but I don’t see anything I’m heading toward. Anyhow, these are things to think about. Meanwhile, I’ll keep moving.
For the coming week, some more pointed goals (experimenting here):
- Write another MC blog post
- Share the post more than once
- Share older posts at least twice
- Rearrange my couch working area and put a notebook for blog post notes in easy reach
- Do writing practice about what I want to aim for
- Set up a work pouch for the embroidery project
I like the feel of this list. I’m looking forward to seeing how it feels as I work through it. Hope we all have a great week!
I like the look of your next list too! The first time I heard about making more pointed goals was a non-zero days post. Where the goal is to take the first step, because once you start you’ll gain momentum and probably do more, and even if you don’t progress is still made. To this day sometimes I’ll tell myself I’ll do one pushup, but once I’m on the floor I end up doing ten or fifteen, or write 100 words and it ends up being 500. Good luck!
I get what you mean. Dealing with the day-to-day can make it so you’re spinning your wheels but not getting anywhere on your real goals. Despite all that extra worky-work, though, you got half of your goals either done or started, so you made forward progress. 🙂
Getting started on things in your previous goal list is progress at least. Progress is great. It gives you a place to start next time.
I like your more pointed goals list too. It seems a lot clearer. I also get wrapped up in the day to day sometimes. The mundane details tangle me up and I have trouble remembering what I’m working towards with my goals.
Creative people like you, Kim, tend to have a lot of interests and often as many passions. Eventually there aren’t enough hours in a day to devote to all of them… Real Life takes its toll as well (about $4.75 per crossing these days 😉 ).
This is one of the reasons I set an overarching goal/focus and then added things that I could change week by week if need be. Sometimes we lose sight of the person we’re trying to become in the day-to-day.
You’ve got some concrete goals and even if you feel like you are wandering aimlessly, you are still getting stuff done. Don’t be so hard on yourself; you’ve had other things going on as well. It’s all gonna work out just fine.
It sounds like this is a hectic enough time for you right now, so you shouldn’t feel too stressed about your other goals feeling distant or in the background. When things settle down a bit I’m sure everything will seem to fall back into place. Your new goals list does look very well thought out. 🙂