{Handmade Business in 31 Days — Day 4, Creating goals.}

Day 4// Whenever I think about the lull, no-change moments in my life I recognize them as moments where I didn’t set any goals. Take our move to California, for example. It’s a more personal example, but I’m trying to offer suggestions with each post that applies to non-business owners, too. Zack + I talked about moving to California over a year ago but the thought of what it would cost us terrified us. We knew we couldn’t afford that plan, so we made no plans at all. Our goal sat unmet because we didn’t tweak it to fit our family. Earlier this year we re-visited that goal and decided to brainstorm some new plans. How could we make this move possible in a way that worked for our family? We got really crazy — choosing to sell most of our things to add to our savings account, and then by bringing less on our drive out there we would be able to travel lighter, adding even more money to our savings account. This new goal plan worked for us! All it took was sitting down to create a goal that fit our family well.

 scented soy candles DIY via go make me

The same applies to Gussy Sews. With a supportive man by my side I’m able to do so much more than on my own, but this is definitely in accompaniment to having goals set. Working as a team, setting goals, knowing when to say “no” — all are so important. The handmade industry is one tough cookie, and setting goals helps me get through it.

For some of us, we have endless amounts of time on our hands. For the rest of us, we’re on a tight schedule. Neither lifestyle is above the other, but it’s important to know where you are at so you can set the right pace for yourself. Having goals helps guide you to success, in so many areas, it’s nearly insane. But I love it!

WITH GOALS IN PLACE YOU CAN:

• plan new product designs + updates
• set a schedule {daily, weekly, monthly, yearly}
• set time aside for family {hello, having a weekend again!}
• successfully grow your business
• say “no”
• know which areas to improve in // which to continue to nurture
• and more!

But perhaps creating goals scares you, so if that’s the case allow me to share something with you: the ideas you have when you’re doing other tasks are oftentimes the goals you wish you could accomplish — would, could, should. So with that, what do you think about when you’re cooking dinner? Driving? Taking a shower? Gardening? Cleaning the house? Trying to fall asleep at night? Don’t be shy…!

Take some time to reflect on those thoughts, then jump on making them happen! When you create goals you allow your business {or family} to reflect the dreams you have. One goal Gussy Sews had for a long time was to create an editorial calender for blog post content. I don’t like feeling out of the loop or behind with work, but not having an editorial calender was making me feel this way often. YUCK! Cambria + I sat down one morning and within a half hour had nearly three months of content built. Of course we made room for the unknown to happen {we didn’t fill up every single day}, but having a guide has been incredible. It’s also helped us both feel aware, which is amazing. Accomplishing this one goal has allowed me to accomplish other goals because I know Gussy Sews is succeeding. Such a great feeling!

Homework// Think of creating goals as getting ready to light a candle. They are right in front of you, beautiful + ready to glow. All you have to do is light the match and set it to the wick. What is setting you back from enjoying the glow of creating goals? Right this moment: write down three immediate goals, one monthly goal and two yearly goals you’d like to achieve. Ready, set, light!

read all posts from our “31 days” series