Thursday, January 3, 2013

Hello 2013


A new year. I've always liked the first few days of a new year. All the possibilities that lie ahead. A new year reminds me of a snow covered meadow - fresh snow, all whiteness, with no tracks been made by anyone, human or animal.


When I think of the year ahead the first thing that comes to mind is that we're all getting older. Kaefer will be
15 this spring, start 10th grade in the summer which means there are only three more years left until she will leave for college. I already feel bittersweet about it. 


I also think of my health and all the tests and screens I need to get done this year, like a colonoscopy. I really am not looking forward to that but I decided not to procrastinate any longer and finally get it done. The earlier in the year the better.


So many of us chose a word for the year that will give some kind of direction and commitment. The last two years I had the same word, being authentic. While this is something I always strive for, I feel it is time for a different word this year. Since the end of November the word "grow" has wandered through my head, never quite leaving my mind. It stayed foggy first, but then it became much clearer the more I thought about it.


Grow. I want to grow my business, get more serious with it. Somehow I feel I have played with my business more than being completely serious about it. The first time I felt like a business woman was when I paid my sales tax to the state this past summer. It wasn't that much, but somehow I felt rather satisfied afterwards. Sounds weird, doesn't it? Content to pay taxes? So anyway, I want to grow my business, make more sales, create more and have some good amount of inventory. Last year I started out with about 50 - 60 items in my   Etsy store; this year I have 150 items. I would love to reach around 300 items by the end of the year. However, I also want to have more sales - I would actually like to double my current sales number - and if I have those sales I probably won't reach the 300 number that easily. On the other hand, I don't want to be dictated by numbers only, but I also know that numbers is what counts in a business. I still need to find a good balance in my work; at the moment I tend to work many hours for my store and do so on the weekends as well. Which means I need to grow my balance ability (how does that sound?).


I also want to grow my blog. During the past year I have been very negligent of my blog, posted way less than I used to do. Of course this came mainly with the purchase of our home, the move and all the work on the house. However, I do enjoy writing, and creating beautiful blog posts gives me a great sense of accomplishment. I don't want my blog to become an ad space for my work. My work will be part of the blog, but I will not allow it to take up a lot of space. There is so much more to life than work, and I want to see this reflected in my blog as well.


And there are other things I want to grow. Relationships, friendships. Walks, being in nature. Time for reading. Listening to beautiful music. These are all things that I love to do and that were pushed on the backburner over the past year.

All photos in this post were taken along Highway 12 in Utah in December 2010

Have you chosen a word for 2013? What is your wish for this year? 
Let us know in the comments, if you like.


15 comments:

Molly said...

Beautiful photos and terrific goals! I, too, have been negligent with blog lately, but hope to change that in 2013.

Best of luck growing your business this year - I know you will be successful.

My word for the year is Peace - and I look forward to focusing on serenity this year.

Anonymous said...

This is great Carola and I'm looking forward to following along to see you pursue (and obtain!!) your goals! I have chosen the word "share"...to share my thoughts, myself, my photography with others! Beautiful captures!

Randy said...

What wonderful photos. As far as a word is concerned I chose "Focus" for my word this year. Sometimes I get started on something and I try to start another thing at the same time. Both with work and in my classes. Hopefully this will help to ground me just a little.

Elephant's Child said...

What wonderful aspirations - more than matched by your photos.
My word for the year is still escaping me. At the moment a veritable dictionary of words are pushing and shoving for top billing... kindness, balance, serentity, surrender, challenge - and some of them at least at first glance are contradictory. I am hoping (and hope is another word) that the right one will become clear to me shortly.

Micki Wilde said...

I love your post and your word for the year is a fabulous one, my word for the year is 'happy'!!
I know how you feel about Kaefer too my son will be 15 this year although not till later in the year, it is totally life changing for us all in the next few years and I'm not sure i'm ready for it *sigh*.

I wish you all the luck with your etsy shop, I seem to work a crazy amount of hours on mine but then I too get some kind of weird enjoyment about paying my taxes at the end of it all lol ;o)


X

Netty said...

Terrific photographs and goals. Wishing you all the very best. Annette x

JoZart Designs said...

Happy New Year Carola. I really hope you achieve your goals in 2013 and enjoy every minute of doing so. Your photos are wonderful and evoke such feeling, mood and atmosphere in every one.
I came across a bargain priced, multi coloured, official Olympic logo pen which I will pop into the post for Kaefer, in thanks for your more than generous package to me.
Love Jo x

Darla said...

I haven't chosen a word, don't know if I will. It sounds like you know what you want the year to bring and are ready to do what it takes to achieve your goals.

Darla

gina said...

Peaceful winter images -- it didn't look like California to me. My word for 2013 is connect, which is perfect for me in my new community.
Happy and healthy New Year to you!

Terrie said...

Great word - and it clearly can apply to all aspects of your life. Beautiful snowy pictures - I love to see images of snow, but definitely don't want to be in it! I'm looking forward to following your creative growth this year!

patty said...

I like it, Carola! It's a big word that you can get a lot of mileage out of. I feel the same way about mine (intention). I was very skeptical when I first started word of the year, but it has proved to be very powerful. I've found it helpful to document the little ways that it has impacted my life along the way and at the end of the year, it's pretty amazing to look back over! I look forward to following your growth!!

Ella said...

Yes, growing is a good word and I like to think about it like your photo of your rolling snowballs. When the rolling starts they can grew in so many different ways.
Good luck with it!

Ginnie Hart said...

Wonderful, soulful images, Carola, and thought-provoking words as you begin your new year. I don't have a word but a thought for my New Year--to make sure anything negative passes through me. I don't want any of it to stay stuck inside of me!

Maria Ontiveros said...

Stunning photos! And it sounds like a perfect word for you.
Rinda

Seraphinas Phantasie said...

So schöne Winterbilder. Bei uns ist es grau und regnet und es fehlt dieser Hauch Winter. Mein Wort für 2013 ist "neue Wege gehen", denn die alten Wege funktionieren nicht mehr.
Ich wünsche Dir viel Erfolg, Gesundheit, Geborgenheit, Harmonie und viel Freude mit den Deinen.
Viele liebe Grüße Synnöve