Soulvember Recap // (And A Giveaway Winner!)

photo

At the beginning of November, most of the beautiful fall leaves were still on the trees – now everything’s on the ground. It’s amazing how much can change in a month, isn’t it? A month ago, I started a little creative challenge for myself, and titled it Soulvember. It’s basic goal was to tie up a lot of the little loose ends and projects that were filling brain space in my life (without actually getting any forward momentum), so that I could start 2014 with a blank slate. Many of these projects are going to end up bleeding over into December, but I’m ok with that because the holidays are a crazy time and I’m really pretty happy to have made any progress at all! Like I always thought about NaNoWriMo, writing a few thousand words is better than writing none at all – even if you don’t meet the 50,000 word mark. I was busy, busy, busy in the month of November but I’m happy to say that Soulvember ended up going pretty well anyway. Here’s a little recap on how I did:

1. Morning Private Victories. I think making time for myself in the morning is pretty much habit now – which I think is a bigger success than whether I checked this box every single day.

2. Finish the website updates that are in the works for Evergreen Lane. You’ll be seeing these launch (at the latest) during the first week of January! Hooray!

3. Be caught up on all current classwork by the end of 2013. Finished two of the four Skillshare classes that were waiting for me, and that leaves two for December so that I can reach my goal of finishing by the end of 2013.

4. Record some original music. Didn’t happen, but I’m ok with it – to be honest, with all my other projects, this was low on the totem pole (though fun).

5. Pick out dining chairs and lamps for the apartment. Picked out but probably won’t be purchased this month with all the extra holiday expenses.

6. Plan out and start writing Evergreen Lane newsletter content for a 2014 launch. This is going to be one of my big projects that has rolled over into December.

7. Rough draft that e-book idea. I have a basic outline that’s going to get fleshed out this month and will hopefully be launch-ready in the spring.

8. Post two videos on the blog this month. Didn’t get any up in November, sadly – but there are at least two on the docket for December so keep an eye out! This will definitely be accomplished by 2014.

9. Try out a few of those new blog post ideas that have been sitting in my drafts folder forever. Check it out, I actually did a DIY post or two, and that remix packing post is something I’ve wanted to try forever.

10. Do another 30×30 clothing challenge (no shopping!). Boom. Always such a good feeling.

11. Create blog content out of last year’s NaNoWriMo. This was another low-on-the-priority-list project, and thus, it didn’t get done…yet.

12. Design + order Christmas cards. They’re designed. Going to be ordered this week, and you’ll be seeing them on the blog later this month!

So – I got an over 50% completion rate, which isn’t too bad, and I definitely think I can make 100% by the time 2014 rolls around at the end of this month.  Something about it being the end of another year that really makes me want to hustle and make my time count!

What are some things you’d like to see accomplished by the end of 2013?

——

I’m also super happy to announce that the winner of the Minted 2014 Calendar giveaway is Rochelle! She’s been a long time blog-friend and fellow military wife, so I’m thrilled to see her win. Not to mention I thought her idea of a portfolio calendar for her photography studio was rather brilliant! Congratulations, Rochelle – I’ll be emailing you today!