…DIVE into November..

Second last month of the year! How is that even possible? I’m catching my breath from Blogtober, and gearing up for Advent adventures. I can feel the end of year fun creeping up. Maybe it’s the warm almost-summer days, or the Christmas goodies appearing in the shops, but November brings a buzz that has me energised for new adventures. It’s also the point in the year I start to think about wrapping up existing projects and shifting to Christmas crafting, so it was interesting trying to set my mini goals for this month. What did I want to focus on this month, without leaning on past goals too much, and without rushing towards the end of the year too much?

{MICRO NANOWRIMO} I have a few writing projects that have been bubbling away in the background, and I would like to make solid progress on. I can’t commit to a whole Nano project this month, but I can commit to progress of some kind each day. My goal is 500 words a day, but I am also giving myself plenty of grace and space. Plotting counts. Editing counts. Forward is forward. First on my list is finishing a piece that started as a 3000-word short and is now a 23,000 novella. I should knock that out this week, and then I’m getting stuck into finishing my main work so I can finally send it off to it’s readers and draw a line under it.

{ART JOURNALING} I’ve had a major itch lately to get my paints out and make lots of delightful messes. I’m hoping to get at least 10 pages done in my Choose Your Own Adventure journal this month, and the same in my journaling bible. If I can build a stash of collage fodder at the same time I will be extra chuffed.

{FINISHING A QUILT} In the depths of our storage container, is a quilt of my mum’s. She made the top two decades ago, basted it…and got no further. It has been passed on to me, for quilting and binding and adding to our blanket box. I need to dig it out and rebaste it, and then get it quilted. I’m hoping to make that a priority this month – after I sweet-talk the mister into helping me move the 700 boxes between me and the quilt.

These mini goals continue to be a super helpful way to keep my word of the year in focus. Even if I don’t manage to achieve my goals each month, it gives me a chance to pause, reflect, and work out where I’m floating and where I need to go deep. November is shaping up to be a busy one, with lots of advent prep, filming for my upcoming Crafty Monkies class, and wrapping up our school year. The focus of mini goals is just what I need to keep the mojo following. Hello November, let’s do this!