Following on from my post yesterday Goals set and Ready to Go ! 2009 Part one – Here is Part 2 and how I came to my magnificent plan for 2009. As I mentioned yesterday rather than go into my specific goals I am going to keep this a bit broad and explain my process with the hope that it helps others.

Brainstorming
As I wrote yesterday, one of my main problems in working out my goals and vision was that I didn’t know where I want to go, I was just coping and I had nothing to strive for and whenever I tried to think about it I would just come up with a blanks and it all seemed very hard.

I knew I had to dedicate some time so I locked myself up in a room (had a babysitter to watch the kids), got out a big A3 sketch pad and in the middle I wrote the question “Where do I want to go? what do I want to do ?”. I then wrote small notes or words around the question whatever came to my head.
For example: the words security, independence, selling art, money, direction and future amoung others popped up.
Following that I then started to question and add to what the word meant or other things connected with that. ie. Art = future for me and my children, enjoyment, a direction.
Following that my process was eg. Art: Who buys my art ? Or who is likely to buy my art? What have I sold to date? What are comments about it? What art do I enjoy doing most? Etc.

Then I turned the page and went through this process for my design business. ( I realized I have two separate thought processes for both my design and my art even though they do merge quite often to similar themes they are different). So again questions like where do I want to go? what markets should I target? what has been working for me so far? What has brought in the most income over the past year? What doesn’t bring me income?

On this step it didn’t matter that this page doesn’t make sense, I know that it will later. When this started pulling up a blank again, I put it aside for a few days and came back to it. I think this was important, it allowed me to have some distance and think more about what was going on. If anything came up I had forgotten I added it, then after a few days I re- read it and repeated the process with few more questions, added a few more notes. Then I let it sit for a few more days again.

Analysing
After this it all needed to be analysed. I had loads of notes on bits of paper everywhere. I basically tried look at common themes or statements I had written, I did have the same issues that I just kept coming back to and realized these must be the important ones. I then looked at the things that could be classified as “goals” or things I wanted to do and wrote some notes on what action I could take to get to that goal. Some goals would require some steps before I could move to the next, (thanks to Joan for teaching me that one) what would they be ?

After lots of messy scribbles and writing I then decided it needed to be cut down and consolidated and record all really important stuff. So I then started a word document and titled it
“WHAT I WANT TO HAVE ACCOMPLISHED BY THE END OF 2009”

I found it easier to start with the result I wanted, and then I would work back to how to get there.

I started it with a motto for the year “Working Smarter Not HARDER”

( one of the things I realized in my brainstorming session, as I mentioned in yesterdays post, I cant work harder at this point it has to be smarter which means basically not spending time on things that don’t bring me to my end goal. My time is limited I need to spend it more wisely)

VISION
“I am supporting myself and my family.”

(This is vision is something I kept coming back to. It’s something that is very important to me in this time in my life, it is something I realized that also gives me many other things such as security, accomplishment, a reason for doing what I am doing, it gives value to what I am doing and why I am doing.)

GOALS
My next step was to work out ACTUAL things I would like to have accomplished by the end of 2009.
This step
really helped me sort my head out.
Some examples I came up with were:

• have at least 3 sketchbooks completed (something I realized I really need to stick to over the year)
• increased my illustration portfolio,
• increased my mailing list (technically I know I should have a number or percentage here but seeing as I don’t have many atm the only way is up )

In setting these goals I was very careful to make sure that I haven’t set the bar too high but is also a challenge to work to over the year. I also included some personal ones as well connected with the kids as these are just as if not more important.
It’s also important to note here that there were some goals I came up with which didn’t really align with my vision, they would just take time away from what I really wanted to do so I scrapped them. Everything came back to my vision and the steps I need to get there.

ACTIONS
After doing all that I came up with ACTIONS that I can do throughout 2009 which if I keep at it throughout the year will help me achieve the goals.

• Complete 1 cp drawing a month
• Complete 1 canvas a fortnight
• Participate in the VSD
• Ensure I have at lease 1 extra fun activity with the boys a week (something I haven’t been able to do)

Again I had to remember to no set anything that I wont be able to meet, I don’t want to set myself up to fail. But I do have to be disciplined to meet these goals, and I do have to have a deal with myself that I am committed to achieve them.

KEEPING MOTIVATED and Being Accountable
So after all these goals are defined I need to keep motivated to be able to actually do them. The biggest thing for me is that I forget, so I printed out my VISION out including my ACTIONS as well as some little affirmations or sayings that I need to be reminded of, laminated it and have stuck it next to my computer monitor so I will look at it a few times everyday.

Part of my stresses last year was not just art and work but also things like keeping up with the housework, preparing dinners and family stuff. During this whole process I realized I have not been allocating enough time to these things. Somehow I was assuming that they will get done but as there is only me to do them and my task list is long I continually put these tasks off, they become a mammoth overwhelming time consuming task which only adds to the problem.

A saying that I heard last year at the business mums conference was to “DO A LITTLE BIT OFTEN” so as part of managing my time better I am going to adopt this system.
For example: boring stuff like dishes, rather than putting off emptying the dishwasher I will make sure I do it first thing. This will save me time later on rather than the dishes of the day accumulating. For art I will set aside a timeframe for artwork so I am only spending 30mins or 1 hour and then move onto other jobs. I will also do things like allocate tasks which take less brain power for the night rather than the morning, and save my morning head for things which take a lot of my concentration.
For example: I need to sort out all my bookmarks./ favorites. This I can do at night when I am tired, it doesn’t take much brainpower. Better to do it at night than in the morning when my brain is on full steam.

I will also be concentrating on investing my time on activities that will help make me money and bring me towards my goal (for my design business). Rather than cost me time. It’s not all about the money, there are things I need to do which I enjoy which is catching up with friends or helping someone out, but at the same time I need to watch that this isn’t constantly absorbing my time as I don’t have the luxury of being able to invest too much time in other things.

MONTHLY TASK PAGE
I realized that I also have a few tasks which are one-off tasks which need to be done and allocated but once they are done I can move on. So as well as all of the above I also setup a page which is titled
TASKS FOR JANUARY 2009.

In this list are 6 tasks which I need to get done by the end of January.
For Example:

• Update to my blog. Before I do that I need to do some research on other blogs. So my task is: I must research at least 10 blogs, noting the designs, sidebars, tags, what I like and don’t like about them.
• Another one is to setup and install my new computer system which is hopefully coming mid January.

The Montly Task Page is printed and placed on the other side of my monitor. I think this list will work basically based on guilt and help me with avoiding all the stresses I wrote about above. I tend to feel guilty if I am wasting time. Or if I am wasting time its because I don’t have anything allocated
to do (or I am procrastinating on it). This list is there starring at me its prevents me wasting my time (I hope).

At the bottom of this page I have the result of these tasks. Or reward if you like. The reward is after I do my research I will be able to make conscious decisions and implements my findings into my own blog template in February.

ALLOCATING THE TASKS
After this step was completed I then got out my organizing system that I talked about in yesterday’s post and allocated blocks of time and reminders to my days and weeks. It’s all very well to have these goals in place but they need to fit into my day. I need to be held accountable to them. Tasks and reminders have been placed on days when I am likely have time to get them done. So they will be. This is also very important step as without specifying when you are going to do it all and MAKING the time for it wont get done.
Oh and in case your wondering .. yes I also allocated some “mum time” in there 1 morning a week. For an hour, just to have time for a coffee at the coffee shop or have some peace time to myself when the boys are at kindy !! It’s the one time in the whole week its just for me to sit.

DIRECTION
So after all of this if I still have your attention the final thing I have done is to have some Directions also printed out.

Basically my DIRECTIONS are ideas, notes, broad statements or just important points I need to remember that came out of my brainstorming which helps align my activities. I categorized them into Art Direction, Design Direction, Personal Direction and listed about 5 points for each.
For Example.
Art Direction:

• work more in a series
• exlplore some limited palette pieces
• continue to explore more time saving and messy techniques. You get the idea…

Personal Direction:

• Encourage the boys to help out more around the house with tidying up, becoming more independent .

LONG TERM GOALS
During the process some long term goals came up for things I would like out of my life. i.e. For the next few months, years etc. These are specific i.e. I want to have this done or that sorted by X Month. (You thought I was going to share those didn’t you !! I have to keep some things secret! So nope your not finding out ) These are printed and will be filed along with my accomplishments for 2008. Something I don’t need to see everyday but its there to refer to.

CONCLUSION
In conclusions my process was as follows:

1. Brainstorming
2. Analyzing the Brainstorming
3. Defining My Vision and Putting It up to keep Motivated
4. Defining Goals – What I want to accomplish in 2009 with Actions I can do regularly
5. Creating a Month task page with results / actions
6. Allocate your Tasks to your Daily Planning Schedule
7. Creating a Directions page to with specific notes on directions
8. Long Term Goals

So there you have it! I am not sure whether you made it through all of that post Congratulations if you did. One of the reasons why do my blog is that I want my help others through my journey. If your struggling with your goal setting I hope there might be something here that helps you. Let me know if it does I would love to know.

I will split this post into two for you, the first one being the lead up to working out where I want to go and the second being the examples and steps I took to get there which will come tomorrow..

Up until about 3 years ago, I never really set many goals. I kinda just went along assuming that things would work out for the best and I would get what I wanted out of life. After my second child I realized as I was getting older things weren’t quite happening for me the way I wanted, all these other people were doing great things and creating beautiful artworks which I knew that I could do just as well (if not better in some cases) so I decided I had enough of excuses and I was going to do something to pave my way even if it was only baby steps at a time.

Not long after first starting this blog in September 2006, I also came to the realization that I needed to make an Artplan for 2007 to give myself direction. It was a new concept to me, as I said, I never really planned much and I had a small baby plus a toddler to contend with so I didn’t go into too much depth but it was my first step to planning out where I wanted to go. Had I not taken that first step I wouldn’t be where I am today. Skip through a whole bunch of stuff from then to now, and so here I have come with a magnificent plan for 2009.

Firstly, it’s important to know, I really wrestled with everything this year, I had a lot of life changes and challenges in 2008 and in the past few months I have really been feeling like I have been struggling and failing with it all. Not matter what I did, I felt like I was always backfoot running to keep up. As I was sitting down try to think about what was happening around me it suddenly it hit me that I am already working hard, I can’t work any harder than I am already, something needed to change I was investing my time in the wrong areas or something? Not really sure to be honest but I knew that I can’t go on the way I was.

During this time I picked up a book called “The 10-Minute Life Coach” by Fiona Harrold. I figured why not, it was on one of those book stalls relatively cheap and a thought entered my mind you never know it might just be the thing that changes my life! Give it a go !

So, before I go further, I can definitely recommend Fiona’s books and website. It’s not all wishy washy and found it very logical way of thinking and what I liked best is that you can do it all yourself you are holding yourself responsibile and accountable which means of course you can change it ! You are in control. Could go on about this but look at her site and see for yourself, if your at all interested.

Not long after reading Fiona’s book I also had the opportunity to have session with business coach Joan Weir who I heard about via the Business Women Unite website. Joan’s session was fantastic. I had already began to think about some of the topics we discussed about and had already started to implement a few strategies in my business. One of the things Joan and Fiona got me to recognize is that I need to action things and set tasks to achieve what I want. I am the one who has to do hard yards here and work this out for myself, alot of the work is done right here in the planning stages. There is no magic bullet, no one can do this for you. You can’t skip a step, What works for others doesn’t necessarily work for me and I needed to set time for myself to work out what I want to do and where I want to go. And now was the time to do that.

One of the things both ladies talk about is having a vision. Basically everything else revolves around that, I needed to sort mine out and so I asked myself, What Do I want to Do ? Where do I want to be?’

The answer didn’t come straight away, in fact I was blank, I didn’t know, I sat on this for a while, took my time, wrote little things down as they came to mind (more about that tomorrow). The result was that I worked out that: I am already doing what I want! I want to be able to work from home with my family around me. I like having a home business, I don’t want someone else to raise my children, I enjoy preparing meals and all that comes with it. I want to be able to have art regularly in my life. So the issue is not what it’s that I need to find a way which makes it work for me. Financially, emotionally, physically and most importantly needs to help me to raise and support my family.

Organising

Towards the end of 2008, I came up with a system of organizing work, family – life. I trialed having diaries, online tasks etc etc none of it worked for me. I came up with a system of printing out daily calendars from outlook and sticking them organized in “DAYs” on my fridge via Velcro and bulldog clips. It allows me to allocate tasks to a day rather than a week or month. I can add to it regularly I don’t have to find it, I can be reminded of regularly. I can add shopping lists etc to it as well as work and art tasks, drs appointments whatever I want. I can go on about it but this post is already long enough, so lets just say it works for me .

I had experimented last year with the fact that if its not on my “day” then I just don’t get to it. One big list is too overwhelming, if I write things down and allocate them to do on a day they generally get done, if not I re-write them on the next day until they do. So basically what I needed to do was to work out what tasks and goals I have for the year and allocate them to a day, month. That way they will get done. So I had my actions and ways of being accountable to getting things done, I just needed to work out what exactly I needed doing, removing anything that didn’t involve moving me towards my goal and helping me with my vision. That is how I will get to what I want.

Tomorrow I will post the actual steps I took work out my goals. While I will include some of my personal and art goals but it will talk more about my process rather than the goals themselves. Hope it keeps you interested, until tomorrow…

Links:

Fiona Harrold – http://www.fionaharrold.com

Joan Weir Business and Personal Coaching - http://www.businessandpersonalcoaching.com
Business Women Unite – http://businesswomenunite.net

Some more on uncluttering, i am gradually making my way through things. See the first post here.

This kinda sound like a bit of a silly one but it costs me time!! We regularly record shows off the tv, in particular for the kids and whenever they want to watch a certain show i often spend a long time searching through a long list of shows trying to see where the one they want is (more often than not its at the bottom of the list) . I had been putting off sorting through this for ages, simply because i just couldnt work out how to use the functions of the remote. Last week i sat down figured it out (it really wasnt that hard), persisted with the kids pleas of “i wanna watch that one” and went through them all, deleted some and renamed others so it was easier to find …. now it takes half the amount of time to find the show they want i am so happy everytime they want to watch something now its easy

5. Sorting out the boy’s toys.