2024 Plans and Goals

I don't like to call them resolutions, because then it seems like they are easier to break...don't ask me why. Instead, I try to outline goals and a plan to reach them whenever we start a new year. Last year I didn't write any down, but I worked on finishing orders faster and staying more caught up, so I could squeeze in test bags and strike projects, and I was able to meet that goal!

Everything is better with pics, so here's my first UFO project for 2024, the almost 7 year old Factotum!

Without any further ado:

My goals for this year:

• Stay on top of orders - I occasionally procrastinate on starting 'quick' orders because they aren't as exciting or fun as new things.
• Add new listings to Etsy - I have a bunch of things that can be repeat listings (doodles, new keyfobs), plus even more things that I have a limited supply, so instead of randomly taking them to in person shows trying to find the right person to buy it, I'll get them listed up.
• Clean up old Etsy listings - new/better pics, verify they are still relevant, get rid of all listings that aren't driving traffic or getting any views
• Do a 'new' sewing pattern every month - I have so many patterns I bought and have never made, plus samples are great for figuring out how much to charge, and using up my stash (subject to change based on new patterns and how I feel each month)
• January -- Hiraeth Purse
• February -- Marilyn wallet
• March -- Dandelion Double Zip
• April -- Triskele Wallet
• May --Brooklyn Bag
• June -- Purse Pal
• July -- Traudy Triangle Bag
• August -- Ymri Skull Wallet
• September -- Hinterland Purse
• October -- ??
• November -- ??
• December -- ??

• Stitch out new embroidery patterns - This one I'm going to be flexible on. I'd love to do 5/week, but I need to remember that I have to sleep at some point...
• Organize sewing studio - This is multi pronged, which involves:
• destashing fabric and supplies, 
• organizing all the remaining supplies, 
• cleaning as I go, 
• recording what I'm keeping, and 
• finding better ways of storing/sorting/etc
• Blog more - Ideally, 2x per week for a total of 104 posts this year. I noticed I'm slowing down on the sharing, but I still have a TON of makes waiting to be shared!
• More active on Instagram/sharing - I'm good at sharing in my personal FB group, but with the randomly changing algorithms, I can't depend on that for my business!
• Finish up at least 1 UFO/WIP a month.  (as I uncover more, I'll add to the list)
• January -- the Factotum that I started maybe 6 or 7 years ago...
• February -- Mini MLP bag I found while cleaning
• March -- crochet project, tbd
• April -- ??
• May -- ??
• June -- ??
• July -- ??
• August -- ??
• September -- ??
• October -- ??
• November -- ??
• December -- ??

That seems like a lot, so I should probably stop now...