Can you believe the year is basically over? I hope you enjoyed the holidays and are feeling excited about ringing in 2013!

Next to holiday celebrations I’ve been focusing my energy on a re-design of Joycreation (I can’t wait to show you!), as well as the launch of my very first design business, which is about to open its doors this Friday!

It would be so easy to spend every minute on these very projects, but I also want to make some time this week to reflect on 2012 and think about 2013. To start out I’ll share some of the things I want to STOP doing in 2013 (thank you, Amanda Genther, for inspiring this idea!)

5 Things I want to STOP doing in 2013:

1. Chasing deadlines: In her e-book “Kill Overwhelm + Make Shit Happen” Kate Byrne of “Betty Means Business” puts it perfectly:  “No matter how busy you are, life shouldn’t be just one deadline after another.” (sign up for her newsletter and receive a free copy of the e-book – it’s super helpful!).

Learning something new always takes longer than you think, and this year I experimented in unknown territory A LOT. Kate’s recommendation is to plan double the time you think those kind of projects will take – that way you will allow yourself more breathing room and a chance to do something fun, if you finish sooner.

2. Feeling Guilty: I tend to feel guilty about so many areas of my life: be it the blog (not blogging enough/not showing enough support for other bloggers), neglecting friendships, spending too much time in front of the computer screen, eating unhealthy…you name it. Instead of wasting my energy with guilt, I want to work on those areas, knowing that although I may not always succeed, I’m doing the best I can.

3. Letting fear rule: If you’ve been following along you’ll know that 2012 was the beginning of conquering some major fears. In 2013 I want to continue the practice of giving power to courage, rather than to fear.

4. Staying up late: This is going to take some self-discipline. No matter how good the intentions, I always stay up later than planned. As a result I feel groggy in the mornings (I tend to wake up early anyway) and not as productive as I probably could be.

5.Working in my PJs: Seriously, this has got to stop!

What’s on your Stop Doing List? I’d love to know! 

Lastly, I want to thank you, my lovely readers, for the amazing support I’ve received this year. 2012 has felt like a huge learning curve, and I’m so grateful to have met people like you, who have inspired and accompanied me along the way. 

I wish you an amazing year of 2013 – may it be a one of making big dreams come true!

xoxo

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