Goals.

And here comes the new year full of hope. Yet we step into it with trepidation, don't we?

We make all kinds of promises to ourselves - we will remake ourselves, we will change habits, we will do things differently, we will lose weight, we will eat healthier...

Nah.

. I don't believe a vague resolution works. I think resolutions fall on the wayside as we trek along to some new, easier to follow interest.

So how do we make that change we so badly want?

Think of it this way.

We have a house to clean. It's a massive task. We tackle it one task at a time, one day at a time.

How will this way of thinking work?

I plan to set goals...realistic goals. And, one by one, I will list the tasks I need to do to achieve those goals. For example:

GOAL:

Publish book 2.

Tasks:

Finish book cover.

Format manuscript.

Double check for errors.

Upload manuscript.

GOAL:

Market manuscript.

Tasks:

Write letters to Mr. / Mrs. / Media

Read excerpts from book on x, y, z platforms

Etc.

I plan to rate myself, each week, 1 to 5, to assess how I've done with each task.

Doing this has worked for me, and it anchors me to the goal. It's fun to see how I've progressed.

(Apparently, career coaches earn enough teaching people these skills. Would you consider being a coach?)

Wishing you all the best for 2025!

A time for giving.

It’s that time of the year when millions of people around the world will be shopping, looking for gifts for bosses, coworkers, friends and family. (I pray no one goes into debt.)

Apart from Christmas and birthdays, what are the other times that are perfect for giving presents?

For the past few months, I’ve been the recipient of gifts…one big gift, a sewing machine, and many small gifts, including help from siblings.

You see, for the past year or so, I hit a bad spot and was feeling at a loss. Even my effervescent Pollyanna-self felt as if she needed a boost.

Suddenly, as though they had colluded to help lift my spirits, a friend, my family, began sending these gifts. My brothers helped in other ways.

This has made me think…if people in my life are saying to me, you deserve, you’re special, then it’s my turn to show them that I am going to do my best to succeed. I would be a gift to me, to them, making them, myself, worthy of all they’ve done for me.

Next week, I will share with you photos of some of the gifts I have received, and I will share ideas for gifts that cost practically only a few dollars (or whatever your currency is).

In the meantime, read more here: 

Nothing like love…

Also, check the Money Tab where I will share ideas you can use to start a gift-giving business.

Love letters etc.

Today, in between doing the laundry, I’ve been thinking about these charming stickers at lisi-tana.

They’re on my mind for a couple of reasons. First of all, they’re cute! Another reason? They’re plastic-free - they’re not coated with plastic. Oh, there’s a third reason…I’ve seen people online saying they have so many stickers and they don’t know what to do with them.

Man!! How can anyone not know what to do with stickers? There are so many ideas running around my head. Let me share a few with you.

You can make the coolest invitations with them. You can create the sweetest notes. Paste them on coloured cardboard, write your notes, recipes, letters, invitations, and decorate them with stickers!

Take cardboard boxes, cut them into small shapes, paste white paper on one side, write your thing. On the other side, decorate with sketches and stickers!

How about empty plastic bottles? Cover the labels with coloured paper or fabric, and on the rest of the bottle, paste your stickers. In the bottles, put your rolled up notes and send them off to friends and family, customers.

That’s right. Customers. If you run a small business, you can use stickers in so many ways. The possibilities are ENDLESS! 

Got to go, more laundry awaits. Before I go, let me share this charming tale about suitors and letters:

MATCHMAKING. (Don’t forget, matchmaking itself is a biiiiig business…you can use cards & stickers for this too, right?)