Thursday, June 16, 2011

Slowing Down This Handmade Train

So I set these goals for my Etsy shop this year. Update my brand (actually, MAKE a brand) and come up with new products. I’ve been pretty stressed out lately as I’m behind on most of the big and small goals I set for myself and my shop. Looking at my life right now, nothing else is slowing down, I still don’t have time to make these goals a reality, and I’m a little overwhelmed.

As such, I’ve decided to remember that some progress toward a goal is worth something.

Here’s my Some Progress List:

· I have come up with ideas and started work with a graphic designer for my brand.

· I have renamed my blog.

· I have found some great mentors and listened to their advice.

· I have made some decisions about what I will and will not do to market myself.

· I have come up with some ideas for new products.

· I have tested the products. Some have been successful, some still need some work.

· I may not get the new products out this year. I may decide not to do a big launch on these products. I may keep working on new ideas, working toward something I can be really satisfied with.

I was hoping to do all this by the fall so when my big sales season came around, I could be ready with a whole new shop & game plan. I don’t think that’s gonna happen.

But you know what? I have had 2 successful fall/winter sales seasons. I was successful far beyond what I thought I could be, and that was without all the fancy changes I’ve been trying to make. I hope to have a successful third year.

And if it takes until year four to make some of these larger changes and to meet my current goals, so be it. I am ready to dig back into the rest of my life and stop freaking out about something that is helpful to my family income, but is nowhere near the bedrock. I’ve been in this weird place for months now where Etsy stuff has taken over my thoughtlife when I should be doing other things, but I haven’t had the ACTUAL FREE TIME to devote to making those thoughts a reality. I’m tired of stressing about it, so I’m gonna stop.

This means my sense of urgency is going to die down, which means I will probably not be as heavily involved in all the handmade biz chit chat and planning and all that. Not saying I’m completely going away, but I’m allowing myself a bit of a break.

1 comment:

lilith anne said...

I think it's really important to remember to give ourselves a break once and awhile. and to really keep things in perspective. It's so easy to get caught up in the I have to do it this way, and be this involved and this is what is going to make me "successful" but that's no good when it starts to overshadow all of the other parts of your life. People need lots of varied and complex things to live off of. We can't subside on craft alone. I'm so glad to see that you're really listening to yourself and what your life needs instead of just pushing forward blindly. Relax! Enjoy, if summer will ever get here that is.

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