January wrapped up

January in the life of this micropreneur has gone by quickly and swiftly. There's been much on the go and a lot of things have been learned and accomplished. I'll gift wrap my January in 5 parcels for you.

1. Living with Ease - course by Sandra Pawula
Sandra's e-course was something I wanted to devote my January - the beginning of a new year - to. I woke up each morning a little earlier than the rest of the family to read the daily lesson and to do my homework. In three weeks I got to know so much more about stress and how it manifests itself in my life, how to deal with it and how to prevent it from invading my life sneakily without my permission. The course gave me straightforward tools to work with, and made me feel much more prepared for what this year has in stock for me. Sandra is doing another round of the course later in the spring, so if this is something that speaks to you, be sure to subscribe to the announcements Sandra has on the course page for when the next round will be up.

2. Creating C A L M
I didn't make any new year's resolutions. I did, however, choose one word to guide me through the year. My aim for the year is to create a little bit of calm each day of the year. It's a broad enough subject to cover most anything, so it feels easy to accomplish daily, but it's focused enough to give a sense of calm as a result of whatever it is I've chosen to do on a particular day. Creating calm has meant I've finished quite a few of unfinished businesses, done a fair bit of laundry and cleaning, taken a good few naps, recycled and renewed things that are no longer serving me as they are without causing stress. Taken a firm hold of things that are left winding by and finding out enough about them to let them have a life of their own again. This word seems really helpful, to me.

3. Financial plan
For the first time since beginning the running of the little dance wear shop I made a financial plan in the early days of January. It was a plan to see approximately how much money the shop would need  to make, so I could raise my own salary to meet at least some of the needs I have at the moment, and so it wouldn't mean less money to pay the bills for the shop. I counted the over all gross total I needed to make in a whole year, divided that into months, and divided the months into working days. It isn't a goal to sell your mother for, and there's breathing space there to meet the end-of-the-year goal - so it's a loose plan, which I think is good for being the first ever plan. But for the whole of January I kept a chart going to know where I was with the plan, and come to the end of January I had actually exceeded the goal, which was a complete surprise for me.

4. Work of elves
Every year around Christmastime I feel quite sad that I didn't think of Christmas before the end of November. I would have wanted to make the gifts for my lovelies by hand, and at the end of November I realize it's far too late to make something for most. So this year I thought I'd begin early. I'm in no hurry, and I don't want to create anything in a rush or because I have to. But I'm making a pair of woolly socks at the moment, on my spare time, when the rest of the family's watching TV and I can't be asked. They'll most definitely be ready by December :)
If you happen to still be stressed about The Christmas Past and the gift giving (or are already dreading Valentine's Day), there's a book fresh off the shelves of Amazon that's just been released about the gift giving frenzy and how to escape and avoid it. It's by Robert Wall, who is a fellow micropreneur-blogger, and the book can be found (and purchased for a ridiculously cheap price for the comfort it presents) HERE. I loved the book and Robert's humour. Well worth the investment :)

5. Blog friends
January has also been the beginning month for a wee group of bloggers to get together and support each other's work. It's been a great month of getting to know new blogs and personalities behind the writings. I notice my own writing has had less time to manifest itself in the past month, but I've had so much fun reading other people's blogs and getting inspired by them!

How has your January evolved?
What does your wrap-up look like with big bows and sparkly papers (I know things aren't always sparkly and fun, but if you were to present your most gifted, most glittery, bona-fide awesomeness in a parcel or a few, that would they be like)?

Finish.

The more I peek into my life and try to amend things so that life would be more manageable, the more I come across one particular thing - unfinished business.

I am great at beginnings, I do love a good beginning and the thrill of it. But halfway through the project the thrill wanes, always, and it's a miracle I can get anything finished. And when I do, it's usually a very stressful experience, for I'm usually late, the deadline is either long gone or it should be finished NOW and I need to hurry it through. The relief after finishing something that's been on my mind for far too long is obviously huge, and that's probably one reason why I keep finding myself in the same situation again and again. Finishing something in time is hardly a cause for celebration, but the relief of stress after finishing something far later than expected is huge, and requires definite celebration.

When I have edited my possessions at home and at work, I find I'm more at peace when I get to a point when there's a space with no more unfinished business for now. That however hard I look, I find only things that are thought over, needed and done. And that look is so serene. Where there's no unfinished business, there's no stress, for me.

In our living room at home, I have a shelf for my knittings. I'm usually actively working on one project at the time, but there can be several that are sort of half-done.

And although I've gone through that shelf and there's hardly anything extra there anymore, this basket made of an old vinyl record caught my eye last night. They were calling to me, those knittings. Although there's no more than two items there that need attention, that's definitely two that keep calling my name until all the Christmas presents are finished and I can concentrate on my own stuff again.

There's a pair of gloves. One of them is already finished, and the other one would take no more than a day or two of active work to get done. I started them in the late summer / early autumn, and have forgotten all about them until now. They'd go well with a triangular scarf that I made for winter some half a year ago, but I can't bring myself around to finishing them. 

And a pair of lace socks. The yarn is so pretty, and the model easier than I thought. And yet something holds me back from getting around to finishing the sock no. 2 (I know, it's the Second Sock Syndrome, SSS, and I'm not the only one suffering form it, but it's worth pondering through).

My challenge for the living room will begin with these two right after Christmas. The gloves and the socks. To make the stressful stuff disappear from the knitting basket, and to see some unfinished business get finished. It's a small step for this house and for my life, but if it reduces stress even the tiniest bit, it might just be worth it.

How will it be for you? 

Where are the little things in your life, at your home, at work, at hobbies, that cause you to be stressed, that you might not even be aware of? Is there a way or two to diminish the anxiety they cause? 

My January will begin with learning more about stress, how it manifests itself in my life and how to live with it so it doesn't cause damage. Sandra Pawula from Always Well Within is holding a three week course on Living With Ease and I'm taking part. I'm so excited :)

Anjusha