Goals, goals, goals

2016 is upon us and I’m revelling in the optimistic ‘I can do anything I put my mind to’ feeling that often consumes me at this time of year. I’ve spent the first few days of the year in a jet laggy fog after returning from a holiday in Los Angeles, but yesterday it was back to business and so the list writing has begun. I like to write things down. Lists, goals, ideas. It helps to make it more solid in my mind. Do you take time each year to think about what you want to achieve? I always do. I write it all out, usually on New Year’s Eve, and then tuck it away somewhere so I can pull it out the following year and see what I managed to turn into a reality. 

Aside from bigger career, family, and house goals (Of which there are many! See above for our trip to Cafe Stella in LA with our good friend cinematographer Dave McFarland for one of my house goals. Floors – yes please, walls – yes please, lighting – yes please) a smaller goal I have is to procrastinate less. Often I have so many things to do at any given time – from business tax and accounting issues to finding piano lessons for my son or researching universities for my daughter, chasing client invoices, renewing a passport, or writing a blog post 😉 (that was some of today’s back to work list) that I usually get overwhelmed and paralysed and don’t do anything! Please tell me you can relate. Please?

Sometimes the list is filled with lots and lots of really small, seemingly insignificant things, which are too easy to let slide. But then I realise a year has gone by and I’m still thinking about how I should have a lidded box on my desk for all the cool business cards people give me instead of a teetering messy pile mixed in with the bills. (Today I found a lidded box. Problem solved. Yay for me!) Or how I need to patch that hole above my desk. (Did it today, it took 3 minutes, now I don’t need to think about it every day for yet another year). Or how I should re-pot that cactus that outgrew its pot about three years ago (That’s on tomorrow’s list). Do you see what I mean? So many things to do, big and small, and seriously so little time. I guess the trick is to do it right away – i.e. don’t procrastinate – or forget it and don’t beat yourself up over it. I don’t know, but I’m giving it a try.

Aside from all that tediousness, I’m excited for the year ahead: a third interiors book with photographer Debi Treloar (the best!), shoots with great new clients, product ideas, travel with the family, house hunting, and challenging myself creatively. That’s what’s on my list. What’s on yours?