BALANCE...........
- Fran B
- May 19, 2021
- 3 min read
I've been on a mission to find a way to pursue my dreams and enjoy the journey. To find the balance. Do you have that problem? Trying to fit in all the things you want to do and not take the joy out of the. If you're like me you have a lot of interests that you’re pursuing. I'm a knitter, amateur photographer who would like to publish a book, I want to design knitted items and be a pattern tester. Oh, I also live to be on the ocean fishing. I have many works in progress but get distracted by an amazing pattern or beautiful skein of yarn. How do I find the balance? I started that discussion on an Instagram Live that’s saved on my page. I want to continue exploring it with you and get your input.
At the beginning of 2021, I bought a beautiful 18-month planner and started setting goals. By the end of February I had put the planner aside and began keeping things in my head. I was accomplishing things but still letting shiny objects, beautiful yarn or a great pattern, stop me from completing things. In order for me to move forward, pursue dreams and find joy in the journey I had to find balance.
I was going through my Instagram feed and saw The Happy Planner. I immediately knew what issue was stopping me from using my other planner. It was simple. I needed a spiral binder. My other planner wasn’t spiral. I didn’t like the fact that it didn’t stay open when I used it. Simple right. Issued solved. I ordered a new planner and began working toward balance. I had to take a hard look at what things were really important for me to work on and could bring me joy. Once I made that list, I was on my way.
I took this list, prioritized the items and began setting goals. I knew I had to continue knitting for sheer pleasure, become a designer, try test knitting and begin sorting through the thousands of photographs for a book. I also had to make time to enjoy my love of deep-sea fishing. It’s the right season to be on the water and my custom purple pole is ready. I realized I couldn’t work on everything on my list every day so I tried allotting a few hours a day to projects. I left it open as far as what projects I would work on. This didn’t work for me because that shiny object would show up and I would use that time to start yet another project. I reflected on the schedule and decided I needed to be more focused. I refined my goal setting process.
I set daily, weekly and monthly goals. The difference was I put the names of specific projects in the allotted time. This helped me focus on those projects. I also gave myself some flexibility. Fishing time. It’s okay if one day I didn’t meet all of my goals. It’s okay if the occasional shiny object comes along and I chase it. That shiny object could be the birth of a good idea or just a time to relax and dream. I reassess my daily goals to see what needs to be reworked, moved or maybe eliminated. Is this process perfect? Of course not! It’s a beginning and it’s helping me to focus and move forward.
I’m currently working on a summer tee for pleasure. It has 15 inches of stockinette. Boring! So the shiny object is working on dishcloths. Fun, quick and something different. Thanks to Laverne, BzyPeach Yarn and Crochet, I decided to design a dishcloth from yarn she sent me to try. A quick design but it’s helping me get a working knowledge of the design process. I’m currently testing a new pattern for Biggerthanlife_knits, Patterns by Noma. The pattern is called the Aventurine Tee and it’s due by June 18. You can see it on her Instagram page. I’ll be posting pictures along the way so watch for them on Instagram and on my website. My photograph selection has begun with hopes of putting together a book. So goals were set and I’m moving forward. I’m giving myself praise as I met goals no matter how small and forgiveness when I see that shiny object and chase it.
So have I found the secret to having balance in life? Possibly. Will it change? I’m sure it will. Will it work for you? I don’t know. Maybe you’ve found a better/different way. Let’s start the discussion. Share your tips in the comments……...
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