Compared to this point in time last year (Nov 2022), I haven’t been as engaged in the Simple Scrapper Community and/or my creative life ; as a result of my disengagement since late January 2023, all of my habits + corresponding pie chart answers are lower. 2024 will be a time to recommit and reestablish my creative prowess!
That is helpful data to have as you move forward. You might look at what your “bare minimum” is, so when you go through periods where you can’t engage as much you can still feel connected and sufficient.
This pie chart was more eye opening than I expected! I feel very strong on the projects/photos/storytelling side of the chart, but very weak on the planning/habits/organization. Totally makes sense as I have been really struggling to get to the “doing” part of scrapbooking lately, but accomplish a lot once I do finally get myself started.
These two exercises and the way they were combined together really got the juices flowing. I found myself making notes next to items/numbers in exercise 2 and after filling out my pie chart, I found myself brainstorming specific solutions where these topics are lacking. My lowest items? Planning, habits, and storytelling. I have spent most of my creative time doing surface level creating to try and get back into a habit but other things have taken priority as we plan a wedding for March (my daughter’s), her shower this weekend, and doing all the planning and travel to Europe this past September from June to august . . And now I think we are putting building our home on our other property back into the mix for 2024. I’m going to set some goals for 2024 but probably need to do some type of range . . . Complete 3 projects this year but be completely satisfied if I only get one off my plate. Living life fully is more important than the hobby and there was a point in time when I forgot that.
We’ll be diving more into “Season of Life” tomorrow to help you set satisfying-but-realistic expectations. I love that you’ve identified an overarching priority of “living life fully.” Beautiful!
I agree wholeheartedly with you about “living life fully”. I want this hobby to enhance my life and be a part of my weekly routine in a way that works for me. That involves some (nope, if I’m truthful… a lot!) letting go and getting clear. This workshop is invaluable for that reason alone! Thanks, Jennifer…and other participants for your insights!
Wow, what an amazing and eye opener task. I have really been lacking in all categories lately. I am doing ok in planning and confident in projects, however…….I need alot of work with following through. This planning experience is totally what I needed! I am looking forward to being aware and bringing out what I need to the surface. (Need to reconnect with my passion, have had a couple bad years)
Rather than “wing it” on my ratings, I first defined what each 0-4 rating meant to me. It made it easy for me to make my assessments. After completing my wheel, I then took the time to write down my thoughts on why I ranked each assessment the way I did. Doing that gave me some insight and clarity on which categories I actually want to focus on in the next steps.
It feels good to take stock. I’ve been all over the map this year (and Nov-Dec will be no different!), so hoping the time to assess my situation and being away from scrapbooking during the holidays will make me want it more in January.
One thing to consider, which isn’t part of the Planning Party, is making a victories list. Sometimes when we feel “all of the map,” which I totally 100% get, we are actually making more progress than we think.
Compared to last year, I have made great strides in organization, photos and projects. I need to firm up some habits. More consistent use of Trello or a paper hub will help that. I’m looking forward to whatever additions and changes are made in the Trello class for 2024. I also want to increase the storytelling as I work on the family albums from bygone days. That will help me form habits to include the same type of storytelling when I get to the more current projects. I’m proud of what I accomplished in 2023 and look forward to a successful 2024, however that manifests itself.
Wow. I really like this revised format, especially the ‘Your Way Wheel’. Seeing my results in this visual way helped me get a better sense of what areas are keeping me from focusing on my priorities and goals. I see where my stumbling blocks are as well as where I am overdoing at the expense of getting things done. I love Tina’s ideas of writing down my thoughts on each of my ratings. That really helped clarify my areas to work on. That might be a good addition to next years planning workbook.
Last year’s planning made a difference even though the plan didn’t get executed as consistently as I’d envisioned! According to the pie chart I made forward progress in almost all the categories that I’d flagged last year but, if you’d asked me yesterday, I would have told you my plan went out the window months ago. I must have internalized my goals more than I realized. My project details/priorities shifted considerably throughout 2023 (note to self for this next round of planning) but staying focused on building accountability with myself still got the big picture job done. Giving myself a high five and feeling all kinds of enthusiasm for crafting wins!
This was a fun exercise and like others I was somewhat surprised at the results! I have taken a break from scrapbooking, yet every time I take a moment to get back into it I am so energized. I am hopefully this next year to become more consistent with my hobby and improve my wheel in the weak areas. Which really are my strong areas in other parts of my life! Haha.
I am someone who has really only just dabbled in this hobby of scrapbooking/memory keeping. And I know that I have never really been dedicated to doing it consistently. But I want to do it consistently and make it more of a priority in my life. I know that I enjoy it, and I know that creating is important to me. So I want to make a plan. I want to build the habits. Which is why I am here and why I joined this party.
On almost all of step 2 I gave myself a 0-1 because I know that I am lacking in all of these areas, (except photo organization. My photos have a home and I can find them very easily… Yay for having one thing going. 😉 ) which is part of why I’ve never been consistent. But reading through and thinking about each of the areas listed has given me some interesting things to think about to make a plan and become better.
Before I started I reviewed the past year in my BUJO and noted my accomplishments and challenges. It helped me with rating myself more accurately. My two lowest areas are planning and habits. My best are in storytelling,-journaling, dating, capturing facts and feelings; and projects-knowing that I like to do paper scrapbooks. I have never done a digital style one. I’m a planner girl so was surprised that planning was low. I think it’s because the crafting part of my life gets less of my focus and time. Hmm, need to work on that for 2024!
I am very consistent with my photos and storytelling, but my organization is lacking and I can “feel” this lately too, (Stash Bash is important to me and my mental health, haha!) Planning, habits, and projects are consistently inconsistent as I do not regularly clean up my workspaces and I have a hard time pivoting a project or keeping open space. (That said, I frequently pivot the plans to accommodate this though!) I love how it is all so tied together though… like making a habit of cleaning up would help me stay more organized too! This exercise is such a great way to see specific areas but also an overall gauge.
Eight years I started writing more for my work. I cannot believe how much it has changed the way I journal in my albums. I ranked high on Storytelling. In the past, I would just put the basics, but now I want to share my feelings and dig deep into the story. The only other category I excel at is projects. I really need to work on the other ones.
My biggest barrier is dealing with my photos. Low low and low on those three. Photos are everywhere. I have a ton of the same basic photo everytime because I am not sure how to take the right photo. I have to constantly go through them. So that’s always daunting and time consuming. And I need to get an understanding of edition programs and how to maximize my awesome printer. #2024goals
This data you’ve gathered is so helpful. Maybe you need to focus on refining your photo processes for the first two months of the year? Consider how that might impact your scrapbooking in the other 10 months.
I have been hit or miss in my scrapbooking due to different events and being stuck in the past. Most of my responses were all over the place. I need to spend more time really thinking on what I want the story and end result to be. Then I can plan and be held accountable. This was eye opening and I am now getting excited to see where this is taking me and how it can change my life and those around me.
I also want to become more familiar with photo editing and using my new printer to only print and use the pictures I want rather than accepting several sub par photos. I am starting to use my planner for use in story telling, even if it is only a quick note or two. It really helps when going to create the pages. So many ideas and wanting to be reasonable about what I can accomplish as well.
One strategy that might really help you is putting 3 small next steps on a sticky note. Do them in order and then start again when complete. Doesn’t matter how long it takes. It matters that you keep going. This approach helps to reduce the overwhelm from all the things.
I’ve always known that journaling was one of the weaknesses in my scrapbooking – I need to tell more stories – and stories with feelings rather than just facts. Also I realized I sometimes start projects with great vigor, then don’t end up sticking with them and finishing the project. I’m good at staying organized and staying up to date with printing photos and I have a good system for storing them for projects so that is a positive. Good insight for me in planning for 2024!
One point to always consider is if you “want” to vs. “need” to. There’s no right way to scrapbook. And maybe you decide you want to in certain contexts, but not in others. Doesn’t have to be all or nothing.
That was a bit of an eye opening exercise! I realized that I have not committed to this hobby while my time got consumed with other commitments so my scraping fell by the wayside more often and I didn’t have a way to recover even with the best of intentions. Now I have more time but need a plan to get re-organized and re-energized in this hobby I really do love.
We will always have an ebb and flow of our commitments. Consider making a list of ways you can recover and reconnect with the hobby when you’ve diverted.
I have realised that, at the moment, the content of my life and my family’s life that needs to be scrapped far outweighs the time I have to spend on scrapping the memories, so I always feel behind.
How interesting! This pie chart image and questions started my brain thinking about how I can use skills for goals and life to my hobbies. I do love scrapbooking and other creative outlets but really don’t have any consistent systems or routines with it.
I have realised that, at the moment, the content of my life and my family’s life that needs to be scrapped far outweighs the time I have to spend on scrapping the memories, so I always feel behind.
Can you consider this an invitation to look at projects and approaches that take a wider view? For example, could you do a big two-page layout that is a summary of an entire year? Then, select some really important moments to have their own pages for that year.
Very eye opening! I had numbers ranging from 0 -3, but most were 1,2 or 3. I found it very interesting that within the same category I could have a number as high as a 3 and as low as zero. It was so great to see the end results visually in this colored wheel format. It is helping me jot down some thoughts of how these categories are all connected. It got me thinking about the projects I have completed and have enjoyed working on, and the times I do feel productive; what made those so enjoyable and more importantly lead to completed projects! How the slivers of the wheel that I am strong in can support the other aspects to improve my overall processes in 2024.
I need to catch the thief who is eating chunks of my pie! Lol. The exercises revealed to me that my primary focus has always been the crafting part of scrapbooking and that I have been neglecting much of the prep work with photo management and detailed journaling.
😆 Darn pie eaters! In all seriousness, if you are feeling content, then don’t feel like you have to change anything. If you want/need more, then you have some areas to explore!
After thinking on this first phase last night, what I realize is that I had never considered scrapbooking as a big project. I just looked at it as crafting and individual pages (I do always have a page list I work from.) As I do at my workplace, this has allowed me to look at it from the whole perspective, breaking down these different components that were outlined in phase one. I think this will give me much more success moving forward and keeping on task, which then produces the products I love and also allow me to reconnect with the hobby itself in a fulfilling way.
It was really interesting to compare last year’s wheel with this year’s. On philosophical type points, I am very consistent. With implementation, I have definitely decreased. It has felt like everything went topsy-turvy with the start of the school year, and I’m still not sure what my new “normal” looks like. I’m interested to get into the season step.
Maybe your rhythms need to shift during different parts of the year. For example, could your vacuuming be moved to part of a Sunday reset so you know you can shift to memory management on Monday mornings? And then when summer rolls back around, move it back to Mondays so you can keep more of the weekend for family fun.
I realized that I am doing a pretty good job on projects, planning & storytelling. However, my photos, habits & organization need help. I think this look will help me to add some components in my 2024 plan that I have been skipping and need to make a part of (and higher priority in) my overall process.
Almost ALL of my numbers were very low. I expected that, since I have not been creating much in recent years. It is very clear to me that I need to organize my photos better. By doing that, I should be able to create more easily. I think I also need to educate myself about what speakers, podcasts, videos, etc might benefit me the most. A lot of the “names” in scrapbooking from when I was doing so many projects have either moved on or have changed their styles. Of course my style has changed too. I just need to see who is out there and who I might learn the most from.
One thing I often emphasize is creating a system for organizing your photos going forward before you tackle the ones you’ve already taken. What’s the process for the NEXT photo you take?
I am surprised at how helpful this exercise was for me. It helped me realize that in the past three years I haven’t done much to grow my skills in scrapbooking. In that time I have taken only 1 class. I haven’t watched any tutorials and I haven’t kept up closely with the updates/changes to Photoshop CC – which does hamper my scrapbooking because I get frustrated when the software doesn’t work the way I remember it. I don’t want to remain stagnant in this hobby.
Also the pie chart revealed that I am pretty confident about storytelling, photos and projects but the planning, habits, and organization are lacking, which can present a challenge to getting projects done.
My insight was spot on: Thank Goodness I Have a Membership with Simple Scrapper and this supportive community! I’m so glad I didn’t give up and took the opportunity to renew my membership again. Now that I’m retired, I can design a plan that will work for me! I ranked “0” on most statements. Not much color needed from those colored pencils! I’m cautiously optimistic that I can and will move the “0” toward a “4” in at least two out of the six themed sections. My focus will begin with Organization and Habits.
I printed out a second Step 2a and Step 2b and scheduled an appointment on December 9 to Take Inventory again and see what progress I’ve made. I like how this activity in the Planning Workbook helped me identify where I can begin. I’m much less stressed after this and excited to move forward on this Planning Journey!
This was so interesting. It’s very hard to “let go” and not let prior ideas or performance “color” my answers! I’ve been meh with where I am creatively in everything not just scrapbooking. When I compare this year to last year I’m still low in almost the exact same places. So that is telling! My strategies to create protected time have not worked (or I’ve allowed them to not work?) which I think is at the root of some of this. Will be interesting to compare the rest of this planning with last years answers as well. Much to ponder!
Going thru this Workbook just now made me realize I’m not creating and/or finishing anything because my art and personal world has been “on hold” for so long due to family illness, personal illness and recovery and then eight deaths over the last year with house/family issues. I don’t have any pattern in my life except “respond” and therefore, no true goals – aside from anticipating Kingdom work for God.
I’ve also put myself into “holding” as I dig into all the neglected paperwork, bills, art supplies and downsizing decisions that need to be completed – and even then I haven’t planned anything beyond because it’s all so much.
I guess that’s why I’ve kept signing up the last couple of years… even though I haven’t been able to participate, I know I need some structure and guidance to get me moving.
I shared this with one of my girlfriends and found that she was on a five day scrapbooking retreat AND putting down photos of me and my GBabies visiting her and her GBabies a couple of years ago.
WOW! Just had an AHa! Moment that I need to continue thinking thru and pray over…
Give yourself some applause for continuing to show up and try. Sometimes it doesn’t feel like a lot, but it is. I want to encourage you to set one teeny tiny goal for between now and Christmas. Focus on that before you return to your plan.
Ummm, I am embarrassed to admit that I have three sections that were NOT colored in, 1 section with one slice colored in 1 space, and 2 sections that had 2 slices colored in with just one section. I do believe that is why I was interested in this training in the first place. What an eye-opener. I am looking forward to the training and being a part of this community.
I was not surprised to see I really need to work on Habits and Planning (0 for all questions in both catergories *gulp*). Also need some improvement in Organization and Projects. I do excel in Storytelling and Photos at least!
Compared to this point in time last year (Nov 2022), I haven’t been as engaged in the Simple Scrapper Community and/or my creative life ; as a result of my disengagement since late January 2023, all of my habits + corresponding pie chart answers are lower. 2024 will be a time to recommit and reestablish my creative prowess!
That is helpful data to have as you move forward. You might look at what your “bare minimum” is, so when you go through periods where you can’t engage as much you can still feel connected and sufficient.
This pie chart was more eye opening than I expected! I feel very strong on the projects/photos/storytelling side of the chart, but very weak on the planning/habits/organization. Totally makes sense as I have been really struggling to get to the “doing” part of scrapbooking lately, but accomplish a lot once I do finally get myself started.
Yay Megan. I love hearing that it was helpful. It sounds like you might need to build in some accountability!
These two exercises and the way they were combined together really got the juices flowing. I found myself making notes next to items/numbers in exercise 2 and after filling out my pie chart, I found myself brainstorming specific solutions where these topics are lacking. My lowest items? Planning, habits, and storytelling. I have spent most of my creative time doing surface level creating to try and get back into a habit but other things have taken priority as we plan a wedding for March (my daughter’s), her shower this weekend, and doing all the planning and travel to Europe this past September from June to august . . And now I think we are putting building our home on our other property back into the mix for 2024. I’m going to set some goals for 2024 but probably need to do some type of range . . . Complete 3 projects this year but be completely satisfied if I only get one off my plate. Living life fully is more important than the hobby and there was a point in time when I forgot that.
We’ll be diving more into “Season of Life” tomorrow to help you set satisfying-but-realistic expectations. I love that you’ve identified an overarching priority of “living life fully.” Beautiful!
I agree wholeheartedly with you about “living life fully”. I want this hobby to enhance my life and be a part of my weekly routine in a way that works for me. That involves some (nope, if I’m truthful… a lot!) letting go and getting clear. This workshop is invaluable for that reason alone! Thanks, Jennifer…and other participants for your insights!
Wow, what an amazing and eye opener task. I have really been lacking in all categories lately. I am doing ok in planning and confident in projects, however…….I need alot of work with following through. This planning experience is totally what I needed! I am looking forward to being aware and bringing out what I need to the surface. (Need to reconnect with my passion, have had a couple bad years)
Passion will help you keep moving forward without judgement about where you have (and haven’t) been. So glad you found this helpful!
Rather than “wing it” on my ratings, I first defined what each 0-4 rating meant to me. It made it easy for me to make my assessments. After completing my wheel, I then took the time to write down my thoughts on why I ranked each assessment the way I did. Doing that gave me some insight and clarity on which categories I actually want to focus on in the next steps.
Ooh, Tina! Gold stars for you.
It feels good to take stock. I’ve been all over the map this year (and Nov-Dec will be no different!), so hoping the time to assess my situation and being away from scrapbooking during the holidays will make me want it more in January.
One thing to consider, which isn’t part of the Planning Party, is making a victories list. Sometimes when we feel “all of the map,” which I totally 100% get, we are actually making more progress than we think.
Well I am not a scrap booker but this is helping me really nail down things in my journal and card making! Thank you
Yay, so thrilled you are finding it helpful. Definitely can be applied to many crafts!
I liked getting the visual of my strengths and weaknesses with the pie chart. I also appreciated the chance to brainstorm what is on my mind.
Yes, sometimes the visual really tells the story.
Compared to last year, I have made great strides in organization, photos and projects. I need to firm up some habits. More consistent use of Trello or a paper hub will help that. I’m looking forward to whatever additions and changes are made in the Trello class for 2024. I also want to increase the storytelling as I work on the family albums from bygone days. That will help me form habits to include the same type of storytelling when I get to the more current projects. I’m proud of what I accomplished in 2023 and look forward to a successful 2024, however that manifests itself.
Bravo to your victories and your positive thinking!
Wow. I really like this revised format, especially the ‘Your Way Wheel’. Seeing my results in this visual way helped me get a better sense of what areas are keeping me from focusing on my priorities and goals. I see where my stumbling blocks are as well as where I am overdoing at the expense of getting things done. I love Tina’s ideas of writing down my thoughts on each of my ratings. That really helped clarify my areas to work on. That might be a good addition to next years planning workbook.
So happy it was illuminating for you. Will definitely consider including more space next year, but for now there is a notes page at the back.
Last year’s planning made a difference even though the plan didn’t get executed as consistently as I’d envisioned! According to the pie chart I made forward progress in almost all the categories that I’d flagged last year but, if you’d asked me yesterday, I would have told you my plan went out the window months ago. I must have internalized my goals more than I realized. My project details/priorities shifted considerably throughout 2023 (note to self for this next round of planning) but staying focused on building accountability with myself still got the big picture job done. Giving myself a high five and feeling all kinds of enthusiasm for crafting wins!
Yes, you deserve it! Planning makes a difference.
This was a fun exercise and like others I was somewhat surprised at the results! I have taken a break from scrapbooking, yet every time I take a moment to get back into it I am so energized. I am hopefully this next year to become more consistent with my hobby and improve my wheel in the weak areas. Which really are my strong areas in other parts of my life! Haha.
Ooh, that’s a great observation! I can’t wait to see how you apply those skills you already have to scrapbooking.
I am someone who has really only just dabbled in this hobby of scrapbooking/memory keeping. And I know that I have never really been dedicated to doing it consistently. But I want to do it consistently and make it more of a priority in my life. I know that I enjoy it, and I know that creating is important to me. So I want to make a plan. I want to build the habits. Which is why I am here and why I joined this party.
On almost all of step 2 I gave myself a 0-1 because I know that I am lacking in all of these areas, (except photo organization. My photos have a home and I can find them very easily… Yay for having one thing going. 😉 ) which is part of why I’ve never been consistent. But reading through and thinking about each of the areas listed has given me some interesting things to think about to make a plan and become better.
Having your photos in a home and easy to find is HUGE! I would focus on how you can leverage that strength.
Before I started I reviewed the past year in my BUJO and noted my accomplishments and challenges. It helped me with rating myself more accurately. My two lowest areas are planning and habits. My best are in storytelling,-journaling, dating, capturing facts and feelings; and projects-knowing that I like to do paper scrapbooks. I have never done a digital style one. I’m a planner girl so was surprised that planning was low. I think it’s because the crafting part of my life gets less of my focus and time. Hmm, need to work on that for 2024!
Those surprising insights are exactly why we do this.
I am very consistent with my photos and storytelling, but my organization is lacking and I can “feel” this lately too, (Stash Bash is important to me and my mental health, haha!) Planning, habits, and projects are consistently inconsistent as I do not regularly clean up my workspaces and I have a hard time pivoting a project or keeping open space. (That said, I frequently pivot the plans to accommodate this though!) I love how it is all so tied together though… like making a habit of cleaning up would help me stay more organized too! This exercise is such a great way to see specific areas but also an overall gauge.
I think you’re on the right track here Amy. Sometimes it’s just one fairly small habit that can make a big difference.
Eight years I started writing more for my work. I cannot believe how much it has changed the way I journal in my albums. I ranked high on Storytelling. In the past, I would just put the basics, but now I want to share my feelings and dig deep into the story. The only other category I excel at is projects. I really need to work on the other ones.
That’s such a helpful observation and testament to how routine writing can change things in the long term.
My biggest barrier is dealing with my photos. Low low and low on those three. Photos are everywhere. I have a ton of the same basic photo everytime because I am not sure how to take the right photo. I have to constantly go through them. So that’s always daunting and time consuming. And I need to get an understanding of edition programs and how to maximize my awesome printer. #2024goals
This data you’ve gathered is so helpful. Maybe you need to focus on refining your photo processes for the first two months of the year? Consider how that might impact your scrapbooking in the other 10 months.
That should read “editing” not edition.
I have been hit or miss in my scrapbooking due to different events and being stuck in the past. Most of my responses were all over the place. I need to spend more time really thinking on what I want the story and end result to be. Then I can plan and be held accountable. This was eye opening and I am now getting excited to see where this is taking me and how it can change my life and those around me.
I also want to become more familiar with photo editing and using my new printer to only print and use the pictures I want rather than accepting several sub par photos. I am starting to use my planner for use in story telling, even if it is only a quick note or two. It really helps when going to create the pages. So many ideas and wanting to be reasonable about what I can accomplish as well.
One strategy that might really help you is putting 3 small next steps on a sticky note. Do them in order and then start again when complete. Doesn’t matter how long it takes. It matters that you keep going. This approach helps to reduce the overwhelm from all the things.
I’ve always known that journaling was one of the weaknesses in my scrapbooking – I need to tell more stories – and stories with feelings rather than just facts. Also I realized I sometimes start projects with great vigor, then don’t end up sticking with them and finishing the project. I’m good at staying organized and staying up to date with printing photos and I have a good system for storing them for projects so that is a positive. Good insight for me in planning for 2024!
One point to always consider is if you “want” to vs. “need” to. There’s no right way to scrapbook. And maybe you decide you want to in certain contexts, but not in others. Doesn’t have to be all or nothing.
That was a bit of an eye opening exercise! I realized that I have not committed to this hobby while my time got consumed with other commitments so my scraping fell by the wayside more often and I didn’t have a way to recover even with the best of intentions. Now I have more time but need a plan to get re-organized and re-energized in this hobby I really do love.
We will always have an ebb and flow of our commitments. Consider making a list of ways you can recover and reconnect with the hobby when you’ve diverted.
I have realised that, at the moment, the content of my life and my family’s life that needs to be scrapped far outweighs the time I have to spend on scrapping the memories, so I always feel behind.
How interesting! This pie chart image and questions started my brain thinking about how I can use skills for goals and life to my hobbies. I do love scrapbooking and other creative outlets but really don’t have any consistent systems or routines with it.
Yes, yes, YES! There is so much we can borrow from other areas of life.
I have realised that, at the moment, the content of my life and my family’s life that needs to be scrapped far outweighs the time I have to spend on scrapping the memories, so I always feel behind.
Can you consider this an invitation to look at projects and approaches that take a wider view? For example, could you do a big two-page layout that is a summary of an entire year? Then, select some really important moments to have their own pages for that year.
Very eye opening! I had numbers ranging from 0 -3, but most were 1,2 or 3. I found it very interesting that within the same category I could have a number as high as a 3 and as low as zero. It was so great to see the end results visually in this colored wheel format. It is helping me jot down some thoughts of how these categories are all connected. It got me thinking about the projects I have completed and have enjoyed working on, and the times I do feel productive; what made those so enjoyable and more importantly lead to completed projects! How the slivers of the wheel that I am strong in can support the other aspects to improve my overall processes in 2024.
This is incredible perspective. Thank you for sharing your thought process.
Well put! I had similar results on my chart, leading to a lot of good questions.
ooh this is so good, loved reading all of the replies and taking notes!! great comments on this first set of exercises
I need to catch the thief who is eating chunks of my pie! Lol. The exercises revealed to me that my primary focus has always been the crafting part of scrapbooking and that I have been neglecting much of the prep work with photo management and detailed journaling.
😆 Darn pie eaters! In all seriousness, if you are feeling content, then don’t feel like you have to change anything. If you want/need more, then you have some areas to explore!
After thinking on this first phase last night, what I realize is that I had never considered scrapbooking as a big project. I just looked at it as crafting and individual pages (I do always have a page list I work from.) As I do at my workplace, this has allowed me to look at it from the whole perspective, breaking down these different components that were outlined in phase one. I think this will give me much more success moving forward and keeping on task, which then produces the products I love and also allow me to reconnect with the hobby itself in a fulfilling way.
Yes!! I love when we can connect familiar processes to this hobby.
It was really interesting to compare last year’s wheel with this year’s. On philosophical type points, I am very consistent. With implementation, I have definitely decreased. It has felt like everything went topsy-turvy with the start of the school year, and I’m still not sure what my new “normal” looks like. I’m interested to get into the season step.
Maybe your rhythms need to shift during different parts of the year. For example, could your vacuuming be moved to part of a Sunday reset so you know you can shift to memory management on Monday mornings? And then when summer rolls back around, move it back to Mondays so you can keep more of the weekend for family fun.
I realized that I am doing a pretty good job on projects, planning & storytelling. However, my photos, habits & organization need help. I think this look will help me to add some components in my 2024 plan that I have been skipping and need to make a part of (and higher priority in) my overall process.
Remember that you don’t have to do everything at once. What will be the “biggest bang for the buck” step?
Almost ALL of my numbers were very low. I expected that, since I have not been creating much in recent years. It is very clear to me that I need to organize my photos better. By doing that, I should be able to create more easily. I think I also need to educate myself about what speakers, podcasts, videos, etc might benefit me the most. A lot of the “names” in scrapbooking from when I was doing so many projects have either moved on or have changed their styles. Of course my style has changed too. I just need to see who is out there and who I might learn the most from.
One thing I often emphasize is creating a system for organizing your photos going forward before you tackle the ones you’ve already taken. What’s the process for the NEXT photo you take?
I can’t wait to see what we do with the info from Steps 1 and 2.
It’s so good!
I am surprised at how helpful this exercise was for me. It helped me realize that in the past three years I haven’t done much to grow my skills in scrapbooking. In that time I have taken only 1 class. I haven’t watched any tutorials and I haven’t kept up closely with the updates/changes to Photoshop CC – which does hamper my scrapbooking because I get frustrated when the software doesn’t work the way I remember it. I don’t want to remain stagnant in this hobby.
Also the pie chart revealed that I am pretty confident about storytelling, photos and projects but the planning, habits, and organization are lacking, which can present a challenge to getting projects done.
I am thrilled that it was helpful at guiding you to some focus areas for next year.
My insight was spot on: Thank Goodness I Have a Membership with Simple Scrapper and this supportive community! I’m so glad I didn’t give up and took the opportunity to renew my membership again. Now that I’m retired, I can design a plan that will work for me! I ranked “0” on most statements. Not much color needed from those colored pencils! I’m cautiously optimistic that I can and will move the “0” toward a “4” in at least two out of the six themed sections. My focus will begin with Organization and Habits.
I printed out a second Step 2a and Step 2b and scheduled an appointment on December 9 to Take Inventory again and see what progress I’ve made. I like how this activity in the Planning Workbook helped me identify where I can begin. I’m much less stressed after this and excited to move forward on this Planning Journey!
I am absolutely thrilled that you feel less stressed after this activity.
This was so interesting. It’s very hard to “let go” and not let prior ideas or performance “color” my answers! I’ve been meh with where I am creatively in everything not just scrapbooking. When I compare this year to last year I’m still low in almost the exact same places. So that is telling! My strategies to create protected time have not worked (or I’ve allowed them to not work?) which I think is at the root of some of this. Will be interesting to compare the rest of this planning with last years answers as well. Much to ponder!
Have you tried any time blocking on a small scale? Like M/W mornings are for X and T/R mornings are for Y.
Going thru this Workbook just now made me realize I’m not creating and/or finishing anything because my art and personal world has been “on hold” for so long due to family illness, personal illness and recovery and then eight deaths over the last year with house/family issues. I don’t have any pattern in my life except “respond” and therefore, no true goals – aside from anticipating Kingdom work for God.
I’ve also put myself into “holding” as I dig into all the neglected paperwork, bills, art supplies and downsizing decisions that need to be completed – and even then I haven’t planned anything beyond because it’s all so much.
I guess that’s why I’ve kept signing up the last couple of years… even though I haven’t been able to participate, I know I need some structure and guidance to get me moving.
I shared this with one of my girlfriends and found that she was on a five day scrapbooking retreat AND putting down photos of me and my GBabies visiting her and her GBabies a couple of years ago.
WOW! Just had an AHa! Moment that I need to continue thinking thru and pray over…
Give yourself some applause for continuing to show up and try. Sometimes it doesn’t feel like a lot, but it is. I want to encourage you to set one teeny tiny goal for between now and Christmas. Focus on that before you return to your plan.
I need to figure out how to get creative with habit!
That’s exactly our specialty. So glad you’re here to take action!
Ummm, I am embarrassed to admit that I have three sections that were NOT colored in, 1 section with one slice colored in 1 space, and 2 sections that had 2 slices colored in with just one section. I do believe that is why I was interested in this training in the first place. What an eye-opener. I am looking forward to the training and being a part of this community.
I was not surprised to see I really need to work on Habits and Planning (0 for all questions in both catergories *gulp*). Also need some improvement in Organization and Projects. I do excel in Storytelling and Photos at least!