I'm a sucker for a fresh start. I love New Year's Day, September and my birthday. Hey, even a new notebook or a Monday is a good enough reason to declare a clean slate. This year I'm in luck because my new planner starts the same week as my birthday.
Equipment for the journey:
Water You have to hydrate, people! And we're lucky, we have clean water delivered straight to at least two rooms in our homes - remember those without that privilege.
Washi tape, sticky flags, pens you like If you're going to do admin, a bit of flair makes it more pleasant. Quill is nice. So is Papermash. I like Lollipop Designs too.
Planner If you want to do more of something, it helps to plan for it and record it happening (if you read Gretchen's latest book, you'll know why). This one is Elisa Blaha Cripe's Get to Work Book, but I have a Hobonichi Techo for my social and family stuff (cutest video ever) and a Filofax for blog-planning (that might just get edged out by the Get to Work Book, we'll see).
Cheerleaders It helps to have people who believe in you and understand what you're trying to do. I can't share mine with you, but I hope they know who they are!
Coaches It helps to have people who've been there before and made a good thing of it. Jenny Hyde is a mentor for creative small businesses, and her blog always picks me up and sends me off feeling positive and like I know where to start. I'm reading Gretchen Rubin's "Better than Before" which is all about habits and how to harness their power. It's the kind of book which I have to read snippets from out loud, every page or two. I'm inspired to bursting by Jen Lee: her film Indie Kindred explores what it's like working for yourself as a creative and models beautifully how we can shine a light and give each other a hand. Her book with Tim Manley, The 10 Letters Project, explores similar themes in beautiful language.