Sometimes you have to let go...

For awhile there, I was trying to do it all. I was active in a couple of groups on Etsy, I was talking in the forums constantly, buying ads on various sites, hosting a Project Wonderful ad block on my blog... And I worried about it all. Constantly. There was always the push to keep up.

I realized late last night that I just need to let go of some of it. I removed the ad block a couple of weeks ago, that was such a relief! I post in the forums sometimes from work, I've not looked into buying any more ads. Today, I'm going to go on hiatus from the one remaining group that I was active in (that I have not really contributed to since my recent prescription drug issue, but that I've been stressing about).

I've been talking about working smarter not harder. I've networked with some people lately, and it's worked to get the word out for my shop. I'm even going to plan to take a couple of days off per week with that.

I've been so focused on marketing that I've not called my Dad in over a week. And you should see my house!! Not to mention the fact that I have tons of new ideas swirling in my head that I simply do not have time to create. So it's time to work on me. Time to connect with Dad again. Time to get my ideas to become reality, and time to clean my space.

I did take a lot of photos on the weekend and that was healing. And I made two journals last night, one was a custom order, but the other one has a beautiful map of Paris on the cover. I can spit those out-- the ones that are made like the others in my shop. But I have an idea for a new design and I need time to be able to make it. Mostly to know that I can.

One of my goals this year was to not only come up with ideas (I'm really good at that!), but to follow through. I need to post that around the house, in my car, at work... "Follow through". Another is to work smarter, not harder. I'm figuring out how to do that in baby steps. The hardest thing is to remember to take care of ME.

My ultimate goal is to work from home. I'd like to sell my journals and photography from Etsy, but I'd also love to be a freelance photographer. None of that's going to happen if I don't get the basic steps to flow. It won't happen if I get bogged down by packaging orders to mail, or if I don't continue to make time to create.

So, as always, I have a lot of work to do. That work is going to start with calling my Dad tonight... and straightening up my crafting area.