I’ve been thinking about this post for weeks now. Not exactly the structure of it or the words in it, but the actual content behind it.
My plans for 2012.
Did I want them? How many? What kinds? Do I want to blog about it? Where do I start? Where do I end? Do I end? Is it acceptable to plan out a new year in the first month or am I showing the world I am very lazy and should just forget it?
In the end, my need for acknowledgment won out and I sat down and started mind-mapping 2012. A technique I learned on Google+, my mind-map helped a lot.
Then I put it aside.
But I kept thinking about it. And inevitably, I’d add to it. And even though it looks quite big and messy and full, it doesn’t feel finished to me.
And I’m finally accepting that’s a good thing. Plans are great things to have, and they’re even better to scrap and start anew. But you need to have them in order to scrap them. You need something to check yourself against. You need something to measure life with. You need something to motivate you. You need something to inspire you.
The other day, I tore down my old vision board I had set up. I chuckled over how many of the things on there weren’t representing me right now.
So, what is right now?
This.
What is this? Well, let me just list it out for you, and for me. And we’ll see where that leads us, shall we? Forget priorities, there aren’t any. Let’s go alphabetical:
Blog
1) Self-host Mutant Supermodel
a) If I can find a way to monetize the blog enough to cover costs in a non-obnoxious way
2) Blog twice a week
3) Avoid content types I dislike
a) How-I, How-You, Top Tens, Three Things/Ways, Sponsored
Create More
1) Crochet More
a) Finish Mom’s Afghan of Love and Labor
2) Knit one pair of socks
3) Try new recipes
a) One a month?
4) Craft with kids
5) Cook with kids
De-Frumpiness Project
January: Lipstick
February: Fingers and Toes
March: Mascara
April: Accessories
May: More Milk
June: Yoga
July: Skin Care
August: Underwear
September: Smile
October:
November:
December: Fruits and Veggies
Others: Hair, Positive Attitude, Clothes, Generousity
Keep Reading
1) 50 books in 2012
1 down, 49 to go!
Money
1) “Found” money goes to savings
2) Use more cash
3) Save Swagbucks
4) Simplify
A) Bills
i) Automate as much as possible
B) Savings
i) Automate as much as possible
ii) Use HSBC to make it harder to reach goal-oriented savings
a) Birthdays, Car, Christmas, Registration, Summer Camp
C) Expense Tracking
5) Cook More
6) Create a debt goal
School
1) Take it easy
But go for the A
Structure
1) Better use of calendar
2) Enforce chores
3) Create schedules
Cleaning
Kids
Bring back bedtime stories
Sleep
Family Meetings
Theme Song: “Be Ok” by Ingrid Michaelson
Travel
1) Family
Universal and Virginia
2) Adults Only
Somewhere, anywhere
In a way, this becomes not just a framework for my life, but it’s also a pretty good indicator of what might very well become my blog’s content. And of course, it’s subject to change at any time. And it probably will since this is what’s going on my now empty vision board.
A lot of these need expanding on, others need some major fleshing out still. I’ve been more concerned with just getting the stuff out of my head than with figuring out all of the details. But I have time, a whole year in fact, to work through it all.
What about you? Are you gonna wing 2012, pray for the best, and see what happens? Are are you in full strategy mode? Or are you way ahead of me and already barging through the year, plans in hand?
Mutant Supermodel 
Love that visual. Great idea!
It has helped me tremendously. I look forward to using it more.
Mind mapping is a very effective planner esp for those of us who thing visually and graphically. I have used it for decades before I found I did not invent the technique, others used it and it had a name. All unknown to me. I used it to prepare for essay exams I would put 2 or 3 words in a box, create 4 to 8 boxes and that is what I memorized . Then I would write a page on each box from my mind. Planned term papers that way too. I used it to teach my AP students how to write a comprehensive essay. The trick is to write the boxes in the margin as the test begins. It is like a cheat sheet from which to work but it is not cheating. It is a form of outline you memorized. I would imagine a novel would benefit from employing mind mapping as well.
Oh I’m sure a novel would work really well. The Essay trick is fantastic.
It is like a Stream of Consciousness….whatever pops in there goes down on paper. I am not good at winging it. But I am not too good at accomplishing goals either.
I would say that for you…if you set too strict a goal, you will set yourself up to fail. Sort of like….if you say you want to collect 10,000 swagbucks, but you don’t…you will feel bad. In your method….if you collect any, you are coming out ahead!
Is there any area that you feel a pull towards?
Exactly like stream of consciousness but with a visual twist on it that brings the other half of the brain into play, or at least that’s my guess on why it’s so neat.
I agree with you on the strictness of goals. I try and draw a middle line– some stricter than others, some not strict at all, and some to just tinker with.
Right now, it’s the creativity thing. I want to make and make and make. Also, the De-Frumpiness Project is big for me right now.
Holy moly…I have not once heard of mindmapping, and I like the concept so far! I’m going to do this for my 2012 and see if I can get a handle on my scatterbrain!
I hadn’t heart of it either and then I heard of it but was totally confused and overwhelmed and then I saw that post on Google+ and had the a-ha moment to end all a-ha moments. And now I love it and wonder where mind mapping has been my whole life. Just start playing with it, it’s like following the white rabbit.
I look at this and I’m in awe.
My planning horizon is now 1 week, at most, items on a list. And I’m proud of sticking to that! (This is somewhat of a life stage difference and I realize that. It also doesn’t mean there are things buzzing in my brain belonging to a Bigger Picture, but I don’t document them in any way.)
Furthermore, half the time my goal is “get through the next 24 hours whatever it takes.”
Very impressive, Supermodel.
Oh just because I dump it out of my brain onto paper doesn’t mean I’ll actually get it done! Really the motivation was that so much is buzzing around in my head so much of the time. And then a year ends and I have no idea what I got done or what I worked on or improved or anything. All I know is that I’m left feeling “get through the next 24 hours whatever it takes” but with nothing to console me and tell me I’ve made it before and will make it again. And again. So this lets me get things out and onto something I can look at and think about. I don’t know if it’ll work, but I like it so far.
Pingback: Work in Progress Wednesdays: The Afghan | Mutant Supermodel
This is a great plan! Even better is that you totally get it’s great to scrap the plan sometimes and do something totally different! It is also so nice to say ‘I’m going to knit a pair of socks this year’ (how much do I love that’s part of your plan?!) and knit at some point this year, knit a pair! My big learning thing this year is chess. I really, really want to learn to play properly!