ANNUAL PLANNING AND A CALENDAR SALE
The New Year is upon us, we have gotten back in the swing of things with new goals and new mindsets. I love starting my year with a fresh slate, that includes purging my bathroom drawers of products I no longer use, tossing expired food from the fridge, deep cleaning the carpets and of course and hanging a new calendar!
I keep daily to-do lists, commission notes, habit tracking and other important reminders in a separate planner that I take with me everywhere I go. I have used this one for many years, the price is shocking given the quality. I prefer the dot grid version so that I have maximum control over the layout. Each year I pick a fresh color that seems on-vibe, this year is a light lavender.
In addition to my planner I also use a wall calendar to reference dates quickly. It always helps me to be able to see the month at a glance so that I can gauge the passing of time.
The first thing I do in February, that’s right, not January but February, is to make an annual plan. Why wait until February you ask? For me, January is a time for reflection, recovery and returning to routine. it is NOT the time to be stressing about about goal setting.
Step one in my planning is to block off all of my travels, I never want to be releasing a collection right before or after a big adventure! Next, I take out my calendar from the previous year and look at all of the exhibitions and shows that I entered and evaluate if I would like to do them again. Even though the dates might not be exact, they are usually pretty close. That gives me solid blocks of time to look where I could be taking on commissions, releasing a new collection or preparing for the holidays.
The final step is the magical one; where do I want to take my work in the coming days, months, and years? What sorts of people do I want to work with, where do I dream of seeing my art live? What types of projects do I want more of and what sorts of challenges can I make for myself? When I have all of the information mapped out, I know that I can make time for it all!
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