Happy New Year!

10...9...8...7...6...5...4...3...2...1 and it is officially the start of 2015! Happy New Years! The start of a new year always holds so much excitement and anticipation for the coming days, weeks, and months. Even on my hardest years, when I am rather reluctant to celebrate, the new year represents the promise of a better year and a brighter future. Of course life has its ups and downs regardless of the year, but reflecting on the possibilities has a restoring affect on our lives. This is equally true of crafters reflecting on their goals for their future. Last year I shared a video of Threadbanger's resolutions for crafty people and made similar resolutions for myself. And like everyone else I have failed to keep all of my resolutions for myself and for my business. The important thing to remember, regardless of the resolutions you make, is not to set impossible goals for yourself, but to set goals that you can continually work on across years.The resolutions I set for myself last year will continue to be my resolutions for this year, with the addition of a few others, and I will continue to reflect on my goals for myself and my business. 

Last year, in my personal life, I set a resolution of recording daily the blessings in my life. I found this resolution to be helpful for refocusing me daily to the positives in my life and really enjoyed the benefits of this resolution throughout the year. Due to the benefits of this resolution I have decided to make a craft journal this year where I will reflect on the projects throughout the year, my struggles, and my success as a crafter, blogger, and business owner. I hope this will allow me to focus on what I have accomplished rather than what I haven't finished. Last year I set unrealistic goals for myself for my blog and ended up quitting under the influence of overwhelming frustration. This year I am trying to be mindful of my limitations. I am once again a student, working full time as a behavioral technician, while also trying to maintain the business I founded in 2010. There will be days, weeks, or months when I don't feel like I can blog because I am overwhelmed by life and that is ok. This year I am going to remember it is ok if I can't blog regularly and to celebrate when I do. 

Another resolution I plan on keeping this year is the resolution to finish my projects rather than continually starting new projects. I was not very successful at this last year, but I did manage to finish several projects. Red Heart Yarn once posted on Facebook that is helpful to have multiple projects at one time because then you always have a project to fit your mood. However, I have found that these endless projects are taking over my space and my life. So along with limiting the amount of projects I start I am going to work on finishing my current projects. This will cut back on the amount of clutter-related stress I endure while giving me the benefit of feeling accomplished and isn't that the point of resolutions: to feel better about yourself? As my project pile eventually shrinks down I will begin to incorporate a project limit for myself to prevent future project clutter. This doesn't just apply to projects, but craft supplies as well. I don't really need endless supplies of every craft supply imaginable and won't honestly use all of those supplies. This year I will be mindful of the craft supplies I purchase and more willing to part way with extra craft supplies.

My final resolution is to use my crafting abilities to give back to others. Last year I worked on several projects for charities while also volunteering my time, but this year I find myself short on time. I am unable to volunteer in person this year, but will inevitably continue crafting. I am hoping to finish many projects this year and will showcase the projects I finish, along with the charity, on this blog. As I am typing this I am thinking of two projects I would like to start working on: fleece hats for the homeless and tote bags for foster children. Both projects will include other items such as water bottles, hand warmers, and activities for children. I already have many of things I will need to work begin work on these projects. 

2015 is upon us and represents a wonderful opportunity for success in all areas of our lives. I am excited for the possibilities that await. I encourage all of you to leave your own craft resolutions in the comments below or your tips for ensuring your success in keeping those resolutions.