Bite your tongue

I discovered today that I worry about more projects than one of my client even remembers he gave me which as far as I can tell I means one of two things. One is that I am an awesome organized freelancer and in charge of the projects at hand to the point that my client doesn't need to think about them after he passes them to me. Bang! The second reason is that I worry about everything to the point of physical exhaustion and that makes me a crazed stressbag. Boo! Only Lola knows the truth and she's not talking.

Brain Food

Brain Food, originally uploaded by heatherink.

I'm working on writing a press release or five and I really need something to get my head going this morning. Enter blackberry and banana yogurt smoothie.

I've got an idea

I think today, December 1, 2009, is going to be the day of new beginnings. I'm not going to be average and make my resolutions on the first of the New Year. I am going to make them today.

I've really been in a funk recently. I had been struggling to get my freelance graphic design business off the ground for about a year and a half when suddenly it hit. What is it? Work. Work hit. I went from casual housewife and part-time designer to full-time designer and terrible housewife. Don't get me wrong here, this is exactly what I wanted. I absolutely want to be a full-time worker with money in my bank account, but the change threw me for a loop.

I wrestled with the idea of not working quite so much so I could have more downtime and time to take care of things around the house. But I kept getting pulled back to work. I really like to work because I really love what I do. And I want to do more of it. So I reorganized my life and thinking process. Each week I will make a comprehensive to-do list that includes everything I would like to get done that week. That means work tasks and home tasks go on the list. This week's list includes things like: magazine advertisement, save the date card, laundry, web edits, bake a chocolate cake. They all need to get done, so they're going on the list.

Of course making a list is only part of the equation. I have to actually do what's on the list. But I have a problem. When I see a giant list I freak out. I avoid it, I cry, I procrastinate! I cried my way through college with lists like this and I'm still at it. Giant lists seem insurmountable, don't they? Why is that? Because crossing things off the to-do list is so satisfying. So why do I let the projects haunt me? This is the age old question.

Getting to my goal
The list is there for a reason. The reason is that without the list no projects would get sent to clients, no kitchen would be cleaned, and no money would be in my bank account. I have to complete the tasks on my list. How?

Start with one thing.

I think my husband has told me that a hundred times. Each week. And it works every time. It's so strange that I have to hear it over and over again, but I do. It's a design flaw. INSIDE MY BRAIN. But Thomas is patient with me and encouraging. That means the work gets done.

I always choose the most fun thing to do first because then not only can I cross something off my list but I feel happy. It's great to feel happy. Especially after I all the stressing I did about that darn list! Phew!

On to the next task, laundry. Ugh. But today I remembered a trick my sister Jen taught me. When she doesn't want to do a chore she sets a timer for twenty minutes and just buckles down until the timer rings. If by the end of the timer she wants to stop, she does. But if she's on a roll and the chore isn't that bad she sets the timer again. I call it the "Jenny Twenny." Before too long, a couple of "twenny" minute segments add up to boring tasks getting crossed of that big ol' to-do list. And before I know it my list has whittled down to nearly nothing and I'm cracking open a beer on Friday afternoon.

But I have a new goal. I want to build a website, and not just a little website. My idea is gigantic. "Oh," I can hear you saying right now, "what's the big deal, Heather? You're a designer. You can build a website." Well, thank you for your encouragement, but I am a Print Designer. I play with paper, I make banners, I do press checks. You know, stuff you can touch, stuff that doesn't move and you can't click. I didn't take any web design classes in college, I know a smattering of HTML and I struggle my way through some CSS. But I've got this idea that is bouncing around like a super ball and it has to get out because it's getting really annoying with all those boing, boing, boings up there.

The list is my December 1st resolution that will, I hope, get me to my goal. I have to stay on task.

Henry & Lola: The Painting

I decide to get a piece of commissioned artwork, and what do I choose as my subject? Of course, the cutest doggie duo in the world. Susie Ghahremani launched a fun program called DRAWsome where you can order a custom illustration and it comes right to your home and you can love it forever. This is Susie's interpretation of Henry and Lola waiting for me to finish working so we can go outside and play. I love it because she got it just right, they are always watching me like this. I matted it and framed it this afternoon and hung it up already!

Mystery solved

I woke up this morning wishing I could have a giant chocolate chip cookie with my cup of tea. There were no cookies of any kind, lemon, sugar or chocolate, none. So I decided I'd make waffles for breakfast this fine Tuesday morning. But waffles for me aren't a box of Eggos quickly grabbed from the freezer. Waffles are flour, butter, baking soda, eggs and more. While I'm up to my eyeballs in mixing bowls and milk, I call my sister for a quick chat. I recount my morning to which she just replies, "No wonder your kitchen is always a mess!"