read, write, read, write, read, read...

Purple Flowers
Pressed Botanicals on Handmade Paper, Unframed
5" x 5" handmade paper (mounted on 8 1/2" x 11" Gilbert Oxford card stock)
Available for purchase here

Did you make fresh new goals this year? Me too, but lets not make the mistake I made last year.

Last year I spent quite a bit of time making goals, but I'm embarrassed to say didn't really keep any of them! Because I didn't faithfully review them, eventually in the hustle and bustle of daily life they got pushed back to back of my mind.
By early spring I had forgot all about most of them.

Donna Otto, in her book Get More done in Less Time, Otto says the Goals section of your daily planner should be "flexible and expandable - and worn from reviewing. She goes on to say, "Remember that if you write your goals and never read them, you will forget them. Reading them often fives you direction for your daily activities and a focus for your energy."

Every Monday I am re-reading my New Year goals (I have set up Google calendar alerts to remind me), and then basing my weekly goals directly off of them.
Just like our grade school teachers used to say, I need to "read, read, read!"

Getting back to work...

I've taken quite a bit of time off, but now I'm ready to get right back in the swing of things. First of all, sometime between Christmas and New Year's, I had a birthday. To the left is a handmade birthday card I received from my aunt, with tatted leaves and a small white flower! I love it! I wonder if she can tat a fern...

We've been so busy I haven't had time to do my annual reflection/goal setting reflection. I hope to get to it later today, and here are some guidelines I'll be using. First, I'll be heading over to artbizblog.com for a brief podcast on "How to plan your art career wins for 2008." That should give me some concrete strategies on how to plan to be more successful as an artist this year. Then, I'll spend quite a bit of time with "Ten Questions for the New Year" to reflect on where I've been, and where I'm going spiritually.

By the way, a number of curious readers have been asking about the "Glory of God" gift I received from my 1st grader. It was a pair of tiny silver cross earrings! Not really my style, but I'll be wearing them frequently never the less!