2014 A year of Determination NOT Procrastination

I am one of those people who procrastinate. I spend so much time thinking about which option I should take that I waste hours, days, no actually weeks. This is particularly evident in my soapmaking. I am so cautious about spending money on  supplies (after all money doesn't grow on trees) that I literally take two weeks to finalise an order. I would say to my husband "now are you sure I should get that?" and his reply would be "I thought you'd just ordered that a week ago".

 Or I would waste half a day trying to decide which fragrance to use, which soap to restock, which recipe? I am so worried about wasting supplies on a wrong decision that I end up not making an progress whatsoever!

I have so many ideas and want to do so much, but it is really difficult to prioritise them. With my soapmaking I want to start to make more essential oil soaps, goatsmilk, castille. I want to make body creams, lip balm. The list continues.

In my everyday life I want to find the time to exercise (without having my 1 year old stand there and cry the whole time). I want to be fit by the time I'm 30 (less than a year to go now). I want to be more fun for my children, cook better meals. Not snap at my husband and make our time together enjoyable.

I am truly lucky I have an amazing family who supports me. My husband helps me with the markets and is a sounding board for my ideas. My Mum helps me with my girls when I need to do my soaps and has even volunteered her time packaging hundreds of soaps for me. My two girls Lilly and Zoe know all about soaps even though they are 3 and 1 year old. They are the ones who give me the determination to keep going with my lil business as I love being home with them everyday.

I recently bought an ebook from Bramble Berry (soapmaking supplies) called Soap Queen Business Handbook. Over 100 pages of tips for those wanting to make a proper go at soapmaking (or any business really), and tips to have a work/life balance. I purchased the ebook as it was inexpensive, but I did have thoughts that it wouldn't be of much use to me. I was wrong. 

There is a section in the book that talks about goal setting. Anne-Marie (Soap Queen and founder of Bramble Berry) shares with us on how she creates goals. Towards the end of the year she creates her goals for the entire following year. Then  as the year begins and time passes she breaks those goals down into months, weeks and reassesses as she goes. 

I was given the determination to make goals for this year. Business goals, personal goals. I even sat down and made a schedule of everything I need to make, when to make it, when to package, cut off dates for making soap for markets. I now have my weeks planned until June this year. I am hoping that this new approach will help minimise my indecision. 

So for me 2014 is going to be a year of determination and persistence, both in my family life and soapmaking.