february goals for business, creating, and reading

i actually started this post last tuesday night...
almost a week ago now.
i got about three paragraphs in and stopped dead in my tracks, unable to go any further.

i really, really wanted this month to look like last month.
i wanted a nice, neat list of goals--maybe ten, maybe more--that i could check off one at a time and update y'all on my progress.

and that's just not how it's going.

don't get me wrong...
it's going well...
heck, it's going awesome.
but it's just not fitting all snug and concise "in the box" like last month did.

i told myself {and you} at the beginning of the year that when it came to being intentional, i'd tackle one area each month for the duration of 2015.

however, some of the facets of my life walk so closely hand-in-hand with each other that it'd just be futile to try to separate them.

for february, march, and april, i will be focusing on intentional in business, creating, and reading.

business and creating...they're soul-sisters in my world.

i love to create, y'all.

love, love, love it.

i feel most alive when i'm doing one of two things--writing or creating.

i've made a decent little business for myself selling vintage on instagram, and i value the connections and friendships i've formed through that outlet.

but really, my heart is in creating.

and i'm most blessed that i get to use my creating to help support my family.

these months will be spent, in part, focusing on my creating...

expanding on ideas that i've used in the past, and developing new products for the future {i'm super-excited about that part!}

speaking of my little vintage business, it's overtaken the far end of my basement!!!
i want to sell off most of my vintage goodies during this month--i'm putting that under the business category.
this fabulous shelving unit {it came out of an old post office} was an incredible craigslist find a few years ago and has been priceless for keeping my vintage inventory both organized and visible.
i have no desire to completely abandon vintage-selling, but i do need to pare down the stock i have on hand.
last week and this week thus far have been spent in thinning out this vintage supply.  i estimate that i have another week or two of solid selling before i'm able to move on to the creating with a clear mind.

this huuuuuuuuuge armoire is in our bedroom, full of my crafting/creating supplies!!!
ohhhhhh the goodies that are in here!
i really believe i'm going to end up needing to do a sale of craft supplies, once it all comes down to it.
i've gathered sooooo much goodness over the years that it's just overwhelming.
when i want to make something, i open these doors and can't even figure out what i want to do.
i need to thin out my collections and focus on one or two main areas.
now let's just see if i can bring myself to actually do it!

this is my sad little sewing area.
it's tucked away into a dark corner of the basement...
but try as i might, i just canNOT come up with another option.
there is just NO room anywhere else in our house for me to set up "creative camp."
but!!!...in keeping with my goals, i have my builder-brother coming this friday to install to-the-ceiling shelves in this nook.
i've decided that if this is where i must sew, it can at least be cute and functional and inspiring.
be prepared for updates on this area!

i decided that it would just be too difficult--needlessly difficult--to try to separate and distinguish between business and creating.
i'm lumping them in together, so to speak, and giving them an extended time period...
because i truly believe they need those extra weeks.

i've also thrown reading in with business and creating.
i wanted to work on reading early enough in the year that i could carry it through the rest of the year with me.
also, it gave me an "easy" third area to group with business and creating, so that i could stretch their focus time out for a full {much-needed} three months.
yes, i'm focusing on three areas over the span of the next three months.

i have several ideas floating around in my brain that i'd like to incorporate to foster more reading in my life.
these days, it seems like my reading time is nearly nil...and when i do finally eke out a moment or two to turn a page, something louder/more important demands even that small bit of time.
i want to try to implement an "electronics curfew" for myself, if only for a few evenings a week...
but have yet to do so.

how do you carve out reading time for yourself?
i find that i often drift over to pinterest or instagram when i've promised myself some reading time...
do you have an "electronics curfew?"
and most importantly, what are you reading these days?
because the most compelling call to reading is an interesting book, of course!
i'd love your helpful hints and book suggestions!

xo