Why You Should Write A Yearly Plan For Your Hobby
How writing a yearly plan for your hobbies, side hustles, and passion projects help you measure growth and keep yourself accountable.
I've met more than a handful of mothers who paused their previous careers to focus on motherhood, and are using a little bit of the extra time, when they have it, to pick up an old hobby, like photography or writing, or pursue studying something that personally interests them, like nutrition or design.
For some of these women, there may come a time when they get asked, like one of our Another Mother's did, to bring their camera around or help stage someone's home. And for some of those women, they may consider elevating their pastime into a professional project.
For me, I had always wanted to write, and I would find ways to sneak in editorial work under the realm of marketing and advertising in my life prior to Bodie but it was only in taking the time at home and slowing down on the work front that I revisited writing regularly and obviously found the inspiration for Mother Untitled.
My father and my husband, Dan, both entrepreneurs, asked me multiple times before January, when the site launched, what the end goal was. While that felt like such a loaded question then, for which I had very personal answers, I did benefit in more recent months from writing a 2 year plan.
So often, I hear plan and I think revenue forecasts, but this plan includes the ideas I want to test, different partners I'd like to collaborate with, and qualitative and quantitative goals I want to reach by end of each quarter and year to signal I'm growing and that by my metrics, the site is "successful". I keep it in google docs and share it with my dad and Dan so I can get their input but also feel accountable.
One of my favorite things to get on paper was the Mission, or as my dad describes it, my "North Star". It's why I'm doing this - a personal statement of why and what I want to create. It may seem lofty for a hobby, but it has applications for why and what you want out of what you're working on.
The process of putting pen to paper, especially on the nitty gritty of expenses or metrics for success, can feel tedious for something you may only be doing for fun or wanting to watch grow organically into whatever it's going to be. But... when you're done, you can re-read it when you're feel stuck or unsure. At least for me, those moments come often especially when this thing you're doing - be it a hobby or a personal project or the beginnings of a small business - can feel especially abstract when you're squeezing it in during naps, nights or afternoons with a babysitter. Having a written plan and goals for myself gives me something tangible to validate the time and the effort and most importantly, provide structure and direction in the grey area.
Have you or would you consider writing a plan for yourself if you're in this place between motherhood and creating something for you? If you have done an exercise like that, what ideas can you add? xo
Featured Image via Julia Kostreva
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