SIMPLIFY

Now that I've figured out what my passions are, it's time to "simplify". What I mean by this is that it's time to get focused and narrow down or "simplify" the things that I want to focus on for the year. I've found that it's easy to get sidetracked, overwhelmed, and to even add other things to my plate because I am so sure that with dedication and commitment, I can accomplish it all. In this post, I discussed finding your passion and I also talked about finding and managing your inspiration here. Today I'm going to talk a bit about simplifying your process so that you can meet your goals and not become overwhelmed.

1// Determine the overall theme for your passion. For me, it's creativity. For you it may be "expand my business skills" or "become better at writing". There are several areas where I want to explore my creativity like learning Adobe Creative Suite tools, taking a photography course, and learning lettering. How can I do that with everything else going on and how can I make sure that what I create has great quality?

2// Create a schedule and stick to it! I've sort of prioritized my list of things I want to learn. Then I made a schedule. For example, I'll spend one hour every night on Photoshop and 2 hours on Saturday for 2 months. Then I'll move on to Illustrator, so forth and so on. Once I graduate, I can dedicate more time to learning because I'll no longer have grad school. But basically, prioritize the things you want to learn, make a schedule that you can stick to, and stay focused - don't get sidetracked! If something else comes along that you want to learn, add it to the end of the list so you can stay on track with your plan. 

3// Organization is definitely key! Staying organized is a key part of sticking to your schedule. Try to write things down, or store information electronically - whatever works best for you! The idea is to not allow yourself to get so overwhelmed that you veer off track or stop working towards your goals completely. Emily Ley has a simplified planner that people are raving about. I personally don't have one. I have a planner that's strictly blog related that I created myself. I also have a Lilly Pulitzer planner, along with "idea notebooks" where I write down my thoughts. These are things I'd like to try. I typically write down whatever comes to mind, and then I clean the list up by saying "yes" to the things related to my priority list and saying "not now, but later" to the things that aren't. 

4// Remember that it is ok to take a break. This is so key and very true for me. I've noticed that there have been days in the new year where I have taken a break from blogging but that didn't necessarily mean I wasn't working on things blog related or that were allowing me to explore my creativity. And then there were times when I wasn't doing anything at all. Sometimes you need to regroup and become energized again. Creativity can be found in the quiet times, so it's a great idea to make sure you have some time for peace and quiet as well. 

These are just some of the ways that I stay focused on my creative goals for the year, feel free to try some or all of them! What is your passion how are you staying on track with your goals? 

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