Time is slipping away from me and my to-do list is continuously growing. I'm not complaining, because as a freelancer if you don't work, you don't eat. It's always good to be busy but I can't help but think if I will ever get everything done. Every day I refer to my sketchbook, looking at un-finished ideas, new ideas, and lists of works for clients. The biggest tasks are often pushed to the next month because of insufficient time and laziness; yes I am lazy at times. I can't believe how quickly time is moving like it was just January a month ago! But on a serious note, even though we're 6 months into the year I am hoping to complete my list of 2018 goals.
Within the last 6 months, I've had the opportunity to take on new and exciting projects that have allowed me to learn and grow in ways I've never imagined. I think I'm becoming better at figuring out my niches because I don't consider myself a part of one niche. I'm a visual artist, graphic designer, photographer, social media manager, and Instagrammer. I decided to change how I looked at myself because I realized that I wear so many hats that strengthens every part of my business. Last year I only made money from graphic design doing things like logos, flyers, business cards, etc. but now I've added content creation, Instagram feeds and photography to the list! Looking back to January and February, I felt a lot of pressure to learn as much as I can in a short time. I was encountering new projects I NEVER did before. I'm always so thankful to God because my life seems unreal to me sometimes. I know it's hard to find a job that you love so much that you can do it all day, to the point that you forget to eat sometimes. Over the past months, I've been struggling to find time to do "Christina things". I noticed that I wasn't posting on @christinadarvillestudios as much as I wanted to, @iamchristinaxo was losing creativity, and the blog posts became scarce and "mediocre". I think it is important to allow yourself to have meaning when working on any project. So I'm trying to find more meaning in my work as I move forward.
I haven't found the perfect medium between work and personal life yet, but I'm always pushing myself to work harder while giving myself rewards and incentives to keep pushing. So when I'm not working around the clock or pulling all-nighters; I'm spending quality time with my husband and our little Maxi. I can't ask for more than that!
But here are some things to think about (you and me both)
Are you on track with your 2018 plans?
What are you putting off to next week or month?
Are you maximizing your day?
Are you maximizing your resources?
Are you being consistent?
What are you lacking in?
What do you want to improve?
How to become better at your niche?
What have you learned in the past 6 months?
Are you being creative?
How can we find "more time"?