Happy New Year everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful, relaxing holiday season surrounded by the love of family and friends. My kiddos were home from school and daycare for 2 weeks and I took that time to decompress, reflect on the past year and focus on the year to come. I think it’s going to be a good one!
Last year, The Hubs and I set New Year’s intentions for the first time. For years, I had been setting (or consciously not setting) New Year’s resolutions each December 31st. Sometimes these resolutions would last a month or two, but rarely was I still doing what I had resolved to do by the time December came around.
The idea of setting an intention instead of a resolution was a new one for The Hubs and I. We each picked a word for the year– A word that would become our mantra, our compass, our reminder of how we want to live our lives.
Last year my intention was “Do It” and The Hubs chose “Patience”. You can read more about why we chose those intentions here.
Looking back, it amazes me about just how perfect a word “Do It” was for me.
In 2014 I:
- Left my job of 8 years to start my own business!!!
- Celebrated my first anniversary of being a blogger.
- Conquered my “shy girl” ways and attended 3 blogging conferences!!! SNAP in Salt Lake City, BlogHer in San Jose and Blissdom in Toronto!
- Created relationships and worked on projects with incredible companies like Cricut, Frigidaire, DAVIDsTEA, Royal Design Studio Stencils, Expressions Vinyl, Pottery Barn and Breville!
- Was honored by being named one of the Vancouver Mom Top 30 Bloggers.
- Started volunteering in my daughter’s classroom on a weekly basis.
- Became the editor for UrbanMommies.
Great year right? It was fun looking back at what I accomplished.
When it came time to pick my word for 2015 the word came to me instantly– Quality.
What this means to me:
Quality Mommy-Daughter time- Yes, she is only 6, but I can see the teenage years fast approaching. Having a solid foundation filled with heart to hearts, mutual trust and love is going to be what gets us through the bumpy years. I want to start spending more one-on-one time with my girl.
Quality blog- I think so many bloggers feel pressure to do things a certain way. “You must post this many times a week.” “If you want to raise your pageviews you must do X.” Sew Creative will be turning 2 in a few weeks and with 2 years of blogging under my belt one thing has become very clear to me: It’s not about how often you blog, it’s about the quality that you produce. Sew Creative is focused on creative living. I want to bring you more of the things that you are responding to– Great crafts, recipes and DIY projects. How you can make things that you see at the store or online with your own two hands, at a fraction of the price. Glimpses into my life, the things the kids love, the areas where I struggle, things that move me to tears or make me squeal with glee. Products that I use and love that help me get the most out of my creative life, whether I’m sewing, cooking, crafting or DIYing.
Quality Business- I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that if I hadn’t started my blog I would not be currently working for myself. Starting my blog and making the decision to leave my job and work for myself has been the best professional move that I have ever made. I don’t want to mess that up. I think when you first start a new business you are tempted to take every single job that comes your way. I want to focus what I’m doing, concentrate on the things I love and work with people, companies and influencers that I truly believe in. I would love to teach more and want to put effort into expanding the consultation work that I do. Quality, every single day, every single project, to every single one of my clients.
So those are my plans for what I’m going to focus my efforts on in 2015! Funny enough, The Hubs was so pleased with my intention for last year, that he has made 2015 his “Do It” year! Bean said she wanted to set an intention too and her word is “Loving”.
mother your business says
I am so proud of you. You TOTALLY DID IT. Much love, one of the girlfriends who will always have your back.
Vicki says
Beautiful article. I love your commitment to such a great intention for the new year. It seems that it will surely have a positive impact on those you hold closest to you. Don’t forget to make quality time for yourself – to recentre and be inspired.
Amanda Lopes says
My intention for 2015 is to INSPIRE. I feel like I have found my authentic self, I am starting to show that to my readers, and they are responding so very well to it! I am here to inspire people, to empower people to think outside the box, and pursue more “unconventional” lives by way of finding, and following their passions and innate talents. I want to open people’s minds, ideas and thoughts about what it means to be successful in life. I have so much inspiration to give, and alot of it comes from my relationships with amazingly creative and big-hearted people in the blogging world – like you 🙂
I am so excited to watch your journey this year!
xoxo Amanda