In order to be successful with my projects, I need to think more about the time involved versus the list of things I want to do. I wasn’t as realistic about this last year. Mapping this out in a planner is likely the best way for me to track my progress and remind myself what I want to accomplish. I look forward to the next steps of determining what I will put into my list of memory keeping objectives.
Working through my priority list was interesting… The answer I gave off the top of my head didn’t really match up with the answers from Methods 1 or 2 in the guide. Guess that means I really need to reframe my expectations! I am curious to see how all of this will fit into a plan for 2024, right now everything on my list is daunting and I am feeling super overwhelmed!
Groundwork for upcoming projects must have priority. I need to become proficient with digital organization for the purposes of photo mastery and journaling before I can fully realize the documenting results I desire.
I am in a busy season (“winter”), but feel the excitement and renewed energy of starting fresh (“spring”). I didn’t leave enough space in my hopes/goals/intentions for 2023, so I am going to start really small in 2024.
I will prioritize only two things: (1) finishing a project that is *thisclose* to completion (Disney 2016) . I’ve been putting it off, and I need to remove some mental restrictions I’ve put on myself. (2) getting my annual family photo album printing “system” off the ground and running. This project is always a weight at the back of my mind, and it’s time to release that weight.
I’m also realizing that I need to “clear the decks” for 2024 in these last two months of 2023. That means buckling down and finishing the projects that I really don’t want to carry into the new year! (I’m looking at you, December 2022 album!)
I, too, am a spring and winter! I love the way you have chosen to focus on getting things finished. I have one album that needs to be finished, but when I started narrowing down which projects to do, that one did not make the list for some reason. Instead, I selected three things that really have no photos- just journaling and all of that “pretty” stuff. That could be because I want to focus more on the story part which I can do with journaling. It could also be because I really need to develop some kind of system to organize and back up my photos- a thing that I really do not know where to begin.
My big takeaway from steps 3 and 4 is that in my soul I am a summer. I WANT to play; I have plenty of materials I have purchased over the years and they are accessible to me, organized reasonably well to make it simpler. The problem comes in the fact that my time is more like a winter. I care for my husband who is disabled at this time. He is scheduled for a hip replacement in early December of this year and hopes to go back to work in some capacity if he recovers well from that. I babysit my grandson who is 3 years old and his parents have a very stringent schedule: my daughter is a nurse in a hospital, usually working 3 twelve hour shifts on 3 consecutive days and my son-in-law drives an ambulance, working on duty 24 hours and off duty 48. This means my babysitting days are long and stretch out over several days in a row. To top everything off, my daughter is expecting her second child in early June and, while this baby will definitely be a blessing, it will double my workload. As a result, when I looked at steps 3 and 4, I found myself identifying key projects that were basically journaling and “pretty stuff” rather than full out albums and projects. I definitely want to keep a daily journal, a reading journal, and my faith planner with Bible study notes. I have already identified my One Little Word that will guide my decision making in 2024- INTENTIONAL. I hope to be more intentional with the time I do have, using it for constructive things that help me meet my goals. My “workload” of at-home duties will also be intentional, planning things like laundry and grocery shopping so that I can spread them out over time and allow for some “me time” regularly, something I have been neglecting.
I identify as Autumn and Winter. I feel ready to go deeper and dive into a more complicated project. I also feel a sense of urgency about getting this project done. When my Dad passed away and Mom moved into an independent living apartment I inherited all of their photos. I have managed to rescue some from old adhesive albums and scan some but there is more to do before I can make the albums I want to make from the photos. I need to get information from my Mom before I lose her as well. This is where my urgency comes in. Not to mention that I can’t wait to corral all of their photos and memorabilia so I don’t have boxes piled in my closet. I really can’t move on to my own photos and memorabilia until I get this done. Just imagining this accomplishment gives me a sense of peace. Now I just have to make a plan and stick with it. : )
I, too, lost a parent this year, my mom, a widow for more than 30 years. Now, I have dozens of framed photos that hung in her house, as well as all her albums. At least 4 cardboard boxes-full. Like you, I find it hard to work on my own things when all of that is literally staring me in the face! I hope you and I can find some encouragement in this workshop!
I’m so sorry you lost your Mom this year. It may take time for you to be able to deal with those things. My Dad passed in 2016 and it took until 2020 to sell the house. At first I couldn’t even think about how to handle those memories. I started slowly. Took the pictures out of frames and sorted them into photo boxes. It’s a small step, but it can help deal with some of the bulk from the frames. Give yourself grace and time!
The focus finder is spectacular! Narrowing my perspective to the next 3 months is super helpful. I have some WIP that I wanted to finish and those + organizing/tidying made the top of the list. I can narrow down my next three months to 2 scrappy projects and tidying. The 2024 vision was quite a bit more complicated. Thanks so much!
I really like the “Focus Finder” resource! Until I used it, I felt like many of my ideas were overlapping and overwhelming. By working through the FF, I think I want to concentrate on mixed media and journaling of the actual creative process. In other words, thinking and writing about my creativity as it is happening. I can take photos, paint, make murals, use stickers, scraps, samples, and small mementos as I work on other creative projects. Might sound weird, but it makes sense to me. LOL
I am so in a Spring right now. After 6 very heavy years (we lost 3 family members, lost 3 beloved pets, I went through cancer surgery, son moved out which was good but a major change…) I am finally feeling more like myself. I am ready to create and play. And this made me see that one of my priorities is to organize some retreat days with a friend or two!
I feel confident in my 2-3 projects for next year. After looking at it from different ways, I know these are the things I want to work on. I realized today, my goals for next year are a lot like decluttering. They are things I’ve wanted to finish for years and are taking up space in my thoughts and not allowing me to move forward until they are completed.
I am in Spring/Winter. I’ve been retired now for 41 days and feel a sense of creative spark in me because I’m not working 50-60 hour weeks. I have more time devoted to self-care, family, church. The Focus Finder is really helped me with capturing what is energizing me now in Spring so I can begin again for what seems to be the bazillionth time. The Focus Finder really identified what I feel is urgent to me now in Winter. I bought waaaayyy too much during the 2020-2022 years and have boxes of product that I haven’t even opened yet! It’s time to get serious and get creating. The cool thing is, I have enough to make gifts for others all while learning new skills and techniques crafting mini books, telling family stories and organizing photos for books. The unpacked boxes are staying and I’ll open only when other products and projects are complete. It will feel like Christmas for a long while for me in 2024! I can’t wait to get started. Thank you Jennifer for all you do for the community. I am tickled when you answered my answers to these questions LOL. I feel like a movie star answered my fan mail!!
I feel the same as Natalie… I feel like it’s ‘Winter’ but trying to be hopeful like ‘Spring’ ! On the one hand I feel kind of stuck that I can’t move forward with ‘new’ things until I clear out the ‘old’ projects that have now been on my list for years… but I don’t want to abandon them either…but I’m not necessarily having any fun. I’ve pivoted on some of the plans for these projects to streamline them and leave more room for something different so we’ll see. I am also very very keenly feeling the passage of time and the realization that I am now the oldest person in our extended family and the keeper of all the things, honestly it’s becoming a huge psychic weight I need to deal with. My big priorities for the beginning of next year will be to clear off these old projects so I can see more clearly what’s next.
One thing to think about as you tailor your plan is what kind of accountability you need for the more weighty projects vs. the accountability you need for the fun things. That might help you match up timing and how both can move forward.
In order to be successful with my projects, I need to think more about the time involved versus the list of things I want to do. I wasn’t as realistic about this last year. Mapping this out in a planner is likely the best way for me to track my progress and remind myself what I want to accomplish. I look forward to the next steps of determining what I will put into my list of memory keeping objectives.
Yes, time ends up being one of the biggest factors!
Working through my priority list was interesting… The answer I gave off the top of my head didn’t really match up with the answers from Methods 1 or 2 in the guide. Guess that means I really need to reframe my expectations! I am curious to see how all of this will fit into a plan for 2024, right now everything on my list is daunting and I am feeling super overwhelmed!
Let’s reframe “overwhelmed” as “marinating in a sense of possibility.” This is the messy middle and it’s an important place to be.
Groundwork for upcoming projects must have priority. I need to become proficient with digital organization for the purposes of photo mastery and journaling before I can fully realize the documenting results I desire.
Solid thinking! What is the first baby step?
I am in a busy season (“winter”), but feel the excitement and renewed energy of starting fresh (“spring”). I didn’t leave enough space in my hopes/goals/intentions for 2023, so I am going to start really small in 2024.
I will prioritize only two things: (1) finishing a project that is *thisclose* to completion (Disney 2016) . I’ve been putting it off, and I need to remove some mental restrictions I’ve put on myself. (2) getting my annual family photo album printing “system” off the ground and running. This project is always a weight at the back of my mind, and it’s time to release that weight.
I’m also realizing that I need to “clear the decks” for 2024 in these last two months of 2023. That means buckling down and finishing the projects that I really don’t want to carry into the new year! (I’m looking at you, December 2022 album!)
I, too, am a spring and winter! I love the way you have chosen to focus on getting things finished. I have one album that needs to be finished, but when I started narrowing down which projects to do, that one did not make the list for some reason. Instead, I selected three things that really have no photos- just journaling and all of that “pretty” stuff. That could be because I want to focus more on the story part which I can do with journaling. It could also be because I really need to develop some kind of system to organize and back up my photos- a thing that I really do not know where to begin.
Sounds like a plan. Sometimes not having to do something next year is the motivation we need to focus on.
Wow very hard questions to consider. Thank you for helping me think outside the box and begin making plans!! Very excited about this!!
Most welcome!
My big takeaway from steps 3 and 4 is that in my soul I am a summer. I WANT to play; I have plenty of materials I have purchased over the years and they are accessible to me, organized reasonably well to make it simpler. The problem comes in the fact that my time is more like a winter. I care for my husband who is disabled at this time. He is scheduled for a hip replacement in early December of this year and hopes to go back to work in some capacity if he recovers well from that. I babysit my grandson who is 3 years old and his parents have a very stringent schedule: my daughter is a nurse in a hospital, usually working 3 twelve hour shifts on 3 consecutive days and my son-in-law drives an ambulance, working on duty 24 hours and off duty 48. This means my babysitting days are long and stretch out over several days in a row. To top everything off, my daughter is expecting her second child in early June and, while this baby will definitely be a blessing, it will double my workload. As a result, when I looked at steps 3 and 4, I found myself identifying key projects that were basically journaling and “pretty stuff” rather than full out albums and projects. I definitely want to keep a daily journal, a reading journal, and my faith planner with Bible study notes. I have already identified my One Little Word that will guide my decision making in 2024- INTENTIONAL. I hope to be more intentional with the time I do have, using it for constructive things that help me meet my goals. My “workload” of at-home duties will also be intentional, planning things like laundry and grocery shopping so that I can spread them out over time and allow for some “me time” regularly, something I have been neglecting.
I think you’re on to something when it comes to finding ways to play on a smaller scale. Sending strength for you full plate!
I identify as Autumn and Winter. I feel ready to go deeper and dive into a more complicated project. I also feel a sense of urgency about getting this project done. When my Dad passed away and Mom moved into an independent living apartment I inherited all of their photos. I have managed to rescue some from old adhesive albums and scan some but there is more to do before I can make the albums I want to make from the photos. I need to get information from my Mom before I lose her as well. This is where my urgency comes in. Not to mention that I can’t wait to corral all of their photos and memorabilia so I don’t have boxes piled in my closet. I really can’t move on to my own photos and memorabilia until I get this done. Just imagining this accomplishment gives me a sense of peace. Now I just have to make a plan and stick with it. : )
I, too, lost a parent this year, my mom, a widow for more than 30 years. Now, I have dozens of framed photos that hung in her house, as well as all her albums. At least 4 cardboard boxes-full. Like you, I find it hard to work on my own things when all of that is literally staring me in the face! I hope you and I can find some encouragement in this workshop!
I’m so sorry you lost your Mom this year. It may take time for you to be able to deal with those things. My Dad passed in 2016 and it took until 2020 to sell the house. At first I couldn’t even think about how to handle those memories. I started slowly. Took the pictures out of frames and sorted them into photo boxes. It’s a small step, but it can help deal with some of the bulk from the frames. Give yourself grace and time!
The focus finder is spectacular! Narrowing my perspective to the next 3 months is super helpful. I have some WIP that I wanted to finish and those + organizing/tidying made the top of the list. I can narrow down my next three months to 2 scrappy projects and tidying. The 2024 vision was quite a bit more complicated. Thanks so much!
Agree, really liked the focus finder!
I really like the “Focus Finder” resource! Until I used it, I felt like many of my ideas were overlapping and overwhelming. By working through the FF, I think I want to concentrate on mixed media and journaling of the actual creative process. In other words, thinking and writing about my creativity as it is happening. I can take photos, paint, make murals, use stickers, scraps, samples, and small mementos as I work on other creative projects. Might sound weird, but it makes sense to me. LOL
I love that you discovered what makes the most sense to you. That’s exactly what we want.
I am so in a Spring right now. After 6 very heavy years (we lost 3 family members, lost 3 beloved pets, I went through cancer surgery, son moved out which was good but a major change…) I am finally feeling more like myself. I am ready to create and play. And this made me see that one of my priorities is to organize some retreat days with a friend or two!
Cheers to your new beginnings!
I feel confident in my 2-3 projects for next year. After looking at it from different ways, I know these are the things I want to work on. I realized today, my goals for next year are a lot like decluttering. They are things I’ve wanted to finish for years and are taking up space in my thoughts and not allowing me to move forward until they are completed.
I hear the certainty in your words. Kudos!
I am in Spring/Winter. I’ve been retired now for 41 days and feel a sense of creative spark in me because I’m not working 50-60 hour weeks. I have more time devoted to self-care, family, church. The Focus Finder is really helped me with capturing what is energizing me now in Spring so I can begin again for what seems to be the bazillionth time. The Focus Finder really identified what I feel is urgent to me now in Winter. I bought waaaayyy too much during the 2020-2022 years and have boxes of product that I haven’t even opened yet! It’s time to get serious and get creating. The cool thing is, I have enough to make gifts for others all while learning new skills and techniques crafting mini books, telling family stories and organizing photos for books. The unpacked boxes are staying and I’ll open only when other products and projects are complete. It will feel like Christmas for a long while for me in 2024! I can’t wait to get started. Thank you Jennifer for all you do for the community. I am tickled when you answered my answers to these questions LOL. I feel like a movie star answered my fan mail!!
Appreciate your sweet words Karyn. I love that I get to help.
I feel the same as Natalie… I feel like it’s ‘Winter’ but trying to be hopeful like ‘Spring’ ! On the one hand I feel kind of stuck that I can’t move forward with ‘new’ things until I clear out the ‘old’ projects that have now been on my list for years… but I don’t want to abandon them either…but I’m not necessarily having any fun. I’ve pivoted on some of the plans for these projects to streamline them and leave more room for something different so we’ll see. I am also very very keenly feeling the passage of time and the realization that I am now the oldest person in our extended family and the keeper of all the things, honestly it’s becoming a huge psychic weight I need to deal with. My big priorities for the beginning of next year will be to clear off these old projects so I can see more clearly what’s next.
One thing to think about as you tailor your plan is what kind of accountability you need for the more weighty projects vs. the accountability you need for the fun things. That might help you match up timing and how both can move forward.