March Goals

It's March! Hello, March! I mentioned on Instagram on Saturday that this is usually my least favorite month of the year. I'm not in school (no spring break), the weather is awful and there's usually not much going on except the anticipation of spring. However I've been loving March so far! The past four days have been productive and exciting. I've started my third trimester (woah!), really nailed down some things in my business plan and have had a couple exciting opportunities thrown my way. I also had my first day at the flower shop.

 

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Looking back at February, I did so-so on my actually goal list. Midway through the month I wrote this post here. I've been trying to hard to focus and re-focus on grace not perfection. It takes a lot of effort.

1. Take photos! Even though I didn't use my camera, I did get on Instagram some! Counting it.
2. Host my 3rd Annual Valentine's Day Brunch Opted out this year. Read the post here.
3. Apply for my new Driver's License Okay, this is BAD. I have a date with the DMV on Wednesday...
4. Have a real date night with Isaiah We went to Siren Hall for Valentine's Day and it was perfect.
5. Clean out my office Not finished yet, but we made some serious progress!!!
6. Send letters to my BFF's Not real letters, but I did make some phone calls. Letters this month!
7. Go to the gym (even once) Didn't happen. I actually even put my membership on hold for 3 months. It's one less thing to worry about!
8. Check off 3 things on the baby list. Did it! I'll be posting an update on this soon.

In February a huge prayer was answered in the form of my dream job. As of June 1st, I will be a full time mama and full time wedding & floral designer. The way that these things were woven together is nothing short of a miracle. I wish I could explain in words the weight that was lifted, and the anticipation that follows. This is a dream I've been working towards for a long time and I couldn't be more thankful. If you missed those posts, check them here and here. :)

Okay, so March goals!

1. Finish outlining business plan & client experience
2. Finish logo & collateral design! (!!!)
3. File paperwork (LLC, bank stuff, Maternity leave, etc)
4. Check 3 more things off the baby list.
5. Read 7 Habits of Highly Effective People for the book club!
6. Re-organize our pantry
7. Finish designing website structure & wording
8. Contact vendors for my brand inspiration shoot!

This month is going to be all about preparation. Truly I think it's perfect considering that Easter is just around the corner. This season has the ability to be beautiful, which I'm now realizing. Instead of putting my head down to the do hard work, I'm going to forge ahead with my chin held high in confidence, ready to take on the days ahead and soak up the beauty in that.

 

What are your March goals? I would love to hear and cheer you on!

 

xoxo

Rachel

February Goals

So if you can believe it, January is already over. I felt like it was a really great month! My belly is slowly but surely growing and I'm feeling good most days. Looking back on January list, I did so-so. Here was my list...

1. Input spending into my new iPad app, Budget Book, & have our first monthly budget meeting.
2. Use my simplified planner daily, or at least bring it with me and keep it open.
3. Practice yoga regularly, and make it to the pool at least 3 times.
4. Finish our "Throw out 100 things" challenge.
5. Keep up with regular posting on the blog.
6. Learn how to blow dry my hair like a professional.
7. Cook more meals at home, more vegetables!

Really happy about the budget for the month! Slowly working on paying off our debt for good. Thanks Dave Ramsey! Used my Simplified Planner pretty consistently. I'd like to use it more for meal planning, but I did start working on my year at a glance and birthday sheet. I've been going to prenatal yoga weekly, which I LOVE. I'll write more about that in my pregnancy post. Totally didn't finish the challenge. When I clean my office this month I hope to do that with vigor.

 

I did post regularly, and I am proud of myself! I want blogging to be a fun, natural part of my life and I've been really enjoying it. Really excited to keep up with this for the year. Yea- the blow drying thing is such a bust. First of all there's no time for that and also it's just hard. I should have taken a photo. I did eat more meals at home, but I can't say there were more veggies. Fruits for sure, but veggies are tough. I do recall throwing together a salad or two, and Isaiah cooking some kale. Whoops!

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So here are my February goals! Seems manageable enough. I love my Valentine's Day Brunch so that's a gimme, but it's going to take effort on my part to take photos and go to the gym. The point is that achieving these goals will serve me long-term.

1. Take photos!
2. Host my 3rd Annual Valentine's Day Brunch
3. Apply for my new Driver's License
4. Have a real date night with Isaiah
5. Clean out my office
6. Send letters to my BFF's
7. Go to the gym (even once)
8. Check off 3 things on the baby list.

 

Wish me Luck!

Rachel

Boundaries + Structure: Part 2

Looking back on yesterday's post, I was pretty much all over the map there with my writing. CHAOS. Rightfully so, because it's truly how my life felt. I've worked out a schedule that will work for me. It will need to be re-worked often, but the key is to keep re-working it until it sits comfortably in our week. So here's a photo that has nothing to do with scheduling and everything to do with my idea of peace, simplicity, and beauty, which is what I want my life to look like. :)

 

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For some accountability, I am posting my office hours here. My client load at the moment is light, so I only need 8-10 hours per week to meet my deadlines and even exceed client expectations. Keep in mind that I also work 40 hours a week at my "day job" and I'm also pregnant. This girl needs her sleep!

Tuesdays: 5:30- 8:30
Wednesdays: 1:00-2:00
Saturdays: 9:00- 1:00
Sundays: 5:00- 8:00

 

So obviously they are very sporadic when you look at them, but for Isaiah and I, and our schedule it works the best. Tuesdays will be at the library directly after work, Wednesdays are reserved for phone calls since it's one of the only times I'm available during business hours throughout the week. Saturdays will be a big power day for client work, and Sunday nights will be reserved for business planning and development. I will take meeting anytime I am available on a wee by week basis. My clients are flexible with meeting times but I like to let them choose the time and place.

 

So there you have it! I hope this new schedule makes me feel more productive during business hours and less guilty during non-business hours. Hooray!

 

On a different note, I have some really exciting news to share this week! Cannot wait. Hope everything is going well in your lives.

 

Sincerely,

Rachel

Boundaries + Structure

This morning I was rushing around before headed to my day job (as usual) trying to find all of my things (binders (3), my computer, charger(s), iPad, cell phone, library books, make up bag, gym bag, yoga mat, purse, car keys, work keys, lunch box, water bottle, wallet, extra shoes, etc,) when I realized that I had a problem. I've joked for a while that I might be a bag lady, but it's really the truth. I carry so much with me all the time. I never know what I might need! My purse looks like a normal person's carry-on bag that could also fit a small dog.

 

The truth is, I bring all of this stuff with me because I never know what I'm going to need or where I'll be right after work. I'm unprepared- I haven't set myself up for success. This is part of the reason why using my Simplified Planner is such a big part of my goals. I crave organization, structure and boundaries in a big way, but I'm always the first to make an excuse about how it's not going to work out. When I read Lara's post on boundaries I knew it was time to cut the crap and bring some structure into my life! Not just in regards to running my business but in each area of my day to day. I know that if I create a plan and stick to it my personal life, day job, small business, work-outs, and time with my husband will be more fulfilling. So why can't I just do it?

 

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Excuses. "We only have one car!" This is true- it's a fact and it's not changing anytime soon. Unlike when we lived in Seattle, there isn't any reliable public transportation to depend on. We are constantly dropping one another off at work or I am left at home without a car. On our current budget, it's not time to get another vehicle. But I do know that Isaiah's schedule isn't changing, and mine isn't changing for a while. So I can work around this for now.

 

Then of course there are the million little things that come up throughout the day that prevent me from following my schedule and therefore prevent me from creating one at all! "I'm tired; I forgot to pack my lunch; I don't feel like going to the gym; the house is a mess (I better clean it first); I have two weeks until that has to be done; I need a break." Can I get an Amen? Does anyone else experience this? I know that if I follow my routine I am better set up to remember my lunch/ feel rested/ be motivated to work hard because there is a dedicated time for each of those things.

 

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One of the big motivators in setting up boundaries and structure is making time to work hard for my clients and not be all over the board! If I'm feeling like spaz, chances are my brides feel that way too. Lara said it best, "Brides ideally want people to guide them through the process - planners, photographers, designers, etc - who make them feel calm, happy, excited, secure, taken care of and confidently structured.". YES! This is what I want the whole planning process to be like for my couples, not just on their wedding day.

 

So today I'm going to be working on a real, workable structure for my day as it is now. No matter how things might change in the future I can guarantee that I should be able to stick to the same schedule for at least the next four weeks. Tomorrow I'll be back with my progress, and hopefully even post my office hours for Occasions!

 

I'll leave you with this, one of my biggest goals for my business. "A solid product + a powerful brand that helps you attract the right clients who understand your value + structure in place to allow you to provide an extraordinary client experience = wedded bliss!" Thanks, Lara. Beautiful words that I aspire to live out over the lifetime of my career.

Happy Day!

Rachel

January Goals

I meant to put these up yesterday, but it was a holiday so I guess I'll forgive myself. In an effort to achieve my "dream year" that I wrote about here, I will be setting smaller, more manageable monthly goals to keep myself on track. Will you keep me accountable?

1. Input spending into my new iPad app, Budget Book, & have our first monthly budget meeting.
2. Use my simplified planner daily, or at least bring it with me and keep it open.
3. Practice yoga regularly, and make it to the pool at least 3 times.
4. Finish our "Throw out 100 things" challenge.
5. Keep up with regular posting on the blog.
6. Learn how to blow dry my hair like a professional.
7. Cook more meals at home, more vegetables!

Most of these goals are in place to set a habit for the year. Our new budgeting system is looking really great, I can't wait to see how the program will serve us and our larger intention of becoming debt-free, purchasing a house and just being comfortable with our money. Using my simplified planner won't be difficult, because I love it, but I need to remember to use it daily in order for it to work. I plan to write everything in our schedule that we already input into our Calendar app down so I have it in two places.

 

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Health wise, I want to be sure I'm making the most out of my first pregnancy. I downloaded several pre-natal yoga video podcasts on my iPad and am hoping to practice more often now that my energy is up. Also, I have a maternity swimsuit now, so there's no excuse not to get my cardio! :) I also want to cook a lot more at home. We've gotten pretty lazy about it for the past few months and I need to get my routine back. Meal planning, anyone? Bring on the smoothies!

 

I want to finish the challenge inspired by Jess Lively. We set it up so that we each need to find 100 things to get rid of. Either sell, donate or recycle/ throw away. It's been really good for us to simplify a little bit more to get ready for the nursery to be set up. I'm really excited about this!

 

Lastly, I want to keep posting on the blog. Even though I have literally 0 readers, including my husband- it's been great to write and figure out where I want to head with the blog. We'll see where it takes us! (and by us I mean me.) Oh, and the blow-drying thing is just a little vain, but it makes me feel good so I'm going to give it a go. That round brush seems so foreign! Any tips are welcome. :)

 

To a great month ahead!

 

Rachel