The Worst Enemy To Creativity Is Self-Doubt: My February Goals

I keep saying that I really don't like posting on the weekend, but I've been doing it a lot lately.  I guess sometimes it just works better with my schedule (especially if I haven't been able to plan ahead and schedule posts throughout the week, which is definitely my preferred method of blogging).  I don't have the kind of job that allows me time to blog, so I have to use whatever free time I have to write.  While I admittedly have quite a bit of free time right now, I've been using large chunks of it to go to the gym, cook slightly more time consuming meals, read, and spend time with Eric or friends.  And, if I'm being honest, I've also been using large chunks of my free time for less productive things, like watching Netflix and playing Trivia Crack.  This obviously doesn't leave a lot of time for blogging (or writing creatively, for that matter).  When I started considering how I was using (or, in some cases, wasting) my time, I was able to decide what I wanted to focus on for this month's "create" personal challenge.

I'm proud to say that I took this photo back in 2012 when I went to Seattle with a couple of my friends.  (And, believe it or not, this is an iPhone photo!)  I didn't even have to edit it in any way (other than to add the incredibly appropriate quote and my blog's name),  I don't often take such great pictures, so I had to brag a little!

My February 2015 Goals:

1.  Create a blogging schedule for at least the next 2 months.  I'm listing this goal first because I think it's a really important one to stick with.  (It helps that this was also one of my New Year's resolutions, so it's definitely something I want to work on!)  As is probably obvious from my frequent weekend posting (and my introduction paragraph in this post!), I haven't been planning ahead very well.  I've basically just been posting whenever I have some quiet time to myself to put something together and, unfortunately, that hasn't been happening that often lately.  I know everyone doesn't work this way, but I can't write if I'm around other people.  (The only exception is taking my laptop with me to a coffeeshop or Panera, but even then I sometimes find it difficult to concentrate.)  Since this is the case, I really need to start figuring out the best times to work on my blog, which days I want to post, and keep more detailed lists of post ideas to help me when I'm feeling uninspired.

2.  Make an effort to write creatively at least once a week.  This was also one of my New Year's resolutions, and I'm sad to say that I haven't been sticking with this at all.  It shouldn't be that difficult to find at least an hour of time each week to sit down and work on a creative writing project (even if I only manage to get a few plot points organized or work on character development), but for some reason it has been.  I'm still not sure if I want to continue working on a novel I started a couple of years ago, or if I want to start something completely new ... But I really need to start writing something.

3.  Come up with a new way to list out the week's meal plan.  While we don't always stick with a meal plan 100% each week, I always try to have some dinner ideas listed in a note on my computer in an effort to stay organized and avoid eating out multiple times because we can't come up with something to make at home.  While it's not a bad way to make a list, it's kind of boring.  I'm not great with graphics, but I'd like to make something a little more fun using PicMonkey (my go-to site for photo editing and graphics for my blog).  If it looks nice enough, I may even start sharing our weekly meal plans.

4.  Create an original recipe.  This is yet another one of my New Year's resolutions (well, I want to create at least 3 original recipes over the course of the year), and since this month's personal challenge theme is "create," it seemed like the perfect time to start chipping away at this goal.  I actually already have something in mind, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it actually turns out the way I want it to!

5.  My last goal for this month is something I can't share right now because it's a surprise for Eric and he reads my blog.  I'll just say that it definitely fits with the "create" theme, and it's a (very!) long overdue wedding anniversary gift.  (Yes, I know that's sad ... Our anniversary was November 9th and I still haven't finished his gift.  I suck.)

I consider myself to be a pretty creative person, but it was kind of hard to come up with some goals for this month.  As I mentioned in Thursday's post, I'm not a crafty, DIY kind of girl.  I think if I were, it might have been a little easier to come up with some projects for February.  I could have decided to paint a room or knit a scarf or work on a scrapbook (though scrapbooking is actually something I would like to eventually get into, especially after Eric and I start a family) ... But, since most of my creativity is related to writing and cooking, I decided my best bet was to just incorporate those passions/talents into my goals.

Hopefully I'll be able to make better use of my free time and accomplish all of these goals this month!