Okay fellow multi-passionates, “non-creatives”, and everyone in-between, the time has come to get serious about The Heartward Project! With the kickoff just around the corner, I will embark on my vision and adventure of how I’m going to make 2017: My Most Creative Year Yet. I’ve challenged myself to take on 12 projects, one for each month of the year, to learn various mediums and crafts. Find your own twist for The Heartward Project and join me on this movement!
Let’s all Be Heartward.
Everyone has a dream: things they’ve wanted to try but don’t know how to get started, or they don’t know how to make the time to pursue them. My heart was being pulled in many different creative directions, so much that the ideas were actually hindering me from getting started. While I realized that I probably wasn’t alone, I also realized that I wouldn’t be able to do this alone.
So I created The Heartward Project.
Not only would it be awesome to accomplish this yearlong goal for myself, but also I truly wish to inspire others who may be feeling the same way I was not all that long ago. What you need is a spark of motivation from within you to see how capable YOU are of pursuing that dream of yours!
This is your spark.
The minute you can see the first step needed to meet your goal, your dreams suddenly feel within reach. What a great feeling! Soak it in! To start taking those steps, all you need is a small plan to set aside the time and give it a whirl. Some dreams may have more steps than others; so remember that you don’t need to master your dream after the first try. If you find it to be more difficult than you first imagined, don’t be discouraged. If you find that you’re not as passionate about that topic as you thought you’d be, that’s more than okay!
You’re still one step closer than before.
The important thing is that you finally did something to be closer to your goal, and that alone feels so satisfying! There is a good chance that your end goal may change after certain explorations, which is completely okay. In fact, I think it’s fantastic. Now that you know it’s not quite for you, you can narrow down the scope of your dreams and move on to your heart’s next passion. The Heartward Project is all about this process of discovery.
You can’t fail; you can only discover.
While it may feel like failing, it’s truly just a discovery to learn more about you. I fully expect some of these months to not click with me like I hope they will. Who can possibly fall in love with 12 different types of projects AND be naturally talented to take them all on? (We all may want to be that person, but it just isn’t realistic.) Instead of trying to master all of your dreams, let’s begin by finding the one that settles with you the best. Once you’ve mastered it, you can expand from there!
So, what comes to your mind?
Surely something has crossed your mind while reading this post. Maybe it’s a new craft, like me. Maybe it’s a new twist to your already-discovered passion. Perhaps you’d like to remodel various rooms throughout your house; pick one and see how far you can get in a month!
Are you still unsure what you would like to pursue for The Heartward Project? I want you to think of something you’d like to improve on. Do you want to form new habits? Do you want to get better about calling an old friend or two? Maybe you’d like to simplify your lifestyle, and declutter certain areas. The options really are endless!
The timeline is a guideline.
I am quite excited about the month-long timeline, but that’s because it fits my goal for the year. I don’t want anyone to feel like they can’t Be Heartward simply because the timeline doesn’t fit your goals quite right. Here a few thoughts to keep in mind:
- You don’t need to stick to the same theme for all 12 months. Maybe the first couple months is artsy, maybe the next few months are spent trying new outdoor activities, and the final few months could be spent improving your living situation (remodeling, decluttering, deep cleaning, etc.). Change your focus as you wish! Whatever keeps you motivated and pursuing your passion.
- Time-boxing to a month keeps a light pressure to ensure progress. If you find you need more time, please feel free to carry that same idea into a second month–or even a third! Don’t force change if you have great momentum going.
- Embrace a new month when it’s needed. On the other hand, there will be months that you can’t wait to end. Maybe a series of events have not gone in your favor, and you’re feeling discouraged. Instead of spending time and energy focusing on what went wrong, embrace next month’s activity and look forward to it.
I’m ready! Let’s do this!
The fact that you made it to the bottom of this post shows just how serious you are about putting together a plan! A plan to finally explore and/or accomplish the goals your heart has set for yourself. The official kickoff is on January 1st where I’m going to reveal the focus of my first month. I hope by then you have also selected something to focus on and can share with me on social media by using #TheHeartwardProject!
Welcome to The Heartward Project!
Related: 2017: My Most Creative Year Yet, Naming the Blog, Who’s Behind It All?
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