One of the questions I get asked most often is about my design process. Most of us have a method for working through a project but once it’s done often enough, it begins to feel like second nature. I’ve continually held off writing this article until now because truthfully, my design process has become so routine that I don’t think of it as being significant. But, when I take the time to step back, I realize that we each have a different method for working through projects and can learn from one another. Today, I’m going to share an overview of the general design process I go through when working on a project. Please note that the process detailed below is focused solely on the creative side of a project and not on any of the administrative or strategic tasks that take place.

1. The Questionnaire

When I’m working with a new client, I begin my process by sending out a questionnaire. It’s comprised of a short, succinct set of questions meant to jog memories and provide the basic information clients might not otherwise think about. The last question encourages clients to gather their own visual inspiration and links to sites and content they like. After all, we know ourselves better than anyone else and the more we share about what we love & loathe, the easier the designer’s job becomes.

2. Visual Research

While the client is doing their own visual research to show me what they like, I’m doing mine at the same time. Conducting visual research is important because it helps you become aware of current trends. This doesn’t mean that you should rip off every hot color, font and lockup you see. It’s meant to inform you of what’s happening in the world around you. Think about the flipside; you don’t want to end up with a logo that looks exactly like someone else’s because you didn’t do your homework! Clients tend to want a logo that’s on-trend while still remaining unique. But by on-trend, I mean current, not trendy. Nobody wants to go through the hassle of redesigning their logo every few years if they can help it!

My top places to search for visual inspiration are:

1. Designspiration

2. Pinterest (This is my personal account where I save some of my favorite images).

3. FFFFOUND!

4. Flickr: I have a private folder that I upload everything I find into and have been actively adding to it since college. I do this mainly because I can be anywhere in the world, log in and have my full collection of inspiration at my fingertips.

3. Thumbnail Sketches

Ah, yes. Our college professors made us do page after page of thumbnail sketches and they do have their benefits! My head is usually full of potential fonts and lockups the second I start working on a new project and getting them onto paper helps me define some of the options I really want to explore. Plus, being away from the computer helps me clear my mind and creatively focus in a fresh way. To be completely honest, I’m not a big sketcher. Often, my notebook pages will be composed mostly of lists, like “try this font” and “reference this image.” Sketch, make lists, do whatever suits your style best. Just try to do some part of your creative process away from the computer. Breaking up your routine often yields some of the best, most unexpected results.

4. Presentation with Visual Research

A moodboard (at the top of this post) is more of an arbitrary, outward-facing step I’ve included to show online folks what outside influences inspired me on a particular project. But usually, the visuals I’ve gathered are placed in a section within the first client presentation I deliver called, you guessed it, “Inspiration.” This is beneficial for the client because it can make them more feel more confident of the outcomes when they understand the general reference points. Also, something lurking in the visual inspiration may very well grab their attention. Perhaps they’ll say, “I love the layout of option #4 but the type feels off. Can you modify it to feel more like the type in XYZ?”

5. The Moodboard

I’ve noticed a huge trend lately of designers showing moodboards online of what inspired a particular project. I’ve never shared this part of my process with my readers but am considering making a change the next time I showcase a project. Of course, in my world the inspiration is just a folder of gathered imagery tucked inside the client’s job folder on my hard drive but in an effort to present a so-called organized, methodical look, an example of the visual research I gathered for photographer Sasha Gulish’s identity development is at the top of this post. Looking back, it really did help speed up the design process and aligned perfectly with the colors we’d already been considering.

6. Revise / Review / Redeliver

Once you’ve delivered that first round, it’s time to wait for client feedback, revise the options they liked, perhaps gather even more visual inspiration if they’re feeling a particular direction and send off the second round. Rinse and repeat until complete!

I’ve titled this article Developing a Design Process 01 because I figured that you might have more questions about specifics. If there’s something further you’d like to know about developing a process, please leave a question in the comments!

First of all, take a deep breath and realize how close you are to reaching a goal that you began four years ago. Some people may disagree with me but I’m a firm believer in completing what you’ve started when you’re that close (and have invested a good chunk of time and money). If you were only a year or two into your studies, it might make sense to pull out but you’re almost there!

Maybe I’m a bit more traditional in my career views but here’s what I think: For now, being an architect will allow you the opportunity to earn a great living until you figure out your next move. If your goal is to be a fine artist, you don’t have to jump in with both feet first (remember, many artists aren’t solely artists for a living). Perhaps it makes sense to work full-time out of school and see if you even like architecture (who knows, you might fall in love with it once you’re doing it professionally!) And then, maybe you can set a goal of cutting back your hours to part-time within a specific time frame so that you have more time to dedicate to your art. Your decision doesn’t have to be all or nothing right away unless you’re fully comfortable with that prospect.

Your passion does not have to be the same as your career.

Consider this: Your passion or hobby doesn’t have to be the same as your job. Fine art is something many of us do as a creative outlet but it can take awhile to establish yourself and earn a great living as a fine artist. Tangling your passion with your profession can also be tricky. Once you’re creating art to make a living, the focus of your work may also start to shift. What happens if you have bills to pay and a commission comes along that you’re just not comfortable with? Do you take it or leave it? In that position, would you wish that you’d stuck it out with a steady paycheck a bit longer so that you could turn down certain opportunities that didn’t fit within your artistic vision or goals?

Do both.

Have you considered doing both architecture and fine art? Here’s the thing: It’s hard to make a great living right out of school as a fine artist. Yes, it’s possible! Yes, some people have all the charm and talent and make it look easy! But often, unless you’re an illustrator that’s willing to do commercial work or perhaps a painter that does commissions and murals, it can take some serious time and commitment to gain momentum (i.e. a distinct style, solo shows, steady clients and representation). Do you have a plan in place to support yourself in the meantime?

I, too, wanted to be a fine artist. I ended up going to school for design because like you, I felt it was more practical than art. Art was a huge passion of mine but I found a happy medium by becoming a designer which provided a much steadier income and then came home from work and set aside a few hours each night to work on my series. I had a solo show at the first agency I worked at and later, my collages were used on a line of snowboard goggles and helmets! Working as a designer actually helped me open up more doors for creating fine art. Architecture may do the same for you in very unexpected ways.

If fine art is for you, make a plan.

Be smart about your decision. Do you even need another degree to be an artist? Do you have a specific style and medium established? Is your work only accessible through a gallery or do you offer a format and style that would do well on a site like Etsy? Do you have social media set up to promote your artwork? Making a clear plan of what you hope to accomplish will make the transition into fine art as a career a lot less stressful. If you’re looking for more advice about a fine art career, I highly recommend reading Taking the Leap by Cay Lang. This book was recommended to me by another artist years ago and is full of practical advice on how to build a successful career, promote your work and put together contracts.

In Closing.

Remember, life doesn’t have to be about either / or. Fine art vs. architecture doesn’t have to be a black and white decision. If you do decide to use your degree to earn a living, you don’t have to continue down that path forever. How will you know if architecture isn’t right for you if you don’t try? You can always change your mind. Follow your gut. It’s always okay to make a change when something in our lives just doesn’t feel right.

Readers: What do you think? Have you been at this crossroads with your career before? How did you decide what to do next?

This is a fantastic question and brings up a much larger issue. As creatives and humans, we’ve all had those moments of self-doubt and feeling like we’re not the best. Well, I’ll let you in on something that will hopefully shift your perceptions: in almost any field you go into, there’s always going to be someone that’s better than you in some way.

So, take a moment to free yourself from those self-deprecating feelings and move on. Let go. Instead of wallowing in self-doubt and contemplating whether you’re good enough, focus on the big picture of your career. What have you accomplished and where would you like to go? Are the clients you’ve done work for happy with your output? Think about it: if your clients are happy, you’re definitely doing something right.

Self doubt is normal but be realistic.

Design is an extremely competitive field and I remember the self-doubt I felt during my first agency job fresh out of school. All of the designers on my team were much more skilled (and in my mind, that equated to way more awesome) than me but you know what I quickly realized? I was comparing myself to designers that had 5, 10 and even 15 years more experience! I was a fresh graduate trying to be as good as them! Obviously, I was setting myself up for failure with the “I’m not good enough” mentality. Once I realized that I’d been comparing apples to oranges, I was able to relax, put my guard down and go with the flow. I was aware enough to realize that everyone on the team was friendly and willing to help me when I asked — I was the one with the issue.

“We don’t see things as they are. We see them as we are.” — Anaïs Nin

Back to your question — clients are coming to YOU. I’ve always felt that if someone is choosing you out of the hundreds, even thousands of options they have out there, it’s because they admire your work. They want to work with you. Go above and beyond and most of the time, you’ll have a return client.

Know when to say no.

At the same time, if you feel very strongly that you’re not the best fit for the job, refer that client to the best person you know. After all, it’s better to be really amazing at something versus a jack of all trades and master of none. For instance, I’ve done my fair share of print and web design and feel confident in these areas but I’m aware of my limitations when it comes to retail environments. I can concept and whip up production files for banners and second-surface graphics for store windows but developing the entire look and feel of a full retail location or trade show booth is beyond my scope. If you feel like a project is way over your head and far outside your comfort zone, don’t commit. In the end, nobody will be happy!

One of the hardest things to admit is that as individuals, some projects are bigger than us. Some of the work I’m most proud of was created with teams, often including an art director, a copywriter, a producer and multiple designers. The client had a big vision and a team was needed to pull it all together. So don’t beat yourself up if you’re not seemingly awesome at everything! Remember that a lot of the big campaigns and projects you admire often weren’t the work of a single individual; they were the work of a team.

Surround yourself with the best.

Finally, consider this: if you feel that others around you are “better,” this can actually be a good thing. Strive to surround yourself with successful people. They give you goals to work towards and a reason to push yourself further. If you truly felt that you were already “the best,” would you work so hard? Probably not. Remember though that the people around you should be as supportive of your efforts and goals just as much as you are with theirs. It’s a two-way street.

The bottom line.

Put in that extra bit of effort to always deliver work that you’re proud of. Knowing that you’ve done your personal best (even when a project has dramatically shifted from the initial brief) is important. You may not want to put every single project in your portfolio (trust me, there’s campaigns I’ve spent two months of my life on that nobody’s ever seen) but knowing that you gave it your all is what’s important. If you’re good at what you do, your clients will notice. And remember that confidence is built over time, as we gain experience. We’re all a work in progress. As creatives, we all want to be better and do better. Take comfort in that.

“There are no short cuts to any place worth going.” — Beverly Sils

Student loans are one of those things that most of us will have to deal with at some point in our lifetimes but nobody likes to talk about. And, I can see why. Money is a touchy subject for many of us, especially when the conversation shifts to debt and admitting how much we owe. Student loans can be a huge source of anxiety, shadowing us as we begin our post-college careers.

This weekend, after much focus and planning, I hit a personal goal: I paid off my student loan. In my case, the reason this was possible was because I made the choice to do my entire design program at a community college. Post-graduation, when I had a good month, I would double, triple and sometimes quadruple my payments. I wanted it to go away, badly. I don’t even use a credit card, yet the high interest rate on my student loan made me feel like I had one.

In 2010, total outstanding student loan debt exceeded total outstanding credit card debt in America for the first time ever. — SignOn.org

Society places so much emphasis on getting into the top schools and students feel the brunt of this pressure. If you have the chance, by all means, go for it and relish the opportunity. If you can’t though, please don’t compare yourself to your peers; this is your journey. School really is what you make of it, whether you have a top name splashed across your diploma or not. The truth is, if you are determined, you’ll find a way to carve out your path.

When I went back to school in 2006, my top three choices for graphic design programs were at well known art schools and universities but there was no way I could afford them. And when I tallied up the total cost of these programs in my head, I knew the only way I could take this route was by racking up massive student loan debt. Honestly, I just couldn’t stomach it. So, I enrolled in a two-year limited entry graphic design program. Looking back, it was one of the best decisions I made. I still got a great education, a great internship and I still found a great job post-graduation. What I didn’t have a chance to learn in school (two years goes by fast), I eventually learned on the job.

If I’d had the opportunity, you bet I would have chosen a top art school. But because I knew it wasn’t an option at that moment, I made a choice. Everything turned out okay. I loved my teacher, I loved my program and I loved my college. And in comparison, the debt I incurred was minimal. Just because a school is expensive and well regarded doesn’t mean that it’s the best fit for you — for your learning style, for your goals or for your budget. No matter where you choose to go, your heart has to be in it.

I’ve heard so many students say, “I’ll worry about my loans once I finish. Right now, I just want to have fun.” That out of sight, out of mind mentality can really come back to haunt you, though. Remember, that’s real money with real interest you’re borrowing. Read the fine print; those interest rates on private loans are high. It adds up fast. And forking over a huge payment every month post-graduation is a harsh reality.

Since 1999, average student loan debt has increased by 511%. — SignOn.org


To me, it’s really upsetting when you’ve done everything right, earned an education and are left with mounting debt with an interest rate as high as some credit cards tacked on. There’s something really wrong with this country and the predatory lending practices when it comes to student loans.

All I’m tying to say is, give your choices some thought. Weigh what feels right for you when it comes to your education. Know what the interest rates are on your loans. Be aware. And always remember that If you want something out of life, you’ll find a way.

• Are you or someone you know struggling to pay back your student loans? Please consider supporting this petition. You can make a difference.

• Learn more about the student loan debt crisis through these infographics: The Roadmap to Repayment and The New Deal for Student Loans.

One of my all-time favorite books that I’ve been referring back to lately is It’s Not How Good You Are, Its How Good You Want to Be by Paul Arden. The book opens with, “Nearly all rich and powerful people are not notably talented, educated, charming or good-looking. They become rich and powerful by wanting to be rich and powerful.” That statement sets tone for the rest of the book which uses the principles of good advertising as a metaphor for running a successful business.

The beauty of It’s Not How Good You Are… is that it’s smart and clever in its execution but not brimming with business jargon. This book makes you think of that one boss who guided you through the jungle of corporate America by day and then took you out for a stiff drink and an inspirational pep talk at night. It leaves you feeling empowered, motivated and ready to take on the world.

Early in the book, Arden sets forth his first challenge: “So how good do you want to be?” Most of us usually set a goal of wanting to be good, or, if we’re really confident, perhaps the best in our field. But why not aim higher? A few years back, I was talking to another designer, saying that I wanted to be a really good at what I did. I was naming off the people I really admired. The designer thought for a second and said, “You’re comparing your work to the top 10% of designers in the world. That’s why you feel like you’re never good enough.” They had a point but if you want to improve in an area of your life, aim high. Push yourself harder to get to that level. Otherwise, it’s too easy to settle for just being ‘good.’

On this subject, Arden says that, “Talent helps but it won’t take you as far as ambition. Everybody wants to be good but not many are willing to make the sacrifices it takes to be great. You will become whoever you want to be.” It’s a simple statement yet consider the power of what he’s saying. What you put forth in effort is what you will get back.

One point that really hit home for me personally is, “Don’t look for the next opportunity. The one you have in hand is the opportunity.” We are always waiting for that perfect project. That perfect collaboration. I’ve been on design teams where we loathe the client to the point that we just give in to mediocracy to get the project out the door. It’s easy to lose sight of the potential when you’re full of disdain (and sometimes, rightly so!) But, back up. Arden says, “Whatever is on your desk right now, that’s the one. Make it the best you possibly can. It may not be great, but at least you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing you did the best you possibly could, and you may learn something from it.” I love this.

I’ve kept this page in mind ever since I first saw it when designing business cards for both myself and clients. Often, less really is more. “The person in the left column is the same as the one in the right column. But we regard them very differently,” Arden says. The person in the left column is saying what he is. The person in the right column is more ambitious. It’s how he wants others to perceive him. How you perceive yourself is how others will perceive you.”

Another powerful sentiment that seems to evaporate as we get older is, “When it can’t be done, do it. If you don’t do it, it doesn’t exist.” Follow through on that crazy idea. Arden says, “A new idea can be either unfamiliar, or silly, or both. It can’t be judged by description. It needs to be done (made) to exist.” The next time you have that brilliant idea that pops into your head at 2 am, write it down, run with it and make it happen.

Finally, the book ends with a list of famous quotes. My personal favorite?

“It’s better to fail in originality, than succeed in imitation.” -Herman Melville

I distinctly remember picking this book up on a lunch break in 2004 when I was working at a shoe store in the mall. I was looking for guidance for my next big move and I remember this book being a breath of fresh air. Arden proclaims that, “Your vision of where or who you want to be is the greatest asset you have. Without having a goal it’s difficult to score.” It’s Not How Good You Are… is there to help you make the most of yourself. Are you ready for the challenge?

When you’re in school, the work / life balance can seem almost impossible to achieve. I know all too well how this feels (see below). But do remember that you have the rest of your life and career ahead of you — plenty of time to make your dreams a reality. I had the same issue as you — my mind was constantly racing with ideas for personal projects during classes but time was scarce. What I have since realized is that just because you can’t act on your ideas right this second doesn’t mean that they’re going to suddenly evaporate or become less-thank-awesome. My solution was to carry a notebook everywhere with me to jot down those ideas. And, I did come back to many of them later on.

Though it’s hard to see now, while the projects you’re working on for class might not seem directly valuable to you at the time, the takeaway is usually more abstract. It could be that you’re learning a particular skill or gaining experience that you’ll be able to draw upon years down the road.

When I was 26, I began my second and final year of design classes. My schedule looked like this for a full year:

Monday: School // 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Tuesday: Agency Internship // 9:30 – 6 p.m.
Wednesday: School // 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Thursday: Agency Internship // 9:30 – 6 p.m.
Friday: School // 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Saturday: Retail Job // 10.a.m. – 6 p.m.
Sunday: Retail Job // 11.a.m. – 5 p.m.

Notice that there were no days off. Looking back, the constant rotation of tasks with a new place to be each day often left me reeling. Balancing so many commitments on top of blogging five days a week (I’d started this blog the year before) was bordering insanity but I pulled through because I had a set of goals at the end of the tunnel: 1. I needed to finish my design degree to get into the agencies & studios I admired. 2. I had to work because there was rent and bills to pay. 3. The internship was at an agency I considered my top choice for post-college employment.

If I hadn’t had goals, I probably would have dropped to the floor at some point, given into the exhaustion and cancelled some of my commitments. Even though I pulled through this stressful time, I won’t lie, it was definitely one of the hardest years of my life. But I got through it day by day, week by week and it taught me some key points:

1. Good time management

Even though you’re short on time now to work on your personal projects, this is something most of us will have to cope with for the rest of our lives. As we move from school to careers, to managing households, the time crunch doesn’t usually get much better post-college. School might seem like a drain now but if you have a very strict schedule and a very limited amount of time to complete particular tasks, you’ll find a way to make it happen. That drive to follow through with the seemingly impossible in a short window of time will come in handy later in your job.

2. Rating the level of importance of tasks

With a list of school assignments a mile long, you’ll quickly learn how to delegate and fly through completely different tasks in record time. When you’re at your post-college job and the boss rambles off a list of random items, you’ll be able to smile, respond with “no problem” and then rate, delegate and conquer.

3. Negotiation

There are going to be times where you’re expected to do two things at once. Or, worse yet, to be two places at once. During my final year of school, the agency I was interning at wanted me to come in on Fridays. One little issue: I had school on Fridays. It was in my best interest to work on Fridays because 1. the internship was paid and 2. it was where I hoped to work post-college. I negotiated with my teacher and she agreed that as long as I got my schoolwork done, I could work on Fridays instead. Think outside of the box when it comes to your schoolwork; most teachers are human and are willing to compromise with you if you show a willingness to meet them in the middle.

In Closing

While school can be a bumpy ride at times, remember that nothing lasts forever. You have an awesome opportunity to gain an education — try to embrace the experience now instead of rushing through assignments. Your ideas will still be with you once you’ve graduated and the life skills you learn in college will follow you through the rest of your career.

In a post that resonated with many of you, Doing What You Love, I discussed the process of actively taking steps to get from point A to point B in your life and mentioned that one way I moved forward during times of uncertainty (of which there were many) was by actively making lists of goals.

I was really serious about that list-making, too. One of the drawers in my flat files is devoted to storing old notebooks. These notebooks date back to around 2002 and are packed with notes and thoughts about what I wanted my path to be. Looking back, I wasn’t sure exactly what I wanted to do with my life but I knew it would include a combination of art and design. As the notebooks progressed, I did a lot of sketches of art pieces, began thinking more about my website and jotting down new ideas for design projects. Somewhere around 2005, I started making lists of potential design programs. Everything continued to progress from there. I had a few setbacks along the way but I kept pushing forward because it felt right. I worked through what I wanted first on paper, then made a plan of how I thought it was most feasible.

I still actively keep notebooks but these days, they are mostly filled with thumbnail sketches of logos, ideas for blog posts and client feedback. I also keep a daily planner now as well (you can see some of my old ones on the top of that stack). I know that many of you use digital means to track your to-do lists and goals but there’s something incredibly satisfying to me when I write everything out. It’s cathartic, a release. When I cross an item off, I’m letting go and moving on.

Looking back, I didn’t always know what exactly I was doing or how I was going to make it happen. All I knew is that I needed a change and I needed to feel like I was moving forward each day. Sometimes, all it takes to get started is a pen, paper and the drive to create change in your life, no matter how small it may seem at the time.

In a recent post, I proclaimed that you should make it your mission in life to do what you love. That’s easy enough to say but the big question is, how do you make it happen?

Because social media has become so polished over the last few years, from the outside, it can seem like everyone else has already achieved the so-called dream life that you aspire to. It’s not quite that simple though. Beneath the facade, we all struggle. It’s just that for varying reasons (some personal, some professional), not everyone chooses to share those struggles publicly. And since you often ‘meet’ people online who are already at the height of their careers (you didn’t discover them five years ago, when they started with five readers), you don’t see how they got from point A to point B. When you can’t clearly see the path they’ve taken, it all seems like a big ol’ brew of black magic.

Today, I’m here to help you think about what you really want, to make a plan and most importantly, to follow through with that plan.

Define exactly what you want, even if it feels unattainable.

If you don’t acknowledge what you want out of life, you’ll coast along, settling for what’s familiar and comfortable. How can you work towards your ideal life if you don’t even know what that resembles?

I’ve always been a dedicated list maker. When I was in my early 20s, living at my dad’s house in the suburbs, working a retail job selling shoes and in school full-time for business (completely not the path I wanted to be on!), I made lists. Lots of them. I wasn’t exactly sure what I wanted to do but I knew that I had to make small changes in order to move forward and unlock the puzzle. I did know that I loved advertising (I’d discovered a George Lois book in my high school library that was life changing) so I minored in Marketing. That was a start. I knew that I’d make more connections if I lived in Portland so I worked as many hours as I could, built a savings and moved into the city. I knew that having my own business was important to me so I blogged regularly to build an early platform for what would later become Nubbytwiglet.com.

All of these small changes were pieces of a much bigger puzzle and collectively, they started to shift my life. The picture became much more clear each day, each week, each month and so on. Based on achieving small, concrete results, I was then able to set new, more focused goals. At 24, after many list-filled notebooks, I finally knew what I wanted to do. Because I was equally drawn to marketing and design, working at ad agencies seemed like the perfect dream career. The idea excited me and I set out to find a way to make it happen.

Once I’d finished my business degree, I took a year off to regroup, started reading piles of design books and finally enrolled in a graphic design program. I secured an internship during my first year and set a new goal of working full time at an agency by age 27. It happened. That became a stepping stone for freelancing at another five agencies and each stop on that path was hugely beneficial (while being filled with very steep learning curves). As I worked at more agencies, design felt increasingly closer to my heart and became my true passion (as cheesy as that sounds).

After taking on nearly every job I possibly could in the first four years of being a designer to build a diversified portfolio, I’ve started to refine my business plan and figure out the next steps that I’d like to take professionally. It’s time for me to step back, reevaluate and refine my goals even further. It’s time to make a new list.

Why am I painstakingly detailing this part of my life for you? Because I want you to see that there’s a process for getting what you want out of life. Everyone has a beginning but it’s up to you to decide what the middle and end of your story will look like. Getting what you want doesn’t just happen magically.

Goals are like a map, outlining the path of your life with clear markers.

Goals give you momentum and a reason to get out of bed in the morning. Unlike dreams, goals are concrete measurements that signal that you’re on the right track while opening doors to new experiences and opportunities.

Accept where you are, right at this moment.

Be realistic about where you are, right now. This can be a hard pill to swallow if you’re really far from your goals. Remember that accepting your current spot doesn’t mean that you have to be content. It just means that you’re being realistic so you can make an honest plan outlining how to move forward.

The one thing that’s constant is change.

If you’re feeling stuck or unsure of your path, remember that everyone’s been in your shoes. Feeling uneasy is actually a good sign because it means that you’re aware and not willing to settle for where you’re currently at. Instead, you’re searching for a new opportunity, a new path, a sign that something needs to shift.

Once your goals begin to transpire, find ways to help others.

Enjoy your successes as they come but stay grounded and aware. Nobody likes dealing with a self-absorbed asshole. The best way to stay grounded is to find ways to give back. Donate your time and talents whenever possible. Even better, become a mentor. What you choose to give back doesn’t have to be monumental; do what you can do, when you can. The best gift you can give is to help someone else achieve their goals.

Live a life that you love.

Reworking your life is overwhelming and scary; it’s okay to start really small. Set regular check-in points along the way so that you know you’re on track. If you’re feeling stuck, the best way to overcome a mental block is to get it out into the open; talk it out or write it out. And finally, the challenges we face along the way only make us stronger. Never, ever give up and never, ever sell yourself short. You only live your life once so really, truly make the most of it. There’s no time for regrets. Do what you love in 2012.

I snapped this photo a few days ago and wanted to share this simple thought. Warhol was definitely onto something when he proclaimed, “I think everybody should like everybody.” We live in a complicated world but a little kindness can go a long way in 2012. I’ll be back later in the week with my yearly recap!

Last week, I found these simple yet powerful screen prints by coniLab on Etsy and thought they’d be a perfect reminder to hang in my office, just in time for the new year.

With so many blogs peeking into other people’s (seemingly perfect) lives constantly surrounding us, it’s easy to lose track of our own in the shuffle. Some people are born knowing what their path in life should be but for the rest of us, it isn’t that easy. Sometimes it takes more than a just dream — a mentor, a specialized education, money, a plan. When you do finally find the right path, everything else begins to unfold as it should. I took a few chances this year — the kind where you feel your stomach drop for a second and wonder, “What have I just done?” Those are the chances that make you feel alive though. I just kept repeatedly telling myself, “When you put yourself out there, great things usually happen” and I feel like I’m wrapping up the most fulfilling year yet (trust me, it wasn’t easy). If you’re unhappy or unfulfilled, It’s up to you to make that shift. Embrace what makes you unique instead of erasing it in the process. Put your best foot forward, let the entire world know what you want to do with your life and then conspire to make it happen. 2012 is right around the corner and it’s never too late to do what you love and love what you do.