Setting Goals with @elisejoy

We have loved watching Elise create so many wonderful things that we wanted to talk about her process, her life, and how she effectively reaches her goals.

First off, tell us a little bit about your 2018 theme and goals.

Inspired by my friend Ali Edwards, I love to choose a guiding word for the year and 2018's word was reach. My goal was to stretch and expand and try new things. So with that in mind I came up with some stuff I wanted more off and some stuff I wanted less of -- and on to the board it went. The board was a bit more general than my annual goals tend to be, but I set some actionable items around them. For example, in 2018 I made the goal of buying no new clothing (less things & less consuming) and instead sewed some wardrobe pieces (more creating). I also wrote a book, which feels like the ultimate leap!

Now that we’re through the year, how did your goals hold up?

For the most part I stayed on track with my goals. It was easier than expected to avoid shopping for new clothing, and the biggest takeaway was that like any habit, not buying became easier with time. My book was due July 15th and I got it turned in that week which felt great. I wanted to do a few projects to make our house work better for our family and we were able to transition my daughters' room into a brighter space. I also tried to do more to make our backyard garden a happier (and more successful growing) space.

What was the hardest goal to stay on top of this year?

I didn't tried "new places" as much as I would have liked. This doesn't just refer to travel but anything - new parks, new restaurants, new experiences. I tend to be a homebody and I like my routine so it can be hard to break out of that. Hopefully something to still reach for. ;)

I saw that you did #100craftadventures. We’d love to hear more about it and some of your projects.

Yes! I completed my #the100dayproject challenge, and it fit nicely into my "more creating" goal. I have done this challenge three years in a row, and the goal is to do something creative every day for 100 days and document your progress on Instagram. In 2018, because I was writing my book, I didn't know how much time I would have, and so I set a fairly loose challenge and just tried to do something with my hands for about 15 minutes a day. I sewed, knitted, screen-printed, carved stamped, watercolored, dyed yarn, marbled fabric -- so many fun and new adventures for me. I loved the challenge and am happy with many of the projects that came from it.

I’m really drawn to your “less hesitating, more leaping” goal. Can you share any examples where you followed this mantra?

I tried to incorporate this thinking whenever I was making decisions both small and big. I loved the idea of "while you're waiting for the right thing, do something" and that's what this was about. Don't sit idle or overthink! Dive deep into a new project, adventure, or decision and see how it goes. Worst case? You fail and start over. But it's so much better than hesitating and feeling stuck.

And of course, what is on your letter board right now?

Right now the letter board that hangs by my desk says, "Show up and be brave in who you are." It's something a guest said on my podcast and I haven't changed it in months! I love the reminder to keep showing up and to own your opinions and ideas.