#75 - Threaded Intentions: A 3 Step Plan to Launch Your Year with Focus

 SUMMARY
In this episode, I'll be taking you through my three-step process to reflect on the past year and set intentions for the upcoming one. We'll delve into both personal and business aspects, emphasizing the importance of a holistic approach.

I'll be sharing insights into my use of the Year Compass, a practical tool guiding a deep dive into significant events and creating a compass for the new year. We'll then explore my daily practice as a bullet journalist, unraveling the mindfulness practice cleverly disguised as a productivity system, emphasizing the power of reflection and intention-setting.

As a bonus, I'm excited to announce my certification as a bullet journalist and share details about upcoming workshops.

To wrap things up, we'll discuss potential ways to support the podcast's growth and evolution. I've always been an early adopter and early let-go-er, which means I like to try things. I've tried Patreon but felt like I had to run another community while I already run the Ja, Wol Community.

Now that podcast subscriptions are new on the scene, I'm trying these two
1. Apple Podcast subscription - super easy with two clicks and anonymous for those that use the apple app. Monthly or yearly. One amount. 4,-
2. Buzzsprout (my podcast platform) subscription - one click, fill out your bank details. Monthly. Choose your amount from 3,- and up. Leave your name and get a shoutout (if you want).

FULL SHOW-NOTES WITH TAKEAWAYS

If you want to build or grow your business in textile crafts, why don't you join our online community for a small, monthly contribution of only 10 euros, which is $10 ish. You get to hang out, learn from and share your business. And your craft journey with all the lovely people there, support the podcast at the same time and you get everything wrapped into one loving package. I would love to welcome you there.

Go to Patternshift.fm and click

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

How can you launch your new year in the most inspiring, focused and productive way? I know we're halfway into January, but everybody knows that the year only starts in February. I don't want to say that month a couple of times because it's so hard to pronounce. How do you guys do it? February, you know the second month of the year, that's when it really starts. Everybody knows January is to kind of rest from December, and in December we don't do all that much either. So it's February, and that is why I'm talking about this now, also because I was on a break.

Speaker 1: 0:44

This is Patent Shift and my name is Saskia de Faizer. Are you running a textile craft business or dreaming of starting one? Whether you are trying to make a living or something extra on the side, turning from crafter to business owner can be a steep learning curve. It doesn't have to be, though. With 16 years of experience in running small businesses and textile crafts and a drive to build a solid alternative for fast fashion, my mission is to provide you with no BS, actionable exercises and strategies in the language that makes sense to you that you can implement right away, so you can organize, build and grow your business. Don't burn out before you thrive, build a solid base with the help of Patent Shift podcast and the Yavor community and its programs. Right here we go Well. So it is Monday, 15th of January when I record this. If everything goes well, in a few days time we'll have this episode out live and that will leave you with enough time to get some work done around, thinking about your last year and kind of start planning the new year.

Speaker 1: 2:00

So I'm going to talk to you about how I review the past year and how I start a new chapter, the chapter 2024. And I do this in three steps. So my friend, jillian Cochie, actually also always says she starts the year in February, as she is working on loads of self assessment text returns for her clients. I did an interview with her about how to be brave and fearless about your finances in episode 54. If you want to listen to it after this one. So no stress, we've got time, we can do it. We have loads of time to reflect on 2023 and then make our plans for 2024. Okay, now let's get to work, because we're talking about some things that you can start implementing right after this episode. We are talking about how we are going to get into the next chapter, 2024. Oh my gosh can't believe it. Cars aren't even flying yet, but it's 2024. Actually they are, but that's a lot of story.

Speaker 1: 3:15

So what I have been doing in the last couple of weeks, I have a three step process for thinking about my year, reviewing it, kind of making my new intentions for the next year, and what I start with is to get a holistic review of the previous year. Is I kind of do that? I am in kind of a modus of reviewing. I feel like I reflect on my life from both a business and a personal perspective. I take the time to do that, but it's also not necessarily just sitting at a desk and thinking. It's just my state of mind at the end of the previous year and the beginning of the next year. I used to never really have that kind of a yearly cycle thing. I was always the one that said, oh, I don't need a new year to get to set intentions. I'll do that whenever the hell I want, and that's still true. But when you run a business the year, the quarters, it's just kind of a natural flow and it also matches the weather and for that reason I think I kind of do it twice a year, I think in spring is also a moment when I think about things like my wardrobe, what needs shifting, what needs changing, and that goes into thinking about who am I as a person, who I want to be as a person, what does my life look like and what kind of garments fit with that. So sometimes it's super practical but at the same time it's connected to my work, my life, my being. So it's really a holistic kind of way of looking at things and what I use. So that's the first step just being in this kind of mindset of reflection and a little bit going inward, a little bit more, those that kind of vibe. So the second step so it's first of all it's a mindset thing, and then the second step is I use the year compass for reflection year.

Speaker 1: 5:42

Compasscom is a group of people that have made this amazing booklet that has prompts and empty spaces for the previous year and the year that's to come, and it's so helpful. I've done it three times. I have shared it with groups of friends, I've done it together with friends when we were at a weekend together and it is kind of how would I call it? I don't know, it's almost. It's very practical, but it's also kind of magical. So it starts with asking you what are the most important events that you have had through the year? So it's very practical.

Speaker 1: 6:34

You just go into your calendar, you look through your calendar and then you write down all the things that have happened that were significant in one way or another. What I then do is obviously, I go to my bullet journal and do it again and I go into my photo gallery to do it again, because not everything that I do is in my calendar but it's most definitely in my picture gallery. So then I have this whole list and this year I kind of I was really into it for some reason. We were on a holiday. I decided I needed a break from peopling, so I was in the room by myself and I just decided to organize my photos as well and make lists of the books that I've read this year. And I mean you don't and the makes that I, the things that I've made. I organized my photos into into folders and I just I just went wild for some reason. I was really into it. It felt like this big puzzle that needed organizing for some reason and you don't need to go that deep, but like just making a list of the things you've done is enough, and then the year compass, the booklet which you can print, which should be easy, but not all that easy for me. It should be really so that it turns into a booklet. But I yeah, I messed that up a couple of times, but this year I did it right the second time.

Speaker 1: 8:17

The prompts are really good. It just covers all aspects of your life and it takes a few hours. It's not like you get that done within 30 minutes. I mean, you really have to do some work, but at the end all the work is compressed into a word for the year and a secret wish, basically a compass to be guided by. So I couldn't obviously choose one word. Have an issue with that. That is why my word turns out that it always needs to be choose, because I have an issue with choosing. Choosing is a problem for me. So I chose the words choose, health, which are two words, but I have choose incorporated in it.

Speaker 1: 9:09

I feel good about it and I think the beginning of everything is good health. If you are not healthy, you don't feel great, you can't be taken care of other people, you are not enjoying what you do in your life. So all the things you can do yourself to have good health, good sleep, drink water, healthy food, build muscle, gut health, all that kind of thing, meditation, name it that is for me at the beginning of everything, it's the beginning of the day for me. That's how my cycle just goes. So that is just a little bit of inside what I ended up with for this year's year compass. So that's my step two. Again, step one mindset get into that kind of modus. Step two I use the year compass and set aside a few hours to do some reflecting, looking back, looking forward and ending up with kind of a compass. And then step three, which is basically the most important it is my daily practice as a bullet journalist. It is the most important thing. I do it daily, not all days, but most days. I could not live without my bullet journal. It has been my trusted companion since 2017. I had some breaks. We were on a break for a while and then I came back to it because writer Carol has designed the best companion, basically, to your daily life.

Speaker 1: 11:04

What bullet journaling is in one sentence is not what you might think. If you go on Pinterest or Instagram, you will see beautiful, creative, artsy journals. That's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about the actual bullet journal methods, where it is basically a mindfulness practice disguised as a productivity system. Now, that's completely me. That's what I need.

Speaker 1: 11:38

I love to be mindful in the moment. I need to be mindful in the moment. I need to reflect on what happens to my inner thoughts, what I do as a mom, as a partner, as a friend, as a business owner, and I also need to have my productivity kind of inner system, because if I don't, it's so messy. It's so messy you won't believe it. I need a system, and bullet journaling is something that you can. It gives you the skeleton of something that is so great, it works so well. You reflect on a daily, a weekly, monthly and a yearly basis, and in between, also when you start a new journal, then you also do your reflections, and so the system helps you not to miss anything, not to forget anything. It was designed by somebody that has ADHD so kind of fingers and what I love about it most is it has the power to show you what you need to be doing next and what you might not need to be doing next. So, by answering some questions. Every time you do the reflection, you figure out that some things are not necessary or maybe not today, and that is so great. And I have to say, especially in my business, because there's a lot of moving parts and when you are also a mom or a caregiver, a partner, if you have some hobbies, if you have a family and friends, most of us do have all these plates that we kind of try to keep up in the air. Yeah, this has just.

Speaker 1: 13:42

This has been amazing, and it's not been easy. From the beginning, I really had to learn how to bullet journal, which brings me to a fun new News fact. I have become a certified bullet journalist, certified by the bullet journal brand, ryder Carroll and his team, and I am also training, in training to become a certified bullet journal trainer. So with this amazing method, I have trained myself to work on what is vital for my business and what matters to me personally. And setting intentions for the next year is not a chore. I mean, it comes natural to me because I have this practice where I know what's going on in my life and what needs to happen next, so I don't really need to do that deep of a dive when I do the year compass, because it is already a habit for me to think like that and to focus on certain things. So, with my intentions in place because that's part of bullet journaling as well you set intentions. So now, with my intentions in place, I am ready to start the next chapter, 2024. Let's go.

Speaker 1: 15:08

And as a bonus, I am now teaching bullet journaling for creative business owners as a workshop online, so anyone around the world. You can all join. You can find the information on pedenshiftfm and find workshops, and it's going to be amazing. I've been working with the bullet journal team throughout the summer, with a small group of other people, and we are now all certified bullet journalists and I'm working towards getting the full certification to become a certified bullet journalist trainer. I'm almost there, but I can already teach and I love to do that.

Speaker 1: 15:53

So if you want to learn how to do bullet journaling for your creative business, I teach the method from the perspective of somebody within Textile Craft Business. That means that I use the examples from my life, which gives more insight for you, as you are somebody that is in that field as well. But if you know somebody that does something else for a living, it is fine. It is for everybody. As I said, I would be such a different person without this method in my life and especially in my work, and I wish for everybody who is organizing things, running a business, running a family doing things I wish it for everyone to at least give it a go and see if that is just as magical for you as it is for me. So hopefully these three steps have given you some insights. You can do all of that work still this month You're fine and streamline your year. Find some focus and with that finding focus, that means that you let all the other shit where it is and focus on what is important to you. So it's important to do this kind of work so you know what is important to you and not just go like a headless chicken into the next year.

Speaker 1: 17:28

What I'm basically saying with this whole episode is slow down first, kind of think about things, know what you need, what you want, where you want to go, who you are I mean that's a big one and then go forth with the plan and celebrate your wins and I know you'll have many. This might be your year, the year that you start your small business into textile crafts, or the year that you clean up your business in the textile craft, the year that you get shit done, all those breathing ideas in the back of your head that don't get space because your life is cluttered, your workroom is cluttered and everything is everywhere. But this year, this year will be different and I'm going to be here to help. In March we start the Yvel Business Circle program again. It's three months of doing work together and we're not going to learn about it, we're going to do it. So at the end of the three months you have done that work and that is what it is all about. I teach you about building your business from your core, from who you are and what you need Kind of this kind of work, but in a little bit more specific to your business. And then, with that knowledge, you can build your business in such a way that it is set up so that you won't burn out and that you will love what you do and that you have a really knowing of what is actually possible for you. And it's been a gift for me and I've enjoyed teaching this stuff to other business owners so much, and I hope to see you in the next cohort in March.

Speaker 1: 19:24

So find all the information on patentshiftfm, mail me, text me. Even find me on Instagram these days, which is weird. I know that is underscore javel, underscore patentshift, or just look for my name soskyadafighter, and I'm there because I'm kind of doing a test case. It's a whole thing. We'll talk about that. I have talked about that in the previous episode. So it's weird, though, because if you're going to follow me on Instagram, that is the other way around. I'm there because I need people to come to the podcast, but it's fine. It's fine. Some people just really feel comfortable talking in DMs. You can do that there. I will be there once a week or something, because that is part of what I'm testing, and I wish you have the most amazing 2024,.

Speaker 1: 20:18

But before you go, I want to talk to you about something, something that I've been playing with in my head, and I want to go a little bit into detail. I think it's kind of an interesting topic. It is. I'm going to handle this the way I always handle things full action ahead, and let me know what you think, let me know what you want when you're done listening. So podcasts make money or get money to cover the cost in all kinds of different ways. I want to talk to you about some of those different ways, how I think about it and what I will be trying in the upcoming months. I hope you think this is interesting from all kinds of perspectives and I'm just going to talk about it and we'll explain my thought process and let me know what you like. I hope you will do that what you love, what your thoughts are, because I'm doing this for you, the listener, and I love to hear what you think would be helpful for you, or fun, or engaging, or what you would want to engage with and what you would not want to engage with. So please contact me and let me know afterwards. I'm just going to give you my thoughts. They're not fully finished yet. I'm in the process and I need your feedback. So let me know, please. Thank you.

Speaker 1: 22:21

So I just listened to a podcast that had no less than six ads in an hour long episode two at the beginning, two in the middle, two in the end. Others use affiliate links. Some podcasts cover the cost with the use of Patreon supporters. So far, my podcast has been one big ad for my community and my programs and that is why I have the podcast that I try to hopefully find people that like what I have to offer and that can learn from the experience that I have, and so I haven't been making money out of the podcast, even though it's been going really well. I've been going strong, for this is the fourth season. I talk in season but I basically take a break over summer and Christmas and then I keep putting out episodes every other week. So that's kind of how I look at the podcast.

Speaker 1: 23:27

But I've also been thinking that it would be nice to have a little bit of budget to grow the podcast and to do better things and to be able to kind of outsource a little bit more so that I have time to do the other stuff as well. Because I work a part-time week. That's what it's most healthy for me and my family, the people around me. Really, if I work too hard, ask the people around me. It's better. So that is, if I cannot put the hours that I have to put in the podcast when I want to grow it, when I want to make it better, I have to ask for help. So I've been working with an editor, which is amazing and it helps so much, and just last year I did a trial with an assistant and now I have a podcast assistant. So Neil is my editor, teresa is my assistant. It feels really snazzy, but that is just kind of how the podcast is growing and evolving. So I've been looking into a few things I could do.

Speaker 1: 24:48

As you might know, I've tried Patreon, but it's just not my thing. It's just another space where people need to go to. I feel like that's too much to ask. It also feels like I have another community, why I already have a community. So I need to be in two places. And so I ask people hey, you want to just join the community as a support thing? But then some of them were not really community kind of minded people and they just wanted to support in the background. I never felt like a Kofi kind of thing matches my life, work, setup. I feel like that wasn't my thing either.

Speaker 1: 25:36

And now what's been happening in podcast world is subscriptions. So people can subscribe to a podcast and you're like why would they do that? It's free. Well, you can get a podcast without adverts, advertisements Whereas if you're not on the subscription you will get the advertisements. That is a reason why you want to do that. Or you can get bonus episodes.

Speaker 1: 26:07

There's two roads that I can go into. I could either make bonus episodes and if you're listening on Apple podcasts, then all you need to do is just go to my podcast area and then there's a button and then you double click on the side of your phone and then you pay a really tiny, tiny, like cup of coffee tiny amount of money and you'll get bonus episodes or something. And that is just so easy. It's just two clicks and no effort whatsoever. But Apple kind of asks for a big percentage of the whole thing. So that will only work if there's enough people that want to do it, because otherwise it'll just cost more money. But if you don't take a risk like that is the thing right With owning a business.

Speaker 1: 27:02

And then the other thing is the hosting platform that I host my podcast on. That is bussproutcom and not affiliate links, not any of them, not. Yet they also do subscription and what you can do then is a little bit more clicking. So you go to the show notes, then I'll have a link there and then you choose the amount of money that you want to support the show with, and that's even less. That's just like a glass of water type of money and then you can decide how much you want to do. So you can also buy me champagne Just I don't like champagne, but just saying the amount of money that you decide, and so that's also an option.

Speaker 1: 27:48

And now I don't really I've been stuck and I need to get this episode out and I can't decide. So what I'll probably do is I'll probably try both and if you want to support and I hope you do that really just really helps with me making this podcast, and actually it's not just about money, it also just shows me that you appreciate it and that you come back and listen to it every time. So I hope this tangent doesn't like turn you off. So that's what I'm gonna do. Probably I'm gonna put out a bonus episode on the Apple subscription, which you can find when you're in Apple podcast and just click the button. It's gonna be so clear, they make it so easy. I mean it's, they make it really easy.

Speaker 1: 28:43

And then I have in the show notes of the episode, whether that is on peddanshiftfm or in the platform where you're listening, the little bit of text that I always add. Well, my assistant does that. Now there's gonna be a link and then you can do that too. So that's less money, but a little bit more action. It would be nice. It would be nice if you, if you, supported the show, like even with his name, stephen Stephen, something. Diary of a CEO, it's like. That's like TV quality stuff, that's huge. He also has a subscription, so I was thinking if he asked people to subscribe, why can't I? Hi, I mean right. So until next time, and remember, every stitch counts as we work together and create a pattern shift for you, your business, the crafters and the fashion industry. Bye man, you.