2018 WEEK 14: ACCOUNTABILITY UPDATE

What I did the week of April 1 – 7 to make 2018 awesome.

  1. Published 3 blog posts.
  2. Released 2 YouTube videos (Episode 041 of The Ashlee Craft Show & released my cover of Crowded House’s song ‘Archer’s Arrows’).
  3. Began editing the book I wrote last year about my Epic Florida Road Trip!
  4. Spent a lot more time sorting stuff in my house & garage to work on becoming more of a minimalist.
  5. Made 6 posts on Instagram.
  6. Reached out to someone successful in acting to ask for advice about agents, jobs, etc.
  7. Reached out to a company about them carrying the shorts I designed.
  8. Uploaded my new song Run Away to Soundcloud!
  9. Submitted my song Run Away to one website with the possibility of it being featured on their website.
  10. Drew 10 illustrations (nine of which are for a book I’m doing!) & 1 design.
  11. Wrote 1 poem.
  12. Put products with my Blobfish design on them on on Society6 Shop!
  13. Wrote 1 short story!
  14. Signed up for the Yes Supply Facebook group for female entrepreneurs.
  15. Asked five successful entrepreneurs that I respect immensely what their #1 tip was for how to get from obscurity to success & two replied!
  16. Created & set up my page on Patreon!

2018 WEEK 13: ACCOUNTABILITY UPDATE

What I did the week of March 25 – 31 to make 2018 AWESOME.

Week 13 was very productive! I spent a ton of time cleaning & going through stuff in my garage & house, & I finally made the demo version of the shorts (that I put off for one year) & released the song I’ve been working on for two years!

  1. Released “Run Away”, the song I’ve been working on for two years on iTunes, Amazon, & other digital distributors!
  2. FINALLY made the demo version of my first-ever piece of clothing I designed, so I can begin on the next steps of actually getting it produced! I put this off for more than a year, so it feels great to have it done!
  3. Got rid of a ton more stuff I didn’t need. Sorted through 6 boxes of my stuff & only kept three boxes.
  4. Researched best websites to find acting jobs on & signed up with Actors Access.
  5. Edited more of the images to be used in my Udemy course!
  6. Drew 1 illustration & 4 designs!
  7. Made 3 Instagram posts.
  8. Wrote 1 poem.
  9. Did research on how to become a session musician.
  10. Published 4 blog posts!
  11. Did not do well on my eating healthy goals, but I did excellent on the exercise goals.
  12. Looked into some clothing items I’d like to get in order to help me look more like myself/my vision for myself.
  13. Published 3 YouTube videos.
  14. Signed up to be a brand ambassador for a sunglasses company that I like. Was approved!
  15. Looked into requirements for putting a course on Udemy just to make sure I do everything right while creating my first course!

2018 WEEK 12: ACCOUNTABILITY UPDATE

What I did March 18 – 25 to make 2018 amazing.

  1. Sorted a lot more of my garage & got rid of a lot more things I no longer needed, as part of my goal of becoming a minimalist this year. Found a ton of stuff to donate!
  2. Recorded a new song, called “I Will Find You”, & mixed it! Soon I’ll be ready to release it! Mixed two other songs I’ve previously recorded, including my cover of Crowded House’s Archers Arrows.
  3. Posted first Fiverr gig EVER! It’s for doing illustrations in my unique style. Set up Fiver profile & added 3 additional gigs (illustrated banner logo, pet portraits, & proofreading). Made a lot of illustrations to be samples for these gigs to show people what they’re getting & to promote the gigs.
  4. Published 1 YouTube videos (Episode 039 of The Ashlee Craft Show)
  5. Made 4 Instagram posts.
  6. Published 3 new products to my online store!
  7. Looked up how to pick a good monologue for acting auditions.
  8. Signed up for Backstage.com. Took new headshots & updated acting resume.
  9. Started editing more of the slideshow images for my Udemy course!
  10. Took another photo for my film photography book.
  11. Considered & brainstormed ways to get acting jobs after I realized how much I wanted to do this.
  12. Applied for 5 acting jobs! Got scheduled for one audition, which I did.
  13. Reconsidered & got further clarity about what kind of LIFESTYLE I want to have, as a whole, instead of just focusing on things that will provide one thing at the expense of others (i.e. making more money at the expense of freedom).
  14. Donated one illustration to a charity with the hopes they’ll want to use it. If they agree, I will link to their website on my website & help promote their charity, & I’ll add the illustration to my portfolio.
  15. Looked up more money making ideas online. Looked into proofreading, part-time, virtual assistant, & entertainment jobs.
  16. Worked on signing up to be a Groupon Merchant.
  17. Colored in five of my illustrations.
  18. Saw Foreigner in concert with the Rock Symphony Orchestra!
  19. Saw Al Stewart, Three Dog Night, Lords of 52nd Street, & Firefall in concert at Ruth Eckerd Hall!
  20. Began reading The Courage to Be Rich by Suze Orman & Psycho-Cybernetics by Maxwell Maltz. Bought a copy of Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers from the library so now I can finally read it!
  21. Made more strides in owning a home.
  22. Gave my mom a life coaching session to help her level up her life this year too.
  23. Signed up for Zazzle & added 9 products made from 1 design. Signed up for Society6 & added a bunch of products made from 2 designs.
  24. Wrote 1 blog post.
  25. Improved environment by cleaning up clutter in my house & putting items back in their places.
  26. Learned about investing in ETFs & low-cost index funds.

2018 WEEK 11: ACCOUNTABILITY UPDATE

What I did in Week 11 (March 11–17) to make 2018 AWESOME.

Week 11 turned out to be a great week! I did a lot of awesome things, made a TON of art, & got a huge number of things done. I’m proud of how productive I was this week!

  1. Made & published 3 YouTube videos (Episode 038 of The Ashlee Craft Show, How to Grow Wheatgrass, Bearded Dragons). Launched a new YouTube show called “The Feel-Good Life with Ashlee Craft”. Finally published my video about how to grow wheatgrass, which I’ve been working on off & on for the past few months!
  2. Spent a LOT of time cleaning & getting rid of unneeded things in my garage to become more of a minimalist. Found a ton of stuff to donate to the Veterans Administration.
  3. Wrote 13 poems.
  4. Edited 15 slideshows that I’ll use for my Udemy course based on my 101 Ways to Love Yourself book. Done with Round 2 edits!
  5. Followed Tony Robbins on LinkedIn so I can fill my feed with even more good insights.
  6. Edited 3 blog articles for future publication.
  7. Drew 2 illustrations & 7 designs (including one I’m donating to a local charity if they choose to use it).
  8. Took a TON of photos for the film photography book I’m working on about buildings in my area.
  9. Wrote 4 blog articles.
  10. Published 1 blog post.
  11. Made 3 Instagram posts.
  12. Finished reading Be Obsessed or Be Average by Grant Cardone & The Biology of Belief by Dr. Bruce Lipton. Started reading a book about bears.
  13. Bought three copies of one of my books to give to a local store for free so they can test the market & then order more copies. I will deliver the copies to them in the next week or two!
  14. Sent blog interview questions to one more person & wrote a review for someone’s book.
  15. Bought shorts to make demo version of fashion design I’m working on so I can send it to my favorite brand!
  16. Added 3 new designs of posters & t-shirts to shop.ashleecraft.com. Posted 2 more additional products. Renewed eBay listings!
  17. Sent out an email newsletter.

2018 WEEK 10: ACCOUNTABILITY UPDATE

Pink beverage

Week 10 was pretty good! There was a lot of stuff I didn’t get to do this week that I wanted to get done, but I still felt like I was a productive week. Looking back, I realized I actually did A LOT.
  1. Drew 1 illustration.
  2. Wrote 3 blog posts which are currently drafts until I get the photos put into them.
  3. Made 1 Facebook post.
  4. Made 3 Instagram posts.
  5. Published 1 podcast.
  6. Uploaded more files to my Google Drive so I can sort them. Sorted more of Google Drive & more of my email account.
  7. Spent a lot of time cleaning in my garage & throwing out stuff that no longer adds value to my life.
  8. Published 1 YouTube video (Episode 037 of The Ashlee Craft Show).
  9. Defined & solidified some of my new marketing & money making ideas.
  10. Wrote 9 poems.
  11. Worked a lot on my How to Grow Wheatgrass video! I started on it around three months ago & it’s totally time it was done.
  12. Networked with 1 new person
  13. Sent blog interview questions to 1 person
  14. Edited & made images for 36 slideshows that I’ll use in my 101 Ways to Love Yourself Udemy course
  15. Practiced guitar on three days. I slacked off big time towards the end of the week but I had other things I prioritized higher.
  16. Bought some more enamel pins for my pin collection from NatelleDrawsStuff, one of my favorite pin designers!
  17. Figured out more of who I want to be.
  18. Made list of important ideas to me right now.
  19. Sent illustration/comic to Campbell’s Soup regarding my idea for them & to get more exposure for my illustrations.
  20. Decided to pursue illustrating more & make more money from it. Came up with a lot of good marketing ideas to not only become a craftsman at it but also get people interested in them.
  21. Watched some good movies, made lemon balm tea for the first time from the lemon balm plant on my porch, weighed my pet geckos for the first time (harder than it sounds!).
  22. Signed up for Fiverr as part of my marketing plan for my illustrations! I still need to get my profile set up, but the first step is done.
  23. Looked into becoming a vendor & getting my art on products from one of my favorite online stores. I will pick some samples to email them soon!
  24. Slacked on the exercise big time. Actually, I didn’t do very well with any of the health-related goals. This will DEFINITELY change in the upcoming week & I will get back on track.

2018 WEEK 9: ACCOUNTABILITY UPDATE

Week 9 was a pretty good week, & I was able to tie up some ends that had been loose for a while.
  1. Published my Adorable Farm Animals coloring book on Amazon!
  2. Finished mixing the song I woke up with in my mind 2+ years ago, so after a few very small tweaks it will be ready to be released!
  3. Finished mixing my cover of Archer’s Arrows by Crowded House. I’ll be putting it up on YouTube as soon as I make two small adjustments.
  4. Published 1 YouTube video (The Ashlee Craft Show, Episode 036)
  5. Almost ready to officially launch one of my owl websites due to the progress I made on it this week.
  6. Made 7 Instagram posts.
  7. Spent a LOT of time cleaning & sorting through all the junk in my garage & throwing out stuff that doesn’t resonate with me anymore. Also hung up more clothes in my closet so they’re not just sitting around on the chair in my room.
  8. Wrote 3,000 words in the current novel I’m working on.
  9. Edited 51 Udemy slideshows for the course I’m making based on my 101 Ways to Love Yourself book. This is the first round of edits on the slideshows where I’m making all the quote images, doing a little text editing, & fixing some formatting.
  10. Practiced guitar 6 nights.
  11. Rode 2 miles on the exercise bike. Walked a total of 7.63 miles on the treadmill. Bought a lot more vegetables & fruits & worked on integrating them into my meals. Sorted most of my pantry & got rid of sugary foods that I don’t ACTUALLY want to eat.
  12. Published 2 blog posts.
  13. Figured out where I will be getting the base shorts for my shorts design, which will be the first piece of clothing I’ve designed. This means that soon, I’ll actually have some demo versions ready!
  14. Drew 2 new designs & 2 illustrations. Got one of my designs I did last year ready to be on posters & t-shirts, so those will be available soon!
  15. Sent interview questions to 2 more people.
  16. Read lots of high-level & educational materials, as well as did a variety of marketing things. Bought more craft supplies for my business.
  17. Wrote 1 poem.
  18. Published 2 podcasts.
  19. Read more of The Biology of Belief by Dr. Bruce Lipton & more of Be Obsessed or Be Average by Grant Cardone.
  20. Doing better on my morning routine. I slacked for a while after the beginning of January was over but now I’ve started consistently writing five goals down each morning after I’ve woken up & meditated. My morning routine still isn’t where I’d like it to be, but it’s definitely better.

2018 WEEK 8: ACCOUNTABILITY UPDATE

Week 8 was a super-great week! I feel like I had TONS of momentum. I made a lot of big strides towards my goals, did some awesome things, & was very productive. Most of all, I started retraining my behavior & habits to reflect the kind of person I want to become.
  1. Filmed a ton of video clips for upcoming videos so I’ll be able to finish & publish those videos soon!
  2. Published 2 YouTube video (Episode 035 of my show, & a poetry book review).
  3. Finished sorting my Google Drive the first time around. This means everything in there already is sorted, so now I can upload more stuff from my computer & my phone so all my files are sorted appropriately.
  4. Drew SO MANY THINGS! Created 8 new designs that I can use for posters, t-shirts, & more in my shop.
  5. Finished the remaining 4 coloring pages for my farm animal coloring book, so now I can publish the book as soon as I scan & edit the images!
  6. Wrote & sent blog interview questions to two more people.
  7. Published 3 blog posts, including 1 blog interview.
  8. Spent multiple hours reading & watching motivational & educational videos. This week was probably the most so far this year that I’ve invested time in personal development.
  9. Practiced guitar 6 days this week. Looked into an online course about surf-style guitar.
  10. Made 3 posts on Instagram.
  11. Wrote 1 poem.
  12. Actually began making exercise a daily habit. I walked multiple miles on the treadmill & rode a few miles on the exercise bike throughout the week, as well as doing yard work & active chores & doing some walking in the neighborhood. Therefore, I rate myself highly in the exercise category! Also worked on eating olives instead when I feel an urge to passively eat sugar to retrain my habits. I did slack on the veggies, but I’m going to set up my environment for success in this area.
  13. Finally launched one of the websites I’ve owned for a long time but never did anything with – Life is My Playground (www.lifeismyplayground.com). This also is the kick-off to a website challenge where every week I launch a new site from the variety of domains that I own but have never launched!
  14. Got serious about my fashion design idea & even wrote a draft version of the email I will send to one of my favorite online stores (that I’d like to carry my design) once I’ve sent them a sample of it.
  15. Studied Spanish every night this week.
  16. Did various other promotional things, product research, research on various ideas, etc. Reevaluated what things will actually provide me with the most value.
  17. Finished editing comic & sent promotional idea to Campbell’s Soup regarding idea I have for them.
  18. Was happy & felt good all week. I feel like I’m made a lot of progress this past week.
  19. Devised & actually started doing the morning routine I wanted to do! Admittedly I’ve been slacking in this area ever since about halfway through January. So I came up with a better morning routine & it’s been great so far. I got myself a small notebook & I’ve been writing my top 5 goals every morning when I wake up after I meditate. I also listen to one song in the morning, & I want to incorporate dancing into my morning routine too.
  20. Went to a reptile expo (Tampa Repticon) for the first time & got three pet Crested Geckos, which are so adorable! I got to see & pet a lot of awesome animals while I was there, but most awesomely I got to HOLD AN OWL. Owls are my favorite animal EVER so I was so excited.
  21. Finished reading Willpower Doesn’t Work. Started reading The Biology of Belief by Bruce Lipton.
  22. Did a lot of cleaning & organizing in my house & garage.
  23. Decided every Friday I’ll do a weekly planning session & set goals for what I’d like to put on next week’s Accountability Update

5 Beautiful Rare Things I Want to Feel in 2018 – The Ashlee Craft Show – Episode 036 – Motivation

In Episode 036 of The Ashlee Craft Show, I talk about the things that, at surface level, aren’t things I thought of when setting up my goals for the year. But they’re things that actually matter more, because they’re the core feelings behind the things you want.

READ THE ARTICLE

2018 Week 4: Accountability Update

Here’s what I accomplished in Week 3 of 2018! It was a great week.

  1. Bought another domain name, which I will be building a website on very soon!
  2. Made 20 slideshows for the Udemy course I am working on (it will be based on my book “101 Ways to Love Yourself“).
  3. Published 3 blog posts (The Seven Levels of WhyMy 2018 Goal List, & Week 3 Accountability Update).
  4. Filmed clips for the first episode of my new YouTube show “Produce Exploration”, which is an educational show about various types of fruits & vegetables, what they taste like, & how to use them. The first episode is about Red Rome Apples, & the video should be up later this week.
  5. Put my 2nd custom jean jacket (“RENEGADE“) in my online shop!
  6. Wrote 1 chapter of the Tarot card definition book I am working on.
  7. Promoted my YouTube videos & original products on websites like Pinterest & Twitter.
  8. Asked another person for a blog interview. She said yes, & I sent her the interview questions.
  9. Networked with 5 new people!
  10. Downloaded DaVinci Resolve video editing software (I haven’t got a chance to use it yet).
  11. Made 2 new illustrations to be used as designs for t-shirts, posters, etc.
  12. Planned a farm animal-themed coloring book.
  13. Drew illustrations for my “The Seven Levels of Why” blog article. I’ve never really illustrated an article of mine before. It was a lot of fun, & I really like the end result.
  14. Recorded the bass guitar for my cover of the Crowded House song “Archer’s Arrows”. I hopefully will finish my cover of the song in the upcoming week.
  15. Put another design of t-shirts & posters on my website.
  16. Published the 10th episode of my podcast.
  17. Made & put out 2 YouTube videos – the 32nd episode of my weekly show, plus one pet video about my pet corydoras catfish.
  18. Finished reading “So Good They Can’t Ignore You” by Cal Newport. Started reading a book about Superfood snacks.
  19. Bought some of the supplies for the pet tortoise I’ll be getting later in February.
  20. Did excellent on my health goals – exercised almost every day, reduced my added sugar intake significantly, & ate at least five servings of vegetables six days this week!

I feel like I’m gaining a lot of momentum & making a ton of progress! I’m so excited to see how this year unfolds!

My 2018 Goal List

My 2018 Goal List :: A photo by Gareth Harper. unsplash.com/photos/yACpBcInUos
2017 was definitely an outstanding year. I went on my Epic Florida Road Trip. I rode on a plane for the first time (to go to Houston to see Queen in concert). I saw a lot of amazing bands in concert. l produced a lot of creative work & added to my business. I released my first app, & I published 11 books.
But 2018 is going to be THAT MUCH MORE AMAZING.
Because 2017 gave me the tools & the confidence I need to level up even more this year. For me, the theme of 2018 is: “DO DIFFICULT THINGS WELL”. I really want to challenge myself & grow as a person, so I specifically designed these goals to do just that.
Here’s what I have planned for 2018:
  • Become a self-made millionaire. This is my top goal because it will help a lot of my other goals happen. I’m going out there to get the good things that I deserve. I do this because I love myself, & I also love a good challenge.
  • Start eating healthy consistently & exercising daily. Over the past year, I have IMPROVED, but I’m still way behind where I’d like to be as far as healthy habits. I know I could do better. I end up only eating 1-2 servings of vegetables a day. This is due to my “addiction” to processed sugar & non-vegetable foods. I also walk a bit each day, but I can be quite sedentary at times & don’t exercise the recommended 30 minutes a day. Sometimes, I also eat too much sugar. But I want to eat healthier, I know it will help me feel my best & have the most energy, so I’m going to do this.
  • Live with passion every day. Like Tony Robbins talks about. I’m going to make 2018 my happiest year yet. Making sure I’m living with passion & taking time for self-care are habits that will help me do this.
  • Publish more books. This year’s book list includes: my Epic Florida Road Trip book. A photography album of artistic photos of the Tampa Bay area. A seven-zine series of photos I took on my road trip. The second zine in my Flowers series of photography zines. A zine of botanical garden photos. Several poetry books. My essay book, Not a Dime a Dozen. A Tarot card dictionary. Several more books for my Wonderful Wildlife & 50 Adorable Facts animal series. The second book in the Summer Hayes series. More issues of Assemblage.
  • Release my third album of music. I released my second album, “confusion is over”, in 2015. I’ve done some cover songs, but I have not released any more albums or singles since then.
  • Get a pet tortoise & pet crested geckos. I’m currently prepping for a red foot tortoise hatchling right now & I’m doing a ton of research. Tortoises are fascinating & so sweet. I’m really looking forward to adding one to my critter family. Sometime later in the year, I plan on getting some baby crested geckos too.
  • Create & release my first Udemy course. I’m working on a course RIGHT NOW that’s based on my 101 Ways to Love Yourself course. I still have a pretty long way to go on it, but it’s going to be an amazing, comprehensive course. It will have more than 100 videos, many worksheets, podcast versions of each episode, & much more.
  • Go to A LOT more amazing concerts & other awesome places/events. I have some of these activities planned already. I’m making sure I always have something to look forward to doing. I learned in the past year that adding to my “experience library” is something that adds immense value to my life.
  • Release at least two more apps for iOS devices. Last year, I released my “Adorable Fall Stickers” app for iOS devices, & I have a few more apps in the works.
  • Travel to a state I’ve never been to, travel somewhere else in Florida, & travel to another country. This was on the list last year. I did go somewhere else in Florida & to another state, both of which were goals on the previous list. I’m refreshing this goal because I want to do the same thing this year but with different places.
  • Become a certified ethical hacker. Ethical hacking has always fascinated me. If nothing more it will help me educate myself about web security for my own benefit. I bought the Udemy course, & now I just have to DO THE COURSE.
  • Go on another road trip. An RV would be amazing to help me achieve my road trip goals. I would love the feeling of being able to have a mini-home I can take anywhere.
  • Buy an RV. An RV would be amazing to help me achieve my road trip goals, & I would love the feeling of being able to have a mini-home I can take anywhere.
  • Become a life coach. I love helping & coaching other people achieve their goals & live their best lives. I realized that last year, so becoming a life coach is definitely going to be something I pursue in 2018.
  • Direct, produce, write, film, & act in a full-length indie film. This was on last year’s list & I didn’t do it. Which means I HAVE to do it this year. I love film, I love acting, & I think it would be super-awesome to actually make my own film. I’ve completed four short films, but I’m taking the bull by the horns this time & making a feature-length film.
  • Expand my network & make genuine friends. Everybody can benefit from this, & it’s something I definitely need to do. It’s also outside of my current comfort zone, so you know what that means? I have to do it to grow.
  • Get all the domains I have purchased but never made websites out of made into websites & making money for me. I currently own 10 or 11 domains, & I’m only using three of them. I’ve owned some of the domains for years & still haven’t made them public. This is embarrassing. They’re sitting around costing me money & no one can see them. So VERY SOON, all these sites are going to be up & running, & I’m going to post links to them on this blog when I do!
  • Become a fashion designer & start selling my first original clothing design. I have some great designs that I will release over the next few months. I’m so excited about seeing them when they’re done. I’ll be even more thrilled to be able to wear them myself, & being able to share them with others.
  • Walk a marathon. Last year, I walked a 5k. I need to challenge myself physically. I don’t enjoy running, but I did want a goal that was out of my (current) league, so I chose this. I know it will require a lot of training, but I’m ready to train. This will also help me achieve my goal of making 2018 my healthiest year yet.
  • Launch several products that I have in the works. Many of these are things I’ve wanted to do for forever. It’s time I made them something you can buy!
  • Complete all the online courses I have purchased. I bought them, & like my domains, they can’t benefit me until I use them.
  • Read 75 books. In 2016, I read almost no books. In 2017, I read 57 books. My goal for 2018 is 75 books. Another stretch goal, but I’m going to do my best! Besides, for a book-lover like me, the idea of reading 75 books & gaining all that knowledge makes me drool.
  • Interview more people for my blog. I love doing this, & I have a few people slated for this right now. It’s so much fun, I love the value I’m able to provide whomever I’m interviewing, & I always learn a ton.
  • Grow my online store. I have so many products, product ideas, & new designs that I can’t wait to show you!
  • Become more of a minimalist. I made progress here in the last year (it was on the 2017 list too) but I have a lot more progress to make. To echo what I said in my 2017 blurb about it,

    “This means excluding things – physical things, mental things, wasted time, unhappiness – to make more room for the things that really do feel good. I’m not trying to have as few things as possible, but as many things that make me happy with as few unnecessary things as possible. I really like this quote from this article I was reading earlier, titled Like Henry David Thoreau, but with Wi-Fi. ‘Everything in my life become my favorite thing.’ I want to live my life like that. “

  • Become a contributor to the Entrepreneur Magazine website. They’re one of my favorite websites. It would be an honor to be considered “good enough” to be a contributor. This will require me to improve & hone my writing skills, so it’s a good challenge.
  • Partner up with some of my favorite brands & companies in a way which benefits us both. With these new products & new ideas that I will launch in 2018, I’m going to add a LOT of value to the brands I partner up with.
You can stay updated on these projects & follow me on my favorite platforms with these links: