Making choices

A simple title for a difficult blog. Well, the blog is not difficult, but the subject. Making choices, choosing, feeling what suits you and what is better to skip! Wondering how I do it? Read on!

A new year means new plans! Nothing better than feeling ideas and inspiration already bubbling and simmering in December because I will start new projects in January. But the 'downside' of this is that I also have to make choices. You probably know it!

Back to the beginning

To tame my wild head full of plans a bit, I go back to the beginning. I think about what I find important in life (slow living, health, being comfortable in my skin) and go from there to see what feels right. Because, besides the fact that I love painting and also enjoy being an entrepreneur, the most important thing for me is to do, or make, things that I enjoy. For next year I'm thinking about a book, a new advent calendar (yes, Christmas is just over and I'm already starting for the next season, haha) and maybe something with illustrated cottages. I get excited just writing it down, but I also have to slow myself down.

Choices

You already felt it coming I guess? Yup, making choices! I have very limited energy (hello chronic conditions), so as a result I have learned to be very careful with my energy. This means making good choices! But how do you do that?

Rule 1 - you can't do everything

It often feels like you can do everything, but the reality is that there are far fewer hours in a day than you'd like and so I force myself to make choices and not make this fallacy (oh, it all works out!).

Rule 2 - what truly suits me?

Plans and ideas abound. Maybe you too are an entrepreneur and sometimes you see opportunities, or feel the pressure of things that would bring "name recognition" or simply more sales. But not everything fits you. I only want to do what fits me 100%. Sit back and relax, if you are very honest with yourself one idea (or several) will always fall off.

Rule 3 - don't doubt too long!

You know the thing, you have to choose but you keep coming back to it. Maybe this or that or both. In this phase I make my choices, which is a bit forced because, of course, I want to do everything! I involve my 'brain' more in this phase, and not only my feelings. Just looking realistically: how much time do I have, how much energy, what is feasible? That way some things fall off and the result is a manageable list. Important: a backup list! You never throw away your ideas, you just park them!

Rule 4 - feasibility check

Wild plans are great, but it has to be possible. In my case, an item must actually be producible (at reasonable cost). This is where that backup list comes in handy, because ideas do regularly fall through at this stage (and I think they should!).

Rule 5 - Enjoy!

Yes really, it's super fun to go completely, a 100%, for something. Your project, your idea, your plan! And it's always a road full of bumps (it all seems fun, but really not everything is fun, setbacks are part of it). But now when I look back on projects I've done, it feels so good and I look back on SO much fun!

I'm looking forward to it!

The new year is here, plans are in place. My list at the ready. Time to figure some things out, who knows what will appear here soon! I am curious (because honestly: I have no idea what it will be, what is feasible and what works, exciting!). To be continued shall we say!

Look ... just some projects from the past year ....