I’ve deliberately given myself a bit of a break this week so I can evaluate what’s next.  I wish I could say that the garden is now in shape as a result, but I can say that 35% of it is and that I’ve given in and started using insect repellent because it’s a known fact that effective entrepreneurs are not constantly itching! I’ve given myself some time in the afternoons to just sit and read a good book and that’s valuable time too.  It can be easy to get so caught up in the to-do list that you forget to have some of the life you’re working so hard to achieve.

I’m in something of a dilemma when it comes to my bread-baking business idea – it has not taken off. I haven’t done everything that I possible could, but… it’s not my passion either. It began as an interesting idea and I’ve investigated it enough by trying it to see that it either is not the right time, price, or product.  The feedback I got was positive, but not with orders. There are a couple of things I still want to try around foreclosure maintenance but it may well be one of those good ideas that isn’t profitable.  They happen; the trick is to not lose heart in my other efforts which are where my heart, ego, and soul are invested.  That’s next week’s focus – get the beach glass jewelry site up and running. People can’t buy what isn’t for sale…

It’s amazing how fast time goes by – I blink and it’s a month later.

Technorati Tags: crafting a creative life, dealing with failure, Health and Happiness, living your passion, solopreneur, starting a new business, the way to happiness

It doesn’t feel like it but the porch is getting done.  I put the primer on this morning.  If I stick with my plan it will be done by Sunday. It should improve my overall mood, feng shui, and possibly be instrumental in world peace. Okay, that last might be a bit of a stretch but if I can forget about it for a few years it will feel that good.  Nothing much else has gone on all week – I didn’t get as much gardening done as I’d hoped or fixed the dishwasher yet. However, there are no rules that it can’t happen next week.

Now that the second half of the year has commenced I feel like earlier efforts should start paying off soon.  That’s ‘should’ as in it would only be fair, not as in ‘very likely’.  I think that gap between cause and effect has to be the hardest in any new venture but giving up would be like putting down a really good book three chapters before the end. When I look over the last six months it’s amazing how much I’ve learned, gotten done, and put off. It reminds me of the old Chinese fortune curse ‘may you live in interesting times!’

I’m looking forward to a quiet 4th in the backyard with a book and a drink.  There are all kinds of independence to celebrate! Next week will be back to work on the other projects and the garden while I think about what kind of year-long project I could initiate and if I really want to. I keep seeing news stories on similar projects so some part of me is keen on the idea…

Technorati Tags: getting things done, Health and Happiness, learning new things, living your dreams, solopreneur, starting a new business, the way to happiness

Happiness as Your Business Model

Technorati Tags: happiness in life, how to find happiness, life design, starting a new business

I started marketing my new bread-baking service this week.  Part of how I came up with the idea was a way to use my bread-baking skills without having to get up at 4:30 am like professional bakers often have to do.  So what did I find myself doing this week? Getting up at 4:30 am so that I could bake and get bread and fliers delivered to two real estate offices before their 9 am weekly meeting.  The irony is not lost on me and I found myself chanting the old Dunkin’ Donuts refrain as I blindly moved around the kitchen – “Time to make the donuts”.  On the bright side it’s only for two days a week and for a couple of weeks that I’ll be doing this that intensively.

I’m getting serious about selling online as well but am finding all the options of shopping carts and privacy issues overwhelming.  So I’m considering starting with Etsy which is an affordable place to start and seems to be growing in reputation. I’m not sure how photography sales do there but jewelry seems to be popular as do crafting graphics (something else to try!) I’m working on paring down what it would be nice to do to what is absolutely essential to start.  That seems to be about 10% of what I start out thinking is a “must”…

On the writing front my self-imposed deadline of June 15 is fast approaching for finishing The Novel (working title.)  Which has only been on my list of things to get done for the last 5 years.  I haven’t made much progress so now I’m wondering if I buckle down over the weekend, can I get 40,000 words written that would be worth it?  Or do I admit defeat and at least move my personal goal post?  I’m leaning towards chaining myself to the computer but I’m not sure what I’ll end up doing – check back next week for the answer;-)

Technorati Tags: crafting a creative life, feeling overwhelmed, Health and Happiness, setting priorities, solopreneur, starting a new business, the way to happiness