The Project 2009 / The Plan 2010?

I am not one of Life's Planners.  When my boss, years ago, started talking about 5- and 10-year Plans, I kind-of went into a doze.  I had ambitions for my future life, but the furthest ahead that I would/could plan was about a year.  After that, it all went hazy and I began to feel somewhat dizzy...

Well! Today's prompt from Shimelle is about setting goals and journeys.  Funny that - I've been keeping a photo album on my Facebook profile, all about "The Project 2009", which has been the building of a new bedroom and shower room over our kitchen extension and the resulting re-organisation of just about every other room in the house! 

Since I started my blog I have included several references to The Project, some photos of the current "phase" - re-decorate our old room for J and move him into his new bedroom, also a link to my Facebook photo album  (which, by the way, I am not certain works ok, so anyone who can confirm this will earn brownie points!)

Does that mean I'm ahead on this one?  But of course this is not a race or competition... It's just a coincidence that I have a project on the go that takes most of my time.

However, that does make me think of my own goals at the moment and how they relate to - and depend in some degree on - The Project.

I had a bad fall in October 2008, which gave me a lot of problems with my back, kneck and arms/hands. My recovery has taken a year and at first I could do almost nothing for myself, had to rely on help from friends and family, slept sitting up, couldn't drive etc.. It forced me to slow down and take a bit of a look at my life - not that I was ever into "Fast Living" you understand.  I'm one of life's tortoises, rather than one of the hares. 

I had been getting more involved with scrapping and other papercrafts, having been a card-maker for years.  I was unable to do these things for several months, but when I was able to start again, I decided that I wanted to try and make crafts more central to my life, make the most of the skills I have and develop my abilities more. 
I started an online shop, on Etsy.com, which I have been gradually building up, and began to work on scrapping and bookbinding skills. I now have a number of lovely books of all types in my shop, including notebooks, journals, photo albums, mini scrap albums etc. Also I offer a service making customised layouts or mini-books for others, scrapping their memories for them, using their photos and their preferences to make something they can keep for ever.
In addition, I am working on a commission just now, to produce a diary/planner, which is almost finished. I hope the customer will be very pleased with it.
Besides my shop,  I decided that it was all very well having a secret ambition to be on the design team for one of the scrapping mags or websites, but if I really wanted to do it, then I had to start taking some Action! Action doesn't come easily to me, being a quiet sort of person with a bit of a fear of putting myself forward.  I decided to start by learning more about scrapping techniques (and about myself?) - so I signed up to Shimelle's "Learn Something New Every Day" course, which ran throughout September. I had a great time, although it wasn't really well-timed for me, as September was total chaos here. However I did learn stuff and I took the bull by the horns and submitted a layout for a magazine spec.  They liked it! They said they wanted to publish it, would pay me and would I send it in. So I did. It will be published some time in the next few months, though the date is not definite just now. Now I must do it again, and again... Even if it's scary...

So, that's what I have been doing towards my personal goals.  The next phase involves developing all that further and further.  My husband suggested that we should turn the new "spare room" into a work-space for me (he is very kind, though I think he was also motivated by the constant mess on the dining table - see earlier posts and Mess for details!!).  This is keeping me busy. Apart from wanting J to be happy with his new room, I have another reason to spur me on to getting that finished - once he is moved out of his old room, I can move in!!
Just now, I can be seen poring over the Ikea catalogue, crawling about with a tape measure, scratching my head and muttering stuff like "would a glass desk-top make the room look bigger?", or "should I go for that great big Expedit bookcase unit, or a smaller one and wall shelves above drawer units?" and other stuff that, on the face of it, doesn't make much difference to the World At Large, but could make a lot of difference to me in a few weeks' time!

Then I will go on some more Courses. This time I am going to learn more about bookbinding and printmaking. I have found two courses in January. I just have to phone up and book... Must put it on tomorrow's to-do-list. No more prevaricating in the environs of the shrubbery!

So, it looks as if I do have some goals, some of them short-term and others for the longer term.

1) To finish J's new room
2) To set up my workspace
3) To develop and promote my Shop
4) To develop my skills and learn more
5) To get more work published
6) To make and sell more and better books

Sounds like A Plan, as well as a Project!

The First Book I ever sold!