Feel like I’ve come back from the dead! I was hit with the flu/food poisoning/norovirus/some sort of stomach-destroying, body-crushing sickness after our show on Friday. Sunday as I was stuck in bed dying I check Facebook on my phone and realized at least 10 other performers from the show had some down with the same thing. No fun at all!

Irina traded me Saltines and Vernors for my ticket to go see Cirque…yes, I totally missed out on seeing Quidam…SO disappointed. My sister took care of me, bringing me ice chips and Pedialyte (doesn’t taste great, but it works!) and Slayer stayed glued to my side to the point that he growled when my sister pulled him off the bed to take him outside.

After three days away from my computer, my inboxes are a little scary, but I’m finally back and working through them today. So if you’re expecting a response from me, it’s coming soon.

And also – hello to all of you that stopped by from Elycia‘s blog. Lovely to meet you :) She’s giving away a template from my Etsy shop and you can enter right here!

+ Rehearsing a new duo lyra routine
+ Finally unpacking the rig – we’re using it for the first time tonight!
+ Post-class dinner with Irina – tomato soup, tortellini, chocolate cake
+ My stylist gave me pretty blond and big hair
+ In bed reading next to a snoring Piglet

You can follow me on Instagram @SillyGrrl

To say my life is packed is an understatement. After class most nights and being away from my phone for about two hours I come back to multiple emails, multiple texts and multiple requests.

I’m so lucky to have this wave of clients and shows, but it’s a lot to work on all at once, so I’m been doing a few things every week to keep myself and my mind from getting overwhelmed.

1 // Take time to turn off, unplug and read every night. I just finished The Girl Who Played With Fire.

2 // No answering emails after 7pm or during the weekend unless it’s an emergency…still struggle to adhere to this one, but it’s a huge stress reliever. I’d even start to turn off my phone some nights ::gasp!::

3 // Plan one night off during the week to do nothing

4 // Prioritize my to-do list and don’t stress if a few small things don’t get done

5 // Get my ass in bed by midnight – this is a big help when juggling so many things!

All of these really point to not working after my 9to5 so my mind can disconnect and recharge for my to-do list for the next day.

Do you have any rules for yourself or things you do/don’t do to keep from getting overwhelmed and stressed?

Psst! Did you enter to win a gift certificate to Sugar + Bean Crochet? Hop to it >>>

Photo via WeHeartIt

Eating massive amounts of cheesy potatoes and tofu chocolate peanut butter pie

 Mom making us big kids popcorn and hot toddies + secret undies from Santa

Loud, silly photo sessions with my cousins

Christmas poppers and goofy hats + my brother laughing so hard he spit water all over the table at Christmas dinner

Getting a little JamBox and a big Hello Kitty for Christmas

Waking up to breakfast in bed + finishing two site designs

Christmas cartoons + floors completely covered in paper

Meeting Pants’ parents at the casino where everyone lost money except me…the non-gambler + drinking too much & downing Taco Bell…a bad combo

Watching Pants get his hair cut at a cool little ’50s style barber shop +  seeing The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (SO GOOD) & getting started on The Girl Who Played With Fire + walking the piglet through big, wet snowflakes

Mae flew in yesterday, my brother comes home tomorrow, and Pant’s parents are in town as well. I’ve got plenty of prezzies to pass out and food to eat and while I’m not a big Christmas person, I’m happy for an excuse to spend my weekend away from the computer.

I managed to wrap up my last design of the year in record time, so I’m looking at a week without any deadlines, classes or rehearsals. Planning to try unplugging for a bit, but knowing myself I’ll start working on projects for January anyway.

Make sure to stop by next week for a bunch of posts to help get on track for hitting all your goals in 2012!

Wishing you all a very Happy Christmas!

xoxo Sarah

Five Minutes: Imagine you will completely lose your memory of 2011 in five minutes. Set an alarm for five minutes and capture the things you most want to remember about 2011…

Learning duo trapeze and our first big performance at The Dirty Show, meeting Pants for the first time & his sneaky plan for our first date, lots and lots of brunches, playing in the snow, getting my splits, fancy night out to see Mary Poppins & serious bonding with Mandy & Mae, Corktown St. Patty’s Day Parade, mini vacation to Vegas and seeing Cirque and The Descendents live for the first time, finding out that we were going to perform at two Theatre Bizarre shows, shopping for sex toys + making dinner + hooping + champagne with Mandy and Mae, melting at the Tigers game, two nights of Motion City, Ben & Jerry’s ice cream domination, picking my brother up from the airport at the buttcrack of dawn to surprise my sister for her graduation, starting to teach at The DAKA, launching my portfolio site, Gold Cup – my first real soccer game, dancing in the kitchen, bbq-ing on my tiny grill, photoshoot for the circus book, painting my dining room black, buying my very own silks and learning to rig, my sister moving in and not killing each other even a little bit, hosting brunch at my house, romantic Detroit date with Mandy, Wings game for my Bday, two shows at The Rust Belt, lunches and brunches for mega brainstorming…

Whew! This ladies and gentlemen is why I have a blog. So happy to have such a fantastic year documented :)

This is my favorite time of day, when the whole house and whole neighborhood is quiet, light filtering through the front window. My sister is still upstairs sleeping. The only sound is the refrigerator running and the furnace warming the house. Slayer sits near me, not moving a muscle, eyes trained on my fried egg and veggie sausage. When I’m finished eating he crawls under my arm and leans against me or hops up onto the one couch cushion I allow him to crush so he can look out the window. There are no emails, no designs, no errands crossing my mind yet. I just sink into the couch for 30 minutes and slowly sift through my reader.

I like to think I’m pretty good at checking off goals. I revel in planning and organizing, am a superstar at getting motivated, and love that sigh of relief when the last to-do is crossed off. If you have a goal in mind or a project you’d like to start, but are lacking motivation, inspiration or battling procrastination, this post is for you. There will never been a better time to start than now!

GETTING STARTED

[ 1 ] Start writing, train of thought. Let your fingers fly. Don’t re-read or edit until your brain is empty.
[ 2 ] Make a vision board with pictures, quotes and a list of steps to achieve your goal and put it next to your bed so you see it every morning when you wake up and every night before you fall asleep.
[ 3 ] Make a timeline for the length of your goal describing the steps you’ll take you get there.
[ 4 ] Tell a friend or family member and get some support and someone to remind you to keep working.
[ 5 ] Blog about it and keep track of your progress online.
[ 6 ] Write a contract with yourself, set specific dates for when things will be accomplished.
[ 7 ] Spread the word. Talk to everyone you meet about your goal – you never know who might be able to give advice or lend a hand.
[ 8 ] Using a big sheet of paper/dry erase/chalk board write out the steps to need to take to achieve your goal. Then cross them off as they’re completed…feels good, right?
[ 9 ] Do or do not, there is no try…Yoda was right, if you try to do something you’re setting yourself up for failure. Just go for it!
[ 10 ] Do your research – see who’s been there before you and what challenges they’ve encountered.
[ 11 ] Tie up the loose ends. What are the few things you need to get out of the way before you can get started?
[ 12 ] Grab a partner. Maybe you can’t do it all on your own, but collaborating with someone might make your goal possible.
[ 13 ] Make someone proud. Maybe doing it for yourself is not enough, but will achieving your goal will make your mom, grandpa or professor proud of you?
[ 14 ] Keep it simple. It doesn’t have to be the perfect time, you don’t have to have a giant project, and you don’t need a ton of money. Start small.
[ 15 ] Set up a website for your project. It will help you keep track of your progress, be a good marketing strategy and can work as a portfolio. (via Mae)
[ 16 ] Keep something in your wallet to remind you of your goal, so when you go to spend money or do something big you can think twice about whether it will negatively affect your progress. (via Mandy)

FINDING INSPIRATION

[ 17 ] When the inspiration comes, drop everything and run with it.
[ 18 ] Take classes, watch a seminar, read everything you can about your goal.
[ 19 ] Do something every day, even if it’s something small, it still puts you one step closer.
[ 20 ] Make an investment and upgrade your tools. If you want to be a photographer and are using an old point and shoot it might be time for an upgrade.
[ 21 ] Be inspired by those who have gone before you. Find role models and mentors and pick their brains if possible.
[ 22 ] Do something fun related to your goal. If you’re working on a novel, take some time and write a poem or a short story. That way you’re still working on your craft, but without the pressure.
[ 23 ] Learn something new – follow a tutorial, take a class.
[ 24 ] Create mood/inspiration boards. Pinterest is a great tool for this.
[ 25 ] A short email with a couple questions to an important person in your field could lead to helpful information or even a mentor.
[ 26 ] Keep an inspiration notebook with you at all times. I use notepad on my iPhone to keep lists when a brainstorm rolls through.
[ 27 ] Surround yourself with motivated, productive people and be inspired by what they are doing.
[ 28 ] Fantasize. Imagine what it will be like in a month, year, or 10 years when you’ve achieved your goals.

KEEPING THE MOTIVATION

[ 29 ] Feeling overwhelmed? Tackle a few little tasks first and then move on to the bigger ones.
[ 30 ] Lost your motivation or focus? Give yourself a break! An hour, a day, a week, a month – how ever long it takes for the inspiration to come back. And don’t feel guilty about it.
[ 31 ] Find others working toward the same goal and bounce ideas off each other or cheer each other on.
[ 32 ] Mark the mile stones by giving yourself a day off or a prize.
[ 33 ] This one applies more to creatives: If you’re feeling stuck in the process a blank page can do wonders. Just scrap what you’re working on and start over.
[ 34 ] Get rid of distractions. If you keep thinking about how you need to pay bills, fold laundry or run errands, then do it!
[ 35 ] Use EFT  – total hippie shit, but it works.
[ 36 ] Exercise. If you’re feeling stuck, a great way to get your brain moving and excited about work is to get your body moving. Run around the block, do jumping jacks, have a dance party all by yourself.
[ 37 ] Try again tomorrow – I know if I’m starting to make garbage and nothing looks right it’s time for me to call it a night. No need to press on if you’re not coming up with anything good.
[ 38 ] Get up early, get dressed and get to work. Don’t stay in your pjs all day just because you can. I swear they zap motivation and put me to sleep.
[ 39 ] Take time each week to visualize how it will feel to achieve your goal.
[ 40 ] Try a change of scenery, work outside instead of at your desk.
[ 41 ] Break up your day – take actual time out for lunch, exercise, a shopping trip. All work and no play leads to burn-out very quickly!
[ 42 ] For exercise goals – pick a show that you only watch while running on the treadmill or stretching (via Jen)
[ 43 ] The Pomodoro Technique. Set a timer for 20 mins and work on one task. When it goes off, set it again and work on another.
[ 44 ] Break it down. If you’re writing a novel, bang out 500 words a day and you’ll get there faster than staring at that giant 100,000 looming in the distance.
[ 45 ] Some projects take time – when writing this list I came back every few days and added more instead of trying to think up 101 items in one sitting.
[ 46 ] Have a productivity night with friends. You might not be working on the same thing, but you can still hang out and support each other while writing, drawing, designing. Plus you’ll have a bunch of people right there when you need an opinion or another pair of eyes or hands.

BEATING PROCRASTINATION

[ 47 ] Stay focused – turn of the TV, shut down your email, close Facebook, Twitter and chat windows, turn off your phone, lock your door and get to work.
[ 48 ] Don’t feel like working at all? Pick three things to get done, two little, one big, check them off and then give yourself a break.
[ 49 ] To stop procrastination – literally stop whatever you are doing, stand up and move. Do anything…unload the dish washer, walk the dog, grab a notebook and start writing.

TAKING CARE OF YOURSELF

[ 50 ] Eat well…Taco Bell doth not propel thee forward (I know I love it too >_<)
[ 51 ] Many restaurants have online ordering and deliver – utilize it. <3 Chipotle, Jimmy Johns and Potbelly!
[ 52 ] Feeling sluggish? Give your brain a boost – sit up straight & breathe deeply, go for a run or brisk walk, eat whole grains, blueberries, nuts, eggplant, fish & dark chocolate.
[ 53 ] If you are spending hours a day working toward your vision, take time away to have meals instead of cramming food in your mouth while in front of you computer.
[ 54 ] Don’t say yes to things when inside you are saying no. You are an adult, you are allowed to politely decline ANYTHING and EVERYTHING.
[ 55 ] Don’t freak out. If you don’t get a single thing on your to-do list done the world will not end and your project will not fail.
[ 56 ] Totally freak out. Sometimes you just have to have an ugly cry and let it all out so you can start fresh tomorrow
[ 57 ] Talk it out – freaking out about how much you have left to do, that deal that fell through, the inspiration you just can’t grasp in the comfort of your workspace will not help. Get out, spill your guts to someone, they might not have the answers, but it will be a huge relief either way.
[ 58 ] Try yoga or meditation to conquer stress.
[ 59 ] Sleep for an extra hour, buy a new mattress or pillows. If you’re not waking up rested you’ll start your day off slow. Make some changes so you are energized when you wake up.
[ 60 ] Take a vacation. If you’re working on a long-term project take a week or a weekend to get away from work and unplug. You’ll come back refreshed, relaxed and ready to get back at it.
[ 61 ] Therapy…it works. Other things to get you in a better frame of mind: exercise, St. Johns Wort, a healthy diet, talking to friends (I said talking, not venting), journaling.

[ 62 ] Stop the presses! Take an hour to reevaluate and figure out how to take your project to the next level. What can you add? Who can you contact?

GETTING PROFESSIONAL

[ 63 ] Are you getting paid to do this? No? Maybe you should be!
[ 64 ] Teach others to perfect your craft. As a kid I struggled with math, so my mom would make me explain the solutions to her, which helped me understand them.
[ 65] Intern – offer your services to someone doing what you want to do. Busy people rarely turn down free labor. Or hire an intern to help take a few things off your plate.
[ 66 ] Interviews, meetings, etc…to be early is to be on time
[ 67 ] Hire help – if you don’t know anything about accounting, business plans, budgets and contracts than it’s worth it to hire someone who does so you don’t end up paying for it later
[ 68 ] Look professional even if you aren’t (yet). Hire a photographer for head shots instead of using your iPhone and an editor to look over your book even if you’re self publishing.
[ 69 ] Order business cards. Name and contact info is all you need. You never know who you will run into that might be able to help.

STAYING ORGANIZED

[ 70 ] Plan your day, hour by hour, so you know what needs to be accomplished.
[ 71 ] Write it down. Get all those tasks out of your mind and organized on paper and you’ll feel much clearer about where you’re headed.
[ 72 ] Don’t worry if everything doesn’t get finished – add it to your list for tomorrow.
[ 73 ] Stack projects – working on one thing day after day is a sure fire way to get bored – having multiple things on your plate allows for change and productivity at the same time.
[ 74 ] Clock your hours: how much time are you in front of the TV or computer, working out, hanging with friends, working toward that goal. Which of those things make you feel good and which make you feel bad? (http://www.toggl.com/)
[ 75 ] Use two different workspaces/computers for boring administrative tasks and creative tasks.
[ 76 ] Make daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly goals.
[ 77 ] Set deadlines.
[ 78 ] Plan specific days for meetings and days where you never schedule meetings.
[ 79 ] There are 24 useful hours in every day. When you’re waiting for the bus or bored at work use that extra time to make a to-do list, organize, or research.
[ 80 ] Clean up your workspace.
[ 81 ] Take stock of your day – what are you doing during your daily routine that is helping you toward your goal and what is hindering your progress? Then cut, cut cut!
[ 82 ] Download an app. Scatterbrain for notes, Agenda Calendar for scheduling, Dropbox for sending video and pictures, Mint for keeping your finances on track.
[ 83 ] Is this a money-making venture? Plan your budget – where is the money coming from and where will it go?
[ 84 ] Pick one part of your daily routine and make it easier, more enjoyable and more efficient.
[ 85 ] Clean out your digital space – do you really read all those blogs, care about what all those followers say, use all those files on your computer? Use Space Gremlin to help identify files and folders on your computer that take up badly needed space. (via Mae)
[ 86 ] Label emails and keep your inbox spotless. Anything awaiting a response gets filed away.
[ 87 ] Back your shit up. Carbonite will allow you to back up your computer and keep it in the cloud securely. If you don’t want to pay for that, buy an external hard drive which has a dual hard drive and keeps a mirror of your original archive, and use Time Machine to do regular backups of your computer. In the case that one hard drive fails, you will have two backups to take care of your precious work. (via Mae)

DEALING WITH ROADBLOCKS

[ 88 ] Silence the detractors. Only positive and constructive voices allowed. So figure out how to shut them down or ignore them…especially if those voices are in YOUR head.
[ 89 ] If you get half way to your goal and you aren’t really enjoying the process anymore, give yourself permission to stop, give up, change direction.
[ 90 ] Ask for help when you face a problem you can’t solve, but also when you are overwhelmed. Need a proof reader or a taste tester? Ask your friends and family to lend a hand.
[ 91 ] Keep distractions at bay – wear noise blocking headphones w/out listening to music.
[ 92 ] Let it go. If you screwed up, even if it was really bad, taking it with you day after day will only hinder your goal achieving.
[ 93 ] Stop with the excuses – if you want something bad enough there is a way around every road block
[ 94 ] Suck it up. So your report got sent back practically painted red. Do not freak out, do not break down, do not quit. Take a breath (or a break if you need it), let it go and keep moving forward. You cannot change the past, but the future is all yours.
[ 95 ] Get rid of all the negative. Move on from your Debbie Downer friends, take down posters that don’t make you feel happy, let go of the past, stop complaining
[ 96 ] Take responsibility when things go wrong. Others may be getting in your way, cutting you down and pissing you off, but what are YOU doing to sustain the negative situation and what can YOU do to change it?
[ 97 ] Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. The world will not end it you fail.
[ 98 ] You only really fail if still want to achieve your goal and quit anyway.
[ 99 ] DO NOT compare yourself to others who you see as being better or stronger or shooting toward their goal at lightning speed. You are on your own path and they are on there’s. What they need to do and learn is not always the same for you even if you are striving for the same thing. It will NEVER help. It will make you feel bad. Just don’t do it.

CELEBRATING SUCCESS

[ 100 ] Once you have achieved your goal, go back and assess what worked, what didn’t and what you could have done differently.
[ 101 ] Enjoy your success! Take yourself out to dinner, pop champagne, eat a giant ice cream sundae, thank those who have helped and supported you and revel in what you’ve accomplished!

Now that you’ve got a huge list of ways to stay organized, get motivated and defeat the evil procrastination monster, what are you going to do??

In a major medicine fog today and my cough sounds like a rottweiler. Off to the docs tomorrow to see if I can get rid of this cold since I have to be on stage in 10 days. Yikes!

In the the meantime, since I know lots of you are stopping by from Sometimes Sweet and Yes and Yes, here are a few posts to keep you entertained :)

• My Guide to Getting Shit Done
• How to: the French Braided Bun
• Nerd Q & A: Free fonts and WordPress.com vs. Blogger
• How to: Achieve Big Goals
• A Year of Happiness
• Duo Trapeze at The Dirty Show

I always find a cute notepad helps in checking things off…

Vintage pistol notebook // I Will Get It Done notepad
Today Is A New Day printable // Quit Procrastinating notepad

P.S. Today is the last day to enter to win a print from Joe Havasy – seriously, his work is so cute – go enter! Also you have until Sunday to enter to win a $25 gift certificate from Apothica.com.