Revisiting 2013 Goals

This year, more than any other it seems, was full of so much change.  I love change & I think change is good, but I'm not so good at recovering from big changes or changes that happen all at once.  This year was a knock down yet really awesome year.  It was truly a year of change - so lets look back on the 2013 Goals posted 12 months ago here:

Add some Valentines Day cards to the Stationery Shop

Yep, this happened.  Got some designs added in there & really liked them.  If you're looking for something for Valentine's day check out the designs here.

Add fonts/clip art to the Design Shop

Nope, that didn't happen.  But now that I read this goal I'm thinking of reopening my shop featuring fonts since I'm really done with blog designs for right now. 

Maintain the STUDIO blog & post once a week

Nope, didn't do that either.  After getting a full time job that really went by the wayside!  But Since I'm refocusing on the Stationery Shop this year perhaps I can get back into that blog.

Create Business Cards for the 516 brand & 516VINTAGE

I did create a whole line of branding materials/shipping materials for 516VINTAGE but now that we've closed that shop it's time to focus on the other shop that's open.  I want to grow Five One Six handmade again this year.

Create letter head, invoice, & packaging for 516VINTAGE

That did happen (see above goal) but our goal of reusing shipping materials in an effort to be more environmentally friendly & really stick with the whole idea of reusing (vintage items in the first place are eco friendly because you're reusing) didn't work out so well.  Sad to say something's broke.

Focus on Collections

I was really good on this in the first part of the year - full stationery collections in the stationery shops, full collections in the Five One Six shop, & collections in the Vintage shop.  But, again, time to refocus.  So I guess you could say this goal was achieved.

Open Five One Six shop

Yep, did it!  Recoded everything for the Storenvey storefront & have a wonderful custom looking shop now!  Looking forward to adding more things to it in the next year!

Focus on me & us time....focus on balance

I think we did a good job of that this year as well.  It is always a struggle to balance these things for me.  I need me time, I need creative time, I need us time, etc.  It's so hard to balance my dreams, us time, & a job.  I really am only good at doing two of those at a time but this year I realized there's just not enough time to do everything and somethings got re-prioritized. 

Create meaningful connections

I'm not that good at staying in touch with others.  Sometimes we'll talk every minute of everyday, then one day I just won't.  It's not because I don't like you any more, I just suck at keeping in touch.  But I do think about you often - both blog friends & IRL friends.  I like people I can just pick back up with.  That's just how I am - I'm trying to be better!

Create a cohesive Ceramics line

Nope, studio isn't even set up yet.  That's a goal to roll over for this year.

Find a real job

Found one, it's ok.  It's getting better.  And it's actually funny because this is the original goal from the goals post:

I've been struggling so hard with the unemployed/self-employed thing.  I made a decision to move & that's been the cause of not having a job.  But finding another one has just been so disappointing.  I am going to go looking around for random jobs next week.  I don't mind working at Taco Bell, I just know that I'll get stuck working at Taco Bell for the rest of my life because who wants to hire an office manager, let alone a 25 year old who doesn't have a professional job.

Guess where I got a job & worked for two days? Taco Bell.  Did you know that? Probably not, I don't think I told anyone because I was so ashamed.  I literally cried for a week straight after I got hired.  Then I well balls to the wall & applied to every office job I could find.  I worked two days at Taco Bell before finding out that I was hired at my current job.  I mean, there's nothing wrong with working at Taco Bell - I actually appreciate everyone & their lives more (not just fast food employees) because I met people who had been on the line, making tacos for 12 years.  I don't rush at a fast food place any more because all day these guys move a lightening speed to reach a goal of making a taco in less than 10 seconds.  I also don't judge people's journeys/lives any more (not that I was very judgmental in the first place). This experience made me realize that there are people out there who make your tacos & there are people out there who run corporations.  If we didn't have either, what would we have.  I'm nicer, more patient, and definitely a big tipper after working at Taco Bell for two days.  Oh, also - if a corn tortilla is cracked, it goes in the trash.  There are children, families, people who have nothing & you throw a cracked tortilla in the trash because it doesn't look nice. Yeah, whatever.

Make a living off 516

Nope, definitely didn't happen!  But now I know that Zazzle & passive income is the way to go for that.  I can't wait to put a bit more effort in & see what comes about.

Keep the house clean to have a clean working environment

Let's just say the house is clean enough but we're already working on keeping everything in it's place.  Keeping house is hard when you've got a blog & life to run. :)

Phew, that was a lot of goals huh?  I can't believe I set that many goals at the beginning of the year.  But I guess I didn't anticipate what was to come and what came was a reduction in time to actually accomplish things.  But I think we still had a pretty good year.  I dunno life has a way of teaching you things even if you didn't plan on learning it.

Hope you're last year was prosperous!

What did you accomplish in 2013?  Anything unexpected happen?

xoxo, Moe

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