"Don't Go Through Life Without Goals" Wall Art by Walls That Talk on Etsy

To that end, I thought it might be good to create some goals for 2012. Originally, with 40 looming next year, I was thinking of resurrecting my 101 list from back in 2008, modifying it to a more reachable 40 items, but really, the whole process just left me feeling like it was all so rushed. I just haven’t had time to contemplate what I really want to complete to feel a sense of accomplishment before the big 4-0.

Instead, I pared down my list to this varied 12 goals. One goal a month seems achievable. I suspect most of you would agree.

So here’s the plan for the next year:

1. Catalog stray recipes
2. Grow an herb garden
3. Clean out garage (mainly so I create a kickboxing setup and use the fantastic 100lb hanging bag hubby bought me for Christmas – oh yea)
4. Clean out spare bedroom (my mom is retiring this year, so it can no longer be my craft room)
5. Learn to play suduko
6. Run a paperless office (otherwise known as scan and shred all stray papers)
7. Read 4 self-improvement/work-related/biography books
8. Take a photography class
9. Whittle down my photo backlog from 2010
10. Try a craft I’ve never attempted before
11. Create memory board
12. Sew an outfit for Baby Girl

Sure… doesn’t seem like a lot, but with baby girl running in tow, even the littlest of tasks can seem like a mountain to scale. Who doesn’t know that feeling?

What about you? It’s the second week of the year, have you finalized your goals – made plans for the things you want to accomplish?

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As much as I try to move past it, I keep coming back to ideas of opening up both my old Etsy shop and the website shop. As if I have time for all of the responsibilities of running the two stores, web work, destashing supplies and the arrival of Baby Girl! I may be setting the bar much higher than I can clear.

So I want to pick your brains. Should I forge forward with my plans of opening shop so that I’ll be ready for the holidays or delay all of that until the New Year? Am I out of my mind for even thinking of making these plans with Baby Girl on her way?

Let me know what you think. I’m interested in your opinions and personal experiences.

Thanks!

This post is part of the 52 Weeks of Blogging Your Passion {affiliate link} series by Tara Gentile of Scoutie Girl. If you’re interested in participating in the group, pick up her e-book today! {affiliate link} You can start at any time.

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That would be me! ;)

If you read my last post about lofty goals, you’ll know that I felt like I was a bit overwhelmed with them and my looming pregnancy deadline. Fortunately, one of the goals was much easier to complete than I had imagined.

One of the problems I encountered when moving this website from Textpattern to WordPress was an issue with broken links. I won’t bore you with all the technical details (but in case you want to be bored, you can read the more detailed post on my web development blog).

Suffice to say, I was able to go through 400+ broken links and get them fixed quickly with a handy plug-in. The other 2700+ plus links were handily redirected by WordPress itself. (Thanks WordPress!)

I’m so very happy I was able to find a solution that didn’t take me days to implement and complete. I know many of you have been generous in linking to my site and it’s nice to know that I won’t have to ask you to update your links in order to make sure they are not broken.

So… yay me! *Pat on the back*

What’s your latest success?

This post is part of the 52 Weeks of Blogging Your Passion {affiliate link} series by Tara Gentile of Scoutie Girl. If you’re interested in participating in the group, pick up her e-book today! {affiliate link} You can start at any time.

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With that, my goals have clearly changed. The focus with this website/blog is still the same, but I’d really like to continue destashing/using the gemstones and other supplies I already have. In full, I’m aiming to:

1. Build new light box.
2. Select new theme background for photos.
3. Clean and reshoot or repurpose older jewelry pieces.
4. Destash excess supplies once a week.
5. Create at least two new piece a month.
6. Create an organized and compact storage/craft area for my jewelry business.
7. Prep new website for launch after baby girl’s birth when things fall into a routine.
8. Clean up newsletter mailing list.
9. Create mailing list templates for the next 12 months, setup mailing schedule and alerts in calendar to verify and update content.
10. Fix broken back links in blog due to new backend. Done!
11. Catch up on my 52 weeks blog posts.

Sadly, I feel like I’m running out of time to really work on many of these. As one of my twitter peeps pointed out, it’s not long now before baby girl is due and we’re in a single digit week countdown!

But enough about me… how are you doing with your lofty goals?

This post is part of the 52 Weeks of Blogging Your Passion {affiliate link} series by Tara Gentile of Scoutie Girl. If you’re interested in participating in the group, pick up her e-book today! {affiliate link} You can start at any time.

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So simply, I’ve learned that goals are nice to have, but life happens and really you have to learn to roll with the punches…or hugs…or whatever. Which is why it’s high time I sat down and revised my 101 list. That’s my main goal for next week. I’ll make sure to let you know how I do.

If you’re taking part in the 52 Weeks of Blogging Your Passion, you’re probably already sharing your goal on your own blog. If not, let me know what your latest goal is…and even if you are part of the 52 Weeks of Blogging Your Passion group, share with me anyway. It’s nice to chat on the blog. :)

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• Exercise 3x week (0/143) to Establish an exercise habit – I think I can easily say I’ve gotten back on the wagon with this one…now I just need to make sure I only break it when I’m sick.
• Kickbox 1x week (0/143) to Grow my Kickboxing skills – We have a new instructor at the school who comes from a hardcore mixed martial arts background. Watching her, I clearly know I need more work on my skill. I’m up to the challenge.
• Clean my desk 1x month (3/36) to Declutter house. Seriously, every room in my house has some sort of clutter. From stacks of papers, to stacks of clothes to bags of recycling…I just can’t get away from it. I’m sure my mom taught me better, but clearly I need some help. So, I asked for a decluttering book (I throw a book at most issues when I need help) which I got for Christmas and am tackling this issue this year!
• Fold laundry 1x week (0/143) to Fold laundry 1x quarter – Because really, who wants to feel like a failure for not folding laundry every week? Yes, we really are that lazy.
• Write a blog post 1x week for A Pretty Rock to Establish a blogging schedule for A Pretty Rock – I think for the most part I’ve done a decent job of posting at least once a week last year (with a few exceptions here or there.) Now I think I need to set myself on a schedule instead of this feast or famine posting I have.
• Keep a daily one-sentence journal for a year (3/365) to Create a book from my Grateful 365 project. The one-sentence journal fell through. Don’t even remember why. I think my book will be more interesting to review later anyhow. It also falls right in line with “Learn how to handbind a book”. :)
• Apply to 5 high end shows 1x year (1/15) to Pay off A Pretty Rock debt. I don’t know how it happened…well, I DO know, but I refuse to live with debt in all aspects of my life. This particular one is the most manageable and possibly the easiest to attain quickly. And while shows are fun, they don’t really seem to be for me…or this year, they have not had the bang for the buck of previous years. Just not worth it, it seems.
• Start a cooking blog with a friend – I removed this completely in lieu of “Do something towards my goals every week”. I’m actually helping my friend setup a business venture and am very excited to do that with him. I would rather he concentrate on that than a recreational project. I’ve let him off the hook.

And while there are so many other things on the list that I’m just not sure about, I realize that for some, I don’t have replacement goals. I’m not ready to give them up until I know what I want to do in their place.

Have you reviewed your goals? Still maintaining your New Year’s resolutions? How are you doing at getting where you need to be?

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Regardless, I have completed some items on my list, so here is my latest update:

* Yes, I did make it to the dentist twice last year. My teeth are really thanking me for it. ;)

* I finally figured out how to type Spanish language characters on the keyboard. While I don’t remember how to type all of them, I do have a handy dandy cheat sheet bookmarked. Works just fine for me. (¡Wepa!)

* Boriquas: Influential Puerto Rican Writings — An Anthology read. Interesting book. Sparked many a conversation between my mom and I. Made me look at some things differently.

* Participate in project 365 – I mentioned this in my last blog post. (And I’ve already started a new one!)

* Purchase a dSLR – Well, technically, *I* didn’t purchase it, but I do have a dSLR and that was the point. ;)

As for things I’m changing, I’ll have to save that for another post.

How about you? Have you completed any goals this past year? What have you planned for this year? Or…are you joining me on the list? ;)

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As promised, my list of resolutions…but with a twist. Personally, I don’t care much for resolutions. They’re just a way to set you up for failure. At least for me, that’s how they’ve always played out…too many, too unattainable, too much guilt when I let myself down, quickly followed by a food binge. So I’ve avoided them for several years now as I merrily welcomed each New Year with no expectations of myself weighing on my shoulders.

However, I’ve been reading The Flog (WoW geeks will recognize Felicia from The Guild episodes) and having read her 101 Things post, I felt oddly motivated to make one myself. I tried to shrug it off, but three days into the new year and there I was still thinking about the stupid list. Really, the whole issue with resolutions is that we make them and the first moment that we break them, we feel like crap. Why would I want to do something like that to myself?

Against my better judgment, I’ve done it. I’ve made the list. It’s not just any ordinary resolutions list though. It’s a 1001 Day Project list. If you’re not familiar with the project, here’s more information from the website:

The Mission:
Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.

The Criteria:
Tasks must be specific (ie. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (ie. represent some amount of work on my part).

Why 1001 Days?
Many people have created lists in the past – frequently simple goals such as New Year’s resolutions. The key to beating procrastination is to set a deadline that is realistic. 1001 Days (about 2.75 years) is a better period of time than a year, because it allows you several seasons to complete the tasks, which is better for organising and timing some tasks such as overseas trips or outdoor activities.

Some common goal setting tips:
1. Be decisive. Know exactly what you want, why you want it, and how you plan to achieve it.

2. Stay Focused. Any goal requires sustained focus from beginning to end. Constantly evaluate your progress.

3. Welcome Failure. Frequently, very little is learned from a venture that did not experience failure in some form. Failure presents the opportunity to learn and makes the success more worthy.

4. Write down your goals. It clarifies your thinking and reinforces your commitment.

5. Keep your goals in sight. Review them frequently, and ensure that they are always at the forefront of your thinking.

With so many things on my list that don’t just encompass items related to jewelry, I’m also posting the list on my work website, YazminMedia. I can write about work related items over on that blog. I’m sure you jewelry readers don’t want to read a bunch of code; just like my work readers probably don’t want to read about my jewelry adventures.

There are certain things I didn’t put on the list, like visiting my brother again in Hong Kong or taking Jason to Hawaii. I think those things are just out of our reach for the next 2 1/2 years, especially with some of the other plans we have in the works for the next few years.

However, we did promise our friends a trip to Europe with them for their anniversary, so we have to add that to our budget and savings plan. Also, I don’t think a weekend trip to New York would be too much of a stretch, as well as a quick trip to Puerto Rico, provided we get the super cheap rates from an airline and Jason is not working for someone else anymore.

So I think I’ve been fairly realistic about this list. If you think differently, though, please let me know. I have been known to be some what of a dreamer…Just ask my friend Judson, who went to see National Treasure with us last weekend and witnessed first hand the extent of my dreaming when I exclaimed “I want to be a treasure hunter!” as we walked out of the movie theater…

Without further ado, check out my 101 list in the right column of my blog. I’ll be crossing off items as I complete them and possibly modifying the list as I lose interest in certain things. We all change as the years go by, so why not my list?

Regardless, I’d love to hear what you think.