So, not to freak you out or anything, but tax season is coming. And I'm a little overwhelmed by how many people are saying things like, just worked on my taxes for 10 hours. WHAT?! Doing your taxes and tracking your business numbers does NOT need to take a million hours.
In today's episode, I'll talk about exactly how I did my accounting for years while running my business. Download the transcript (using the form at the bottom of this page!) and I'll also send you a link to the video I made about the accounting software I use now and show you how it's saving me tons of time over my previous method of accounting!
Pick your country and then choose a “Wellness Advocate”
Fill out your info and double check: Under “enroller” it should say either “Dawson, Leonie” or “Swiger, Tara”, then pick your kit & check out!
This going to give you a wholesale account with anytime access to the wholesale pricing (with no minimum order and no ongoing commitment!).
DON'T FORGET: Forward your receipt to oils@leoniedawson.com with the message “Tara Swiger sent me” (Without that email, we won't know you want the Academy!)
Within a few days you'll get a welcome email from me, along with a free e-course that teaches you how to use your oils so you get the most out of your kit! You'll also get invited to our free Facebook group where you'll be able to talk oils with other enthusiasts.
Please note! Allllll of these offers and giveaways go away after May 31.
The kits that qualify you for all of the above!
Diamond Kit
This kit’s RETAIL cost is $4,242. This kit’s WHOLESALE cost is $3,294.
You'll pay: $2,500
By ordering this as a kit, instead of bit by bit, you'll save $794.You will also get an additional 400pv ($400) in product points to use on your next orders. This is the kit to go with if you want to replace the toxic chemicals in every corner of your home.
Want to start a biz with doTerra? Start with this kit and you'll have a headstar on knowing the products.
Every Oil Kit:
$1,825
You'll save $311 below wholesale pricing.You'll also get an additional 200pv ($200) in product points to use on your next order. If you wanna manage your moods, sleep better and take care of your family – you get ALL the oils you need in this kit.
Natural Solutions Kit
$550
This kit you will save you $220 off wholesale pricing.You will also get an additional 100pv ($100) in product points to spend in your next orders!
This kit gives you all the tools you need to revamp your wellness and care for your family. You get the oils that support a healthy immune system, promote focus and relaxation, support healthy joints and muscles, provide a mid-afternoon “pick me up,” and support a restful night sleep. It includes the Lifelong Vitality Supplements which are the foundation to good health. You get the top 13 oils to address emotional support and a healthy body. You also get a taste of the OnGuard immune-supporting line, the Deep Blue rub, the Aromalite 8-hour diffuser (my fave!) and a perfect wooden box to store your oils in!
Home Essentials:
$275
This kit saves you $86 off wholesale pricing and gives you the TOP 10 most popular oils that every home needs for respiratory health, immunity-boosting, bacteria killing and deep sleep…. plus the Petal diffuser!
Sign up for the Biz Builder E-course! THis was created to walk you through ready-to-share to your very first sales. You'll learn every single step, so do NOT skip this.
If you're super excited, you can start watching the videos below (complete them in order!) – but don't get overwhelmed! The e-course + weekly calls with your mentor will walk you through each step.
You do NOT have to do this alone!
On this page I am being VERY specific and giving you the exact steps to take to make your first sales. The reason is: Most people don't get started because they get overwhelmed by all they COULD do.
So I've boiled it down into steps. If you take these steps, you will have your first sales.
Could you do this without a workshop? Sure, but it'll take many more contacts. The stats show that to earn the same commission, you could have 3 workshops or have 20 1:1 conversations to reach the same level. So workshops are more time-effective and you may feel more comfortable inviting your friends to a workshop than a conversation. It can feel weird to start educating your friends about oils (until you get more comfortable talking about them) randomly, but it makes a lot more sense in a workshop environment.
And if you're thinking of just posting “I sell oils” on Facebook. STOP.
That's not effective. And that's not in alignment with your goal to share oils and educate people. These aren't some leggings everyone can slap on their body, oils are natural health solutions that require some education and practice to use effectively!
Let's, instead, aim to educate. Share interesting articles, invite to webinars, or conversations, have a POINT to your posts.
But before you share anything, follow these steps:
2. Log into your back office + double check your LRP is set up. Remember to schedule it to send by the 15th, so you get this month's free oil!
In order to earn commission, you must have a 125 PV LRP order in your cart at all times (set the date it'll send & edit it as much as you like, but don't let it go under 125 PV or you won't get paid!)
3. Review PIPES, understand the basics of doTERRA business.
Getting customers and making sales comes down to taking regular action over and over. You'll prepare, invite people to a workshop or conversation, present the education, enroll interested buyers in the wholesale account, and support your buyers.
These actions can be classified into PIPES:
Prepare
Invite
Present
Enroll
Support
You need to first learn each of these areas, then actually DO each step.
You can find videos on PIPES at sharesuccess.com/launch These are a good place to start (and short!). Download the Launch Guide, then watch all the videos on that page (if you're looking at it on your mobile device, it may not be clear – each category has videos that go with it, so you have to click each PIPE category to see the video).
You don't have to understand the compensation plan to start making your first few sales, but you'll be glad to know you'll get your first commission check within a week or two of making your first sale! You can learn more about the compensation plan here.
This is a good overview of the process of building your business (Don't worry about the specifics, just get an idea of the overview, starting at minute 10:30):
(you can skip to minute 10:52 to get right into the explanation)
There are other videos that teach PIPES, just ask your mentor for their favorites!
3. Get your mindset right
Don't skip this step! Watch the video:
4. Act on PIPES.
Commit to doing 1 round of the following actions in the next month & it'll get easier as you go!
Prepare:
Do this in your first week:
Fill out the Elite Planner to determine how many classes or 1:1s you need to hold to reach your goal. (Found here). This Planner is SO helpful in getting super specific about what you need to do. Whether you are planning on classes or 1:1 convos, fill this out. When people tell me they don't know what to do, this Planner always helps us find the answer. Fill it out. Seriously.
Decide on the first workshop you'll teach (or the first conversations you'll have)
Make samples
Invite:
Handout samples and ask if you can follow up (get their details) (more on samples here)
Book a workshop!
Find a spot (yoga studio, class space, church rooms, or use your living room!)
Set a time (to be most effective, book 3 classes at once, all at different times in the course of one or two weeks)
Pick a topic (the easiest way is to use doTerra's Class in a Box)
Here's a video about picking a class topic:
Invite 45+ people!
Those people you gave samples to? Contact them and say “if you'd like to know more about using oils, would you like to come to my class on Date at Place?”
Keep following up with people you've given samples to – invite them to more workshops or more conversations!
Present:
With a Workshop:
The day before your workshop, contact all those who RSVP'd yes and say “Looking foward to seeing you tomorrow! There's room if you wanna bring a friend!”
Hold a class or have a 1:1 conversation!
The easiest way to hold a class is to get the Class in a Box from DoTerra. It was a script to read through (which doubles as a resource guide for your attendees) and order forms and kit info. Don't reinvent the wheel.
mor on presenting: https://youtu.be/jmuDJHAxcHs
this is an AMAZING training on how to close a class: https://youtu.be/Sha2QNSZEKA
With a 1:1:
Have you chatted with a person who's interested in essential oils? Invite her to meet for coffee and learn more. Walk her through the Class in a Box worksheets! (DO NOT just spring this on people. Specifically invite them to “learn more about essential oils over a cup of coffee? I can teach you how to use them and show you how to get your own wholesale account!”)
Enroll:
When you finish your workshop or conversation say, “You can buy the oils retail, or you can pay the same prices I do by setting up a wholesale account. There's no minimum or requirements. It's like a Sam's Club card, it costs $35 for a year of wholesale prices. The best savings is actually through buying a kit, which waives your enrollment fee!”
If possible, book a Wellness Consult at the time of the sale. “It's protocol that we follow this up with. Wellness Consult so you can start putting your oils to use! Can you do it X or Y time?”
If you can't book a consult, within a week, reach out (email, or however you have been communicating) and ask her if she has any questions about the oils and invite her to another class.
Invite her to my Using Your Oils e-course (it's free!) right here. {COMING SOON} It'll walk her through using her oils, understanging LRP and introduce her to the business side of things.
Remember, it takes an amazing experience with the product AND for them to be in the right place in their life and have the right drive to build a business. It's not for everyone, right this minute. So in your first cycle of learning to invite, present and enroll, don't even worry about finding biz builders.
However, if they love their oils, they'll want to share it! They don't need a business in order to earn free oils! ASK them to host a workshop so you can educate their community! Here's a great framework and script.
But if you are having a conversation with someone who is interested in a doTerra business, you can walk them through the Build Guide. (video here).
If you don't feel comfortable doing that (if you're in your first month or two of your own business, invite them to a three-way call/Skype with me! I can explain how it works and you'll still get all the credit (I'm here for you, man!)
Your builders:
As soon as you have one builder, send her to this page (as your team grows, you can make your own!) and ask her the questions under Prepare.
Be sure she downloads the Launch Guide and get her started on her goals and List.
Schedule a weekly mentoring check-in. Use this worksheet to make your check-ins quick and effective. (She fills it in before your session and sends it to you.)
If you're not comfortable mentoring a builder, that's ok! Just tell your mentor (or me!) and we'll match her with someone who wants to! (You'll still get the commission as her enroller, and she'll be building for YOUR team!)
Remember: your goal is not to get your builder to build the biggest business ever, it's to help her build the business she actually wants and has the time to create. In order to help her do this, you have to ask her what her goals are and then guide her to the resources that are going to help her reach her goals.
If you don't care to be a business mentor, or you don't feel ready for it yet, you don't have to. If you enroll someone who is interested in the business opportunity, reach out to your mentor or to me, so we can give her the help she needs. Don't just leave her hanging! Send her to this page + introduce us on Facebook or Skype!
Duplication:
What I love about doTerra is that your business won't grow unless you can help others grow the business of their dreams. To do this, you duplicate what works for you, along the people your mentoring. The simplest way of saying it is this: every time you do something (especiallly planning!) ask your downline the same questions you asked yourself. And when you find a workshop or a conversational style works, share it with your team. You don't have to reinvent the wheel, but you do have to introduce your downline to the wheel that worked for you. So even in the very beginning, start collecting up the resources that you're learning best from. And when you have a builder who is driven to reach a goal, share those resources with her.
When you've done everything you can think of in your creative business and it still isn't quite what you want. When you've read the books, taken the classes, opened the shop, taken the pictures, written the descriptions.
But you're not there yet. Not where you want to be and not certain how to get there. That not-knowing is a cold + lonely space.
The solution is not simply another class, another book, another pro/con list.
The answer is in (finally) making your own map and finding the combination of education, community, and accountability that works for you. So let's define where you really want to go. Let's make the map to your (dream) destination. A map built for you. You, with your own particular sparkle, skills and style.
Then let's hook you up with a friendly crew to help you get there. A crew that has done it before (crafted their ideal business, approached a shop, sold at a craft show, written a book – wherever your journey leads you, there's someone on our crew who has adventured into that space) and that will hold you (gently) accountable on the tiny things that fly you towards your dream destination.
I've been there. I've adventured through the space of a sustainable business.
For over 11 years, I've crafted a business (and life) that supports me – and it all started with yarn.
First, I built my handmade yarn business, so I could quit my day job. But 2 months after quitting my day job (yay!) my husband lost his job (boo!). And our car exploded. And our house got broken into and everything of value was stolen. So: I built a business that supports my entire family. I read the books, the blogs, the experts. I experimented and tested and kept track of everything that worked (and didn't). I found a community to support me. To hold me accountable. To answer those late-night-panic questions.
It took the combination of the learning + the community to make my business fly. I want you to have the same adventure, without those scary lost-in-the-darkness-of-space moments.
To support your adventure, I've combined everything you need: Defining success, regular map-making, monthly review, a crew of smart captains, accountability and a space to ask your questions, 24/7. And a library full of education – from profitability to marketing to time management.
I was so discouraged. I was crushed. I thought more than once about closing Yarn Love just so I wouldn’t have to deal with disappointing myself and my husband.
But I didn’t. I found you.
I dug your book off my shelf and got started. I gave myself 6 months to turn things around. Along the way I purchased your Map Making guide to help me with a tidy, executable plan, because I can work a plan like nobody’s business.
I’m 6 weeks into my first quarterly map.
I HAVE EXCEEDED MY INCOME GOAL!
In 6 weeks, I have made more than $5000 of profit.I have streamlined my business processes. I have spent half of every other day at the pool with my kids. (In other words, I’m rocking family life and having fun, too.)
So thank you, Tara. You were just what I needed. There aren’t enough words in the English language to express my gratitude for your help and insights.”
-Katie, of YarnLove
What is The Starship?
• Quarterly Map-Making sessions. Four times a year we set new, reachable goals and boil it down to Next Steps (that actually get done). You make a map to guide your next three months.
• Monthly live Q+A calls – ask me your questions and I'll give you a personalized, direct answer.
• Over 15 classes + guides aimed at exploring different aspects of growth, each with apply-it-to-your-own business worksheets. They are ready for you to download and work through as soon as you like, along with Lift Off, which will walk you through the foundational classes, via weekly emails.
• A private, online space to ask me (and all the other Captains on board) your questions + get specific Do This Next steps or encouragement.
Not just for a month, but for an entire year.
To get the forums, classes and a community of supportive Captains for 12 months, you can join with 3 payments of $349 for 3 months or a one-time payment plan of $999.
This doesn't come with a magic powder that makes everything instantly “better”. But what it did do is make me sit down and look at my business from top to bottom, in all the little nooks and crannies that were neglected and full of dust bunnies, and clean it up. It made me examine why I'm charging the prices I am, what my goals are, what I am spending my work time doing and why. It made me see the systems that I *do* have in place and helped me put in new ones.
Each section of this course, as with all of Tara's classes, has been full of lightbulb moments whether I completed that section or not. I wouldn't want anyone but Tara holding my hand as I work through all of this stuff. It's been brilliant (and overwhelming, and tough, and totally worth it.)
– Joeli Kelley
What the Starship really does for you:
Answers your 3 am questions, so you're not up all night trying to figure out what to do. Your answers may come in the form of a class, a forum post by someone else, or the opportunity to ask in the forums and someone will be by to help you with it.
As one Captain put it, “You didn't just help me figure out my business, you helped me figure out my LIFE.”
Gently holds you accountable. When you share your goals, your intentions and just your weekly plan, you give it power. When we know what you're doing, and ask you (sweetly, gently) how it's going, you rise to the occasion, and actually get stuff done.
Envelops you in the friendly warmth of coworkers without ever actually getting out of your pjs. Yep, everyone in this space is working on the same goal (a creative biz!) but in our own ways. So whenever you're feeling lonely or confuzzled, walk out to the water cooler and get some feedback or a cup of tea.
Connects you with resources. Whether it's the answer to a question or just the person who can help you spread the word, the Starship will be gently hooking you up into a support system that will biggify you in a million ways.
More than anything, the Starship takes you where you want to go.
With the Map-Making, you define your destination. With the check-ins, you stay on the course. And with the classes, you dig into what you need to know and apply it your business.
“Starship was (is) a supportive network of like minded people who understood me and what I do…it was great to be a part of that community. And it felt like a safety net in a way. Like it was OK to change things up. It gave me confidence. It is probably odd to make this comparison but, it felt like when someone loves you you feel more secure in being yourself and trying new things? I am taking with me a whole bunch of knowledge, tools, and connections from my time with Starship. And I would fully recommend it to others.
The Starship really validated me and what I want to do, and what I enjoy doing.”
-Aubrey, A Daily Obsession
Got something specific to work on? Check out the classes in the library (immediately + continuously accessible):
Chart Your Stars – Plan, dream, get real + get ideal on your next year in business. And then it bring it to the Starship + get use-it-now advice.
Map-Making Guide – Step by step plan to take you from where you ARE to where you WANT TO BE. Includes 6 worksheets and 3 colorful maps.
NEWLY UPDATED – Pay Yourself – 6 video lessons + apply-it-now worksheets on finding the profit in your current business and paying yourself (finally).
BRAND NEW – How to Take a Break (without Breaking your Biz) – A Guidebook to stepping back or scaling down your work, without closing your business.
Pricing your Handmade Awesomeness – Stop stressing if the price is right. This class includes 3 mathematical equations to find your price AND talks about the harder, emotional stuff that goes into pricing.
Craft Your Marketing – Figure out how to talk about your work, who your people are and what to say on the various marketing tools!
Wrangle Your Time – Learn when you work best, and develop your own system for being as productive (and creative) as you can be.
Explore You – This three week course helps you improve one area of your business through attention and exploration.
From Hi to Buy: Craft your Customer Path – 4 audio lessons, 12 written lessons, and 7 worksheets to identify + improve the path your customers take to you – including what and how to write your blog, email newsletter, and social media.
Automagical Email Series – Connect with your people in a regular, easy way. This e-course walks you through your options as you plan your first series, with 4 videos and a workbook.
How to Talk About Your Work – In this three-part class you'll find the right words to describe your work and who it's for.
Busting the Blog Myth: Creating a blog that gets you want you want – My collaboration with Diane of Craftypod.com, this workbook has 4 lessons and 6 worksheets to move your blog from eh to oh yeah!
Finding + Wooing your Right People – Your guide to finding buyers, keeping them happy, all while staying true to the you-ness that keeps them smitten.
Rock the Shop – Wanna sell to local boutiques? Two hours, 2 checklists and 3 worksheets until you can do it with ease.
Rock the Show – Stop stressing over the craft show and get your goodness on the road (fun + profitably!).
Holiday Sanity – 4 weeks of planning for your holidays in a no-stress, no-should way. Expect a Cookie Party. Yes.
“Just wanted to let you know that Starship had been a really good fit for the last pieces of what I was needing to make some business changes. I've always done lots of goals and planning, but it would fall apart and fade. The extra few layers the Chart Your Stars and Map Making really have made things click… metrics, progress/review has made a big difference.”
– Jeannie
And, you'll get everything new I do in 2017:
This includes:
Lift Off – Build the foundations of your business (profitability, marketing and growth), with this 6 month program ($499 value).
Live Q+As, every month, where I answer your questions in real time.
More classes, workbooks, and meet-ups!
More than 1/2 off next year's Boarding Pass.
There are 20 5 spots left.
Want even more accountability and a weekly check in with me?
Get a pass to our weekly Holodeck Parties.
This is where we all get together for a weekly check-in (in our chatroom/Holodeck) and you answer the questions: Whatcha workin' on? What's going well? How can we help? I'm there for help, encouragement, and my undivided attention…and so are lots of other small-biz smarties.
The chat takes place every Wednesday at 11am + 2pm EDT, every single week. If you can't make it, there's an active check-in thread where the community will support you!
I try to make it to the Starship chats every week. I find that Tara's questions help me look back at my whole week (instead of just the past day or two) and see what I've accomplished, where there were challenges, and marvel at how much really got done. Plus, Tara and my fellow Starshippers are great at brainstorming ideas and finding a way past the maze of “shoulds” and “buts” to some great solutions to seemingly difficult problems.Even if I don't put the advice to work right away, the Starship chats always help me check my course and make sure I'm not about to sail myself off a cliff.
-Amy Crook, artist
I want the Starship + Holodeck Pass
Starship WITH the weekly Holodeck pass is 3 payments of $449.
If you can't ever make it to an 11am EST or 2pm EST time on Wednesdays, then you won't be able to take advantage of the Holodeck! (This is particularly true for Captains in Australia, New Zealand, China and Japan, or Captains who have a day job that restricts access during this time.)
If you don't care to spend an hour or two learning from the struggles and success of other Captains, in a text chat format, then the Holodeck probably won't be fun for you.
However, if you deeply need and appreciate regular, weekly accountability with a group of your peers, you'll love the Holodeck!
Do I have to come every week?
Nope! You'll get the most out of your Holodeck pass if you can make it 2-3 weeks out of the month, in a normal month. But NO ONE can make it every week – you've got life, travel, craft shows, emergencies, etc. that will come up!
Also, you can take a break (for weeks or months!) and you'll be welcomed back with happy (virtual!) hugs whenever you like.
Can I change my mind later?
You can always ADD ON a Holodeck Pass (just email us and let us know!), but you can't take off a Holodeck Pass. If you've got a pass and you don't want to use it… just take a break! You may feel like coming back in a month or 6!
“Tara totally gets my business and me. By the end of class, I had a map of what I needed to do. No longer was I flailing about, trying to figure it all out on my own. Now I had steps and direction. It's been a couple of months since I've been working on my to-do list. My website and Etsy store are in sync with each other. My newsletters are more focused and my website traffic is busy every day!
Thank you, Tara, for helping me feel in control of my business and less overwhelmed about it!
-Lisa Check, Flying Goat Farms
How does this work?
Click the button, complete payment and you are IN. You'll receive a Welcome email immediately, with instructions on signing into the online community, where you'll get immediate access to over $1400 in digital classes and the discussion board where you can ask questions 24/7. Your orientation will start the following morning, and you'll get weekly lessons the very next Wednesday.
What if I change my mind?
The Starship is a place of safety and commitment, where you can be sure your fellow members are as equally invested as you are. Before you buy, please read the above page carefully. If you have questions, email me. Don't buy until you're ready to commit.
I begin to invest in your business from the moment you beam up and you have immediate access to all of the classes (over $1400 worth). My team and I will welcome you in with a personal message and answer all of your questions. If you decide that it's not for you after you've purchased, let us know within 24 hours of logging in. We'll refund 50% of the price you paid (if you paid the total amount) or we'll cancel your payment plan (if that's how you joined). After 24 hours (of your first log-in), there will be no refunds. Even if you decide you don't want to participate in the forums or chat room, you will still have access for an entire year to download the classes and take them again and again, and you'll receive and learn from the exclusive weekly lessons.
By joining with the payment plan, you are agreeing to complete the entire payment plan. If you cancel the payment plan before you've paid in full, you will immediately lose access to the Starship.
Got a question? Click to expand!
How will materials be delivered?
All of the Starship materials are all delivered digitally. You’ll receive an email each Wednesday with links to the recent discussions, information about new classes, and information about the chat. You have immediate and continuous access to the Library, which contains downloadable lessons for over a dozen classes. The classes include written, audio and video lessons, worksheets, and discussion forums.
How much time will this take?
It depends on you and how much you already know about your business! The earlier weeks will take more time (around 30 minutes per day), as you get clear about the direction you want your business to go. After Chart Your Stars and Map Making, most lessons will take about 1 hour per week. You can spend as much time as you like on the forums, but there's no requirement (and I encourage everyone to spend more time working on their biz than they do in the community!)
Will I fit in?
EVERYONE worries about this! (It's just part of being human!). This is what James said after just his first week aboard:
“I just wanted to say thank you. Thank you for being so clear and authentic in your marketing and free products that I was able to trust emailing you my questions. Thank you for being so thorough and open in your answers that I knew my heart was right to be drawn to the Starship. And thank you for helping me to feel so welcomed and invited and celebrated in your space in such a short time.”
What's the difference between the Starship and Lift Off?
Lift Off is 6 months of classes, delivered via email + monthly group calls (and is no longer availabe to the public).
The Starship includes access to Lift Off (you can start whenever you like!) PLUS anytime access to all of the classes PLUS a community of your fellow makers. There's a 24/7 forum, weekly live chats, and the Accountability Partner Program. Your Starship membership lasts for a full year, and can be renewed if you like!
“This experience has solidified some things I already knew about myself- that I work better WITH other people, I need encouragement and support to move forward in my business, and the accountability really helps keep me on track. The people in this group are AWESOME, I have new friends AND new collaborators, and it's really a SMART group of women.” -Lisa Barnes, knitwear designer
I follow my enthusiasm by reading…a lot. And once a month, I share (some of) the books I read last month and the books I intend to read this month. You can join the informal book club by sharing your own list with me on Facebook and find all the posts here.
Hillbilly Elegy, by JD Vance – Oh man. This memoir really hit home. The author grew up just a few miles from where I did, but above that his home situation was similar to mine. The way he places it all in a social and historical context really helped me process it all in a new way. Basically, until I write my memoir you can read JD's and get a good view of my early life.
Moonglow by Micheal Chabon – This novel has stuck with me even though it feels a bit slow at times. Very character-driven, with a plot that unfolds before you even know it's happening.
Jane Steele, by Lyndsay Faye – a fun retelling of my favorite book, Jane Eyre. If you're into the ninja nun assassin novels I read a few months ago, you'll like this.
This week we're doing something different – I'm taking you with me as I walk around the trade show at TNNA. We'll meet yarn shop owners, vendors (yarn companies) and see some pretty stuff!
Whether you're in the yarn industry or not, I thought you'd enjoy seeing what a trade show looks like, how the vendors set up and how they talk to everyone who walks into their booth. These conversations are edited, because it was recorded live and there are, like in life, a million interruptions.
If you usually listen to the audio podcast, I encourage you to watch the video, so you can see the faces and the beautiful yarn!
Here's more info about the people I spoke to (Go! Support them!)
Did your 2016 go as planned? Are you feeling discouraged or sidetracked or thrilled? No matter how your 2016 has gone, you can create a better 2017. Today we’ll hear from a non-planner about how planning projects has made his life better, and I’ll share what I do in my own New Year planning session.
Links Mentioned:
The Starship is now open, but only for the rest of this week! Learn more + beam aboard here.
I follow my enthusiasm by reading…a lot. And once a month, I share (some of) the books I read last month and the books I intend to read this month. You can join the informal book club by sharing your own list with me on Facebook and find all the posts here.
How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big, by Scott Adams – I took copious notes on this book! In it, the Dilbert cartoonist explains how he reached crazy goals (spoiler alert: systems!). So you know I loved it and recommend it.
The Improv Handbook for Modern Quilters, by Sherri Lynn Wood – Oh man. I love this book. It gave me so many quilty ideas! It's exactly the kind of craft book I love – lots of ideas + inspiration + “how to think” stuff, without step by step instructions (which I never follow anyhow).
Leaving the Saints, by Martha Beck – Oof. I thought I was reading a (well-written) book about the author leaving the Latter Day Saints. And then it turns into so much more. It gutted me and I'll be thinking about it for a long time.
The Well-Educated Mind: A Guide to the Classical Education You Never Had, by Susan Wise Bauer – Yes, the author is a bit sniffy about those of us who haven't had a “classical education” but I always say what I learned in college wasn't so much conjugating French verbs but HOW to learn anything, and how to think critically. This book gives you the tools to apply that critical thinking to both fiction and non-fiction. It also provides a list of books in literature, history and philosophy to round out your classical education. Since it's a library book, I didn't read the blurbs for all the suggested books, but I did take notes on critical method and the books I haven't yet read. (I started a new note keeping system during reading, would you like to see it? Lemme know on Facebook!)
Year of Reading Dangerously, by Andy Miller – The above book led me to the “reading” section of my library (meta!) where I found this. Funny, interesting, and definitely got me re-excited about my Great Books project. (My list is here.)
Love Warrior, by Glennon Doyle-Melton – Like I said last month, I found Glennon's blog, read a ton of her archives and immediately checked her first book out from the library. And then her next book came out and I snatched it up… and then it was named Oprah's next Book Club pick. I hope that won't turn you off from this, a totally gripping memoir about a woman's understanding of herself, as a woman, in this world that objectifies and sexualizes us.
All the Things We Never Knew, by Sheila Hamilton – Another memoir! This one by a woman who slowly uncovers her husband's mental health diagnosis and struggles to keep him safe and alive, even after it's totally destroyed their relationship.
I need some more recommendations! Tell me on Twitter or Facebook!
Yeah, so I read a LOT this month. I didn't even share them all here (I skipped the ones I didn't love, or wouldn't recommend.) Here's to another great month of reading!
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