How to get unstuck and reach your creative goals
Nat here.
Today, I wanted to take some time to talk about goal setting, pacing, and what to do when you are feeling stuck.
Creating your dream creative life can feel daunting. I remember when I was enrolled in Confident Patternmaking in 2022, and I hit my first roadblock. I got sick, and between working a full-time job, and feeling under the weather - patternmaking got pushed to the side. I felt guilty that I wasn't making progress at the same speed I had been before. I felt like I was failing.
Life is good and beautiful, and challenging, and hard. It is everything. Sometimes it throws unmanageable challenges at us. Or even just stupid silly things that slow us down (like getting sick). This is all a part of the journey.
Not to mention that learning a new skill (i.e patternmaking) will provide new challenges and questions that you may feel like you don't have the answer to.
So this is your reminder:
You don't have to do it alone.
You don't have to do it ALL AT ONCE.
You are allowed to work slowly and steadily towards your goals.
HOW TO TAKE SLOW AND STEADY ACTION
1. Define Your Goals and Priorities
Decide what is most important right now. Choose one project to focus on, so you can give your best time and energy to it.
2. Identify the Sub-steps
Make a list. Put pen to paper, and write down each step so you have a list to work through when you have the time and energy.
3. Choose your First Step
What is the next step forward? Sometimes making a long list can feel intimidating. So just choose one thing. It doesn't have to be huge. Set your timer for 20 minutes, and Whatever is - do it now. Having a small win upfront makes a huge impact.
4. Schedule Work Times
Ok, so there is a big ol' list though… how do we make progress on that?
Schedule blocked off work times. When I was working through the Confident Pattermaking course I scheduled 3 days a week after work from 5-7 PM that was dedicated time for me to work through the course materials. For you it might look differently. Maybe on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays you wake up 1 hour before your kids to work on patternmaking, or you might watch course videos during your lunch break at work.
Whatever works for you - do that. Block off time to work through the list, and use a timer if you need it.
5. Schedule Rest
This goes hand and hand with the last tip. If you schedule to work from 7-9PM. Don't work until 11PM… “Just this once”. That is a surefire way to build bad habits, burn out, and hurt the important relationships in your life.
You probably noticed in my schedule example that I made time 3 days a week for patternmaking. Not 7 days. That's because we deserve rest, and we all work best when we are well-rested. Think about what schedule works for you, so that you have time for your life outside of work.
Be sure to schedule in time for family, your hobby, or whatever makes you feel well-rested. Right now, I have a 3-hour block 1 day a week for “personal sewing”. This is time that I get to spend on projects that are not for work and just for fun.
6. Ask For Help
We can't do this alone, and asking for help is a beautiful thing.
This might look like asking for your partner to watch the kids 3 times a week for an hour so you can make progress on your patternmaking goals. In Confident Patternmaking we have support built into the course with weekly live calls, and a Facebook group where you can post your questions. It can feel odd asking for help, if you are used to doing everything on your own, but remember it’s ok to ask for support! Consider who in your life can be a support to you and reach out to them when you need it.
Here are a few more things I like to do to get “unstuck”:
Eat some cake
Make a pot of tea
Call my best friend, mom, or mentor
Take a shower
Take a walk
Take a nap
Clean my desk
If it feels like your goals are taking too long or like you are going too slow - remember…
Good things take time.
Give yourself some grace and take time to reflect on what you have already accomplished. I promise - These small daily actions will add up over time, so keep going.
We believe in you.
And if you are looking for more hands-on support, and the guidance of experienced teachers to help you on your way to becoming a patternmaker, check out our Confident Patternmaking & Grading Program.
