New Year, New Plans

I recently came across an article about the benefits of having an accountability journal and the power of saying things out loud. That’s why I’m putting this all in one blogpost to see if it would help me stay on track with my goals. *fingers crossed*

With kids out of school, winter break is typically my cue to “close” my shop and unwind with my family. It’s my favorite time of the year when I get to spend quality family time working on puzzles, baking cookies, and exploring local areas.

It’s also a time when I get to enjoy some slow stitching, or trying a pattern by another designer. Personally, I love to get out of my own head and just soak in the sewing process. This season, I chose Lo & Behold Stitchery’s Curve College course. I mean, going back to college + sewing curves? Umm, yes please! The Retro Blossoms quilt pattern included in the course is a fantastic skill-builder and despite my machine acting up, I’m really happy with how my block came out!

The next project was finishing my bed size Eastern Sierra quilt. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen because I threw my back out after hopping out of the car one morning. I’d love to say it was the result of living a wild life or that this was an isolated incident, but hey, this wasn’t the first time it happened. 🫠

UNINTENDED NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS

My physical therapist concluded that my back is doing more work than it should because my core muscles are still weak. Though I’ve been doing stretches and exercising all year, I confessed that I wasn’t doing them as often as prescribed.

I went to see my doctor around the same time and found out my cholesterol was running high, so he suggested I prioritize my heart health. I was feeling pretty bummed about it, but overall, I appreciate this wake-up call to make health-related goals by carving more exercise time into my daily routine, and dedicate more effort into cooking heart-healthy meals.

ON THE HORIZON-ISH

I originally planned to release the #PageTurnerQuilt in the beginning of the year, but in light of my lower back issues that prevented me from sitting or standing comfortably, I just couldn’t wrap it up on time! Rather than rushing to get it out, I decided to shift its release to a later date (TBD).

Other things on the horizon this year are: releasing two more patterns, rolling out new YouTube tutorials, adding more blogposts, and showing my work outside of the digital world. My initial goal was to get most of these done by May (to leave summer break open) but now that I intend to focus on my physical health, it’s hard to figure out when exactly things will land. In all honestly, I find that I’m okay with that — and I hope you are, too. 🙂