Achieving Your Goals

Time For Creativity

Last month in my review I wrote about pruning. It has been the best thing I have done so far this year. The small cuts here and there I made, made me feel much calmer through out May and I managed more sleep. The funny thing about more sleep though was along came more ideas!

This made me realise that for new ideas and exploration of ideas in their infancy to go anywhere, I need time to think creatively. I can become focused on making sure I am using my time productively. I will work through the to do list and tick of tasks and think I will get to the new ideas later.

In June, I am going to list the new ideas on my to do list and I am going to allocate time to think about them. These ideas are not at development stage, not even at plan writing stage but to get them there, I need to make time to explore, think, doodle, sketch out ideas and research.

I sometimes struggle with this, because after a few hours I may not come up with anything tangible. After lots of hours I may decide the idea is no longer for me and abandon it completely. I need to remember that this time is not wasted. Many of these ideas have developed into something or have transformed down the track in some way to grow my business or help make family life easier.

Two fantastic posts I read this month helped reinforce this for me and I highly recommend reading them:

It May Be Your BABY, But Is It Your THING? by Jonathan Fields

We get so wrapped up in finishing what we started, we forget to ask if the thing that led us to start still exists.

Read it in full here.

A hierarchy of failure (from brave to shameful) by Seth Godin

It’s the flameouts and the scams that get all the publicity, but it’s the long-term commitment that pays off. I have nothing but applause for those brave enough to fail, and fail again. It’s not so much a failure as it is one more thing that won’t work.

Read it in full here.

My May goal review

Goals

Progress

Me - I am less rushed and healthier.

Continue to improve my diet: one meat free meal a week, reduce consumption of sugar and carbs.I am continuing my journey to eat clean. Diet coke is still in the mix, but I have been drinking lots of green tea and trying to reduce my intake.
Read six books by the end of the year.Abandoned!
Add variety to my exercise regime.I have very early starts at 5 - 6 mornings a week, which I like, but I think I might try and change at least one of these next month, to try and eek out a little more sleep.
Sleep at least 6 hours a night on a regular basis.Much better and am very focused on sticking to this. The benefits of getting more sustained sleep have encouraged me this month.

Family - We spend more time doing things together.

Monthly family meetings.Target met!
Eat out together on a quarterly basis.We will be eating out over the upcoming long weekend.
Have an active family holiday.Not applicable this month.
Two big bush walks throughout the year.Not applicable this month.

Relationship - We have more time together on our own and support each others interests.

A weekend away in 2013.Not applicable this month.
Attend an event in the Comedy Festival, see 1 play, see 1 live music gig and a attend one event at the Melbourne Festival.Not applicable this month.
Mr I will play football, cricket and cycle.Mr I is also exercising daily now as well. At the moment we are managing to work out times well.
I will continue exercising 5 - 6 times a week.Goal met!

Work - Improved usability and resources on the blog and improved blogging skills.

Analyse PWK survey and implement changes to the blog by quarter one.Completed.
Develop the calendar to the next stage by quarter two.Still at a crossroads with this project at the moment.
Take course at Australian Writers Centre by quarter three.Not applicable this month.
Release new product by quarter four.Not applicable this month.

Do you fit in time for creativity?