2015 Goals

I always like to start a new year off by looking at how I did with my goals for the previous year and planning my new goals. I like to give myself a clear direction for what I want to do in the upcoming year.

Here’s how I did with last year’s goals:

1. Design More Accessories – I definitely managed to get this done! I released a couple hat patterns, fingerless mitt patterns, a shawl pattern…
2. Release At Least One Pattern Per Month – I was only counting self-published patterns for this one, and I just barely got it done. I’m happy to know that I can do that, but I actually don’t think it was necessarily the best idea I’ve ever had. There were times when I released a pattern when it wasn’t the best timing so I could get it out in that month, and I couldn’t participate in some other fun things because I wanted to hit this self-publishing goal.
3. Stick To A Budget But Still Have A Social Life – Not sure I can really say I succeeded or failed at this. I did a great job doing game nights and other fun but inexpensive stuff in the beginning of the year and towards the end after it cooled down. But our unusually long, hot summer kind of ruined this for me. I get really restless and have a hard time staying in when it’s hot, and I spent a lot of money going out to eat and doing things to escape the heat of my apartment.
4. Start Asking For Yarn Support – This didn’t really happen. It’s one business expense that I could keep down, but I also feel like I do some of my best work when I pick out yarn and then design around it, so that makes it hard to ask yarn dyers to take a gamble and send me yarn to design with.
5. Work On My Photography – I took a digital photography refresher course early last year, and I did experiment a little more with my photos, but I didn’t do a ton.

Not too shabby, right?

Here are this year’s goals:

1. Focus On Sweaters – Last year I took the time to try new things, but this year I’d like to focus on what I love the most.
2. Sew At Least Two Dresses – I’ve been averaging one a year, and that’s a really slow way of improving my sewing skills. I want to try to do at least one more than that.
3. Read More Professionally Edited Writing – I read so much garbage online, and I feel like it’s hurting my own writing. When I read the same grammar and spelling errors over and over, they start to stick with me, and that’s not good. I need to read more books.
4. Rush Less – This might just be wishful thinking, but I’d like get my schedule sorted out so work doesn’t feel frantic and I’m better able to deal with sudden changes and new requests.
5. Finish My Granny Square Afghan – I barely worked on it last year, and I’m so close to the end! I want it to be done by the time next winter rolls around.