d then the next day I wonder what the heck I am doing? Do you ever feel like that? One night I sit there in bed and write up my plans for the next day including what I will work on, what I will list, what I will renew, how I will redo my sections, when I will be in the forums, if and when I will twitter.....and on and on and on. I look at it and I know for a fact that I am so on!Then I get up in the morning and I take my list and head into my workshop. I sit down, turn on the computer, look at my list and immediately think it's all wrong, very, very wrong.
Does that ever happen to you? Do you have goals and plans and you know they are perfect, and then you look at them again and think they had to have been written by someone that had no idea what success is or what it takes to succeed or how much time things take?
I am struggling a bit right now. I love what I am doing, but I cannot seem to prioritize the things that need to be done so that I can accomplish the things I must accomplish in the amount of time I am able to dedicate to my business. (That was one hell of a long run-on sentence....but did it make sense to you?)
Last night I wrote down that I was going to list 3 items for MyOtherShop. I decid
ed that I would list a photo in FourDogDay and work on some new cards and I would write my blog. All very doable....but here it is 8:30 p.m. and the only thing I have done was to photograph one item, rephotograph a couple of cards that are already listed and cut the cardstock for the cards.I lost my enthusiasm when I realized that the tray I wanted to photograph can't be photographed in my light box because it is too big. What was I thinking? It's a big tray! Once I realized I wasn't going to be able to list the tray, it ruined the order I wanted the items in so that idea went right
down the drain. Can't list any of it tonight!So, I started on the cards, went and ate some dinner and now it's late and I am writing my blog. I have this sick feeling that I am going to get nothing done that I wanted to get done! UGH!
What do you do when your best plans end up your worst nightmare? Do you get angry? Do you beat yourself up for thinking it was a great idea in the first place? Are you able to laugh and say, oh well tomorrow is another day? How do you handle disappointment when it comes to your business?
When I started writing this, I was really bummed. I know I'm not going to get a lot done tonight, but you know what....it's okay. Writing this has actually made me realize that this
is really a tiny little problem and one that I can laugh at. I didn't think things through as well as I thought I had. Maybe my brain had already shut off for the night when I made my list. Whatever it was doesn't really matter. What matters is that I am able to laugh at myself, finish this blog and go over to my work table and make those cards before I go to bed. The photographs and the listing will have to wait.What do you do when your really great plans turn out to be not so great after all?
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7 comments:
Hang in there! It will all work out for you. You have a ton going on right now. Try not to be hard on yourself.
For me the anxiety of planning proves far more daunting than the tasks themselves, so I stopped planning. Not entirely, but I've stopped holding myself to this list or this imagined standard that matters not in the grand scheme of things. Ask yourself, "does the end justify the means, do I feel as fresh and energetic about my work now that it is a business as I did when it was purely for my own gratification" If your answer is no, shelve the lists for a while and return to that refreshed place. Trust me, your Etsy business will survive-relist if you have to just to keep afloat. Good luck!
I posted a comment and lost it:( I think you do a tremendous amount!!! You have a lot on your plate. You are like me, we want to accomplish too much. It is time to pare back the lists a bit, do only three things instead of six:)
You aren't living in the moment, Kathy. You are planning for the future day by day.
Lists, dreams and plans are good, but daily time limits are stress inducers.
It seems like you have accomplished way more than I ever do in one day! I get sidetracked very easily, even when I have my day all listed and planned out. But it all gets done eventually. At least the important things. Some things just have to drop off the list.
I admire so much how you make plans and set goals and work hard to achieve them. Structure and discipline are admirable! But for me anyway, creativity doesn't keep a schedule, and productivity feeds off creativity. So when the muse doesn't sit on my shoulder, I figure she needs some time off and so do I. My goal is for beading to satisfy and fulfill me. So I say, give yourself a break and just enjoy what you do, whenever you do it! Sorry - I've written an entire blog post!
OK, comment first....confession second.
I seem to be in a give-up-on-lists-and-plans time of my life. I used to have daily plans/weekly goals/and such by I've lost the drive. Of course, I closed down my Etsy shop (for now?!) so that makes a big difference. You sound very organized and highly motivated, so you are sure to achieve your goals!
Second, I came by and visited and then your stopped by a became a "follower" of my blog. And then I got Kathy confused with Kate, and never stopped back.
I just read through all the great posts I'd missed (LOVED the one about straight jeans!!).
You can't follow daily goals....I can't even keep my ten or so blogs straight! ; ) Anyrate, I tagged you at my blog so stop by!
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