I blinked and it was June- how did that happen? It seems that the older you get, the faster time flies. My youngest daughter even starts school in September, which is wild since she was only born the other day.
I thought that considering we are now half way through the year, that I would look back over the last 6 months and see what, if any progress has been made. If you have been with me since the beginning you might remember that my word for 2022 was 'Focus'. Historically I can get a bit lost but it was so important, with Mayajoy becoming my full time job that I was able to make measurable progress and feel proud of what I was achieving.
So what have I achieved?
This is a good question. Sometimes I feel like I should have achieved much more and I should now be earning a living but the reality is that this is a long term project. Any money that I make from my business is reinvested so that I can experiment further and develop. Purchase more stock or sample a new product. This can be really frustrating at times, especially with the current economic decline- it isn't easy at all!
As I'm all about the positive, challenging yourself and personal growth I can see that I have come a long way in the space of 6 months. I have completed my 1st collection of Textiles, which I am waiting for samples to come back from the manufacturers. I have applied and been accepted to not 1 but 2 Xmas Fairs and I have even managed to get some greeting cards in to a local gift & lifestyle shop!
The biggest achievements I have made however is not financial, or even ticking off my 'to-do' list or being stocked in a store (which was always a goal of mine). It is instead in my confidence! I have networked with women I have never met before, connected on Instagram Lives with other creatives and I am even giving my first 'in person' talk, sharing my story to a room full of women, over a yummy breakfast. You can still buy tickets to this event here.
Success is such a personal thing and as a society we do tend to associate success with money. One of the things which drove me to start Mayajoy was less about money and more about personal fulfilment. I wanted to encourage others to follow their dreams. I wanted my children to see a happy mum, doing something she loved. To me, this is success. Yes- it would be great if I could start earning some income but precious things take time. It can't happen over night. I don't know what will happen with the world seemingly crumbling around us but I will keep going as best I can.
What's next?
So many things! I need to remind myself of the word Focus quite regularly because there doesn't seem to be enough time to get everything done.
Right now I am focusing on getting some greeting cards ready for my Xmas stalls (I know its June but everything happens so early in the design world!) I will get my textiles ordered when my samples come back (fingers crossed its all as nice as I hope) and I have quite a lot of updating to do, such as new product photography, website copy and reordering of low stock items.
Being a one man band is such a responsibility. I want to do it all- I always have. However the reality is that you can't do it all- not well anyway. So as I look toward the next 6 months, I want to remain focused, grow in confidence and seek new opportunities that will help me to grow, even though that may be uncomfortable.
Thank you for sticking with me for 6 months. It would be a pretty lonely road alone but the support that I have received has been a joy- it keeps me going and encourages me. Its an honour to share my journey, I hope that you will be inspired to step out of your comfort zone and make steps towards your own goals. Imagine where we could be in another 6 months??!
See you next time
Lots of Love
Mayajoy x x
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