My quilt guild's biannual quilt show is next month. All of us - or at least many - have been busy putting the finishing touches on our quilts. Last month, Pat and I did a workshop for the guild on the Gee's Bend Quilters' and their style of quilting. In July 2009 and again, 2011 we both attended workshops featuring the Gee's Bend quilters in Sisters OR...and we each made a block. I decided that I'd put my pieces in the show this year ---I decided I needed to put my pieces in the show this year and stop procrastinating about getting them done. After all, we did encourage the members to finish the pieces they started during the workshop so they could be a part of the quilt show. And I hadn't quite figured out how to not show up; I didn't think don't do as I do, do as I suggest was the message I wanted to convey... for the past couple weeks, I've been working on finishing the two quilts. One is 99.9% done and the other, 85%. I should be finished with both no later than the weekend, if not before. I'm aiming for before.
I think I've mentioned that I'm participating in Big Picture's One Little Word year-long class with Ali Edwards - in fact, as I am typing this post, I'm participating in the chat session with Ali and others in the class...multitasking?
Our prompt for March was to choose a goal or intention for this month and to focus on the intention. I looked over mine and I really had no problems making the selection: my intention for March is to "take action on my actions." And I am...though I'm not as proactive as I'd like to be. One problem I've encountered is I have so many ideas and plans and projects and things-to-do on my agenda; in fact, I am actually making lists and referring to them (typically I make and don't use them.) And that's helping me implement my intention for this month. I am hoping that this focus will result in a change of habit and contribute to establishing a different daily routine...which happens to be another stumbling block for me. I find that some mornings MSQT lasts wa-a-a-y longer than it should but I love it so much!
Today, as I was checking email, I ran across a link to an article on procrastinating, structured, no less, thus the source of my blog title for today. Basically the concept is to procrastinate on something that you must do but haven't done. Instead, you do something else on your list that is easier or not as high a priority.And eventually you'll get to the item you've procrastinated...I am going to revisit the post and try the technique...I'll let you know how it works or not for me later this month.
Well, the chat is about over and I'm getting hungry, too so I guess I'll close for the day. Let me know if you read the article and what, if anything, resonated with you.
Cheers~
ooohh, sorry I missed the chat! I find that when I'm procrastinating about something (right now it's sending out three emails...and they're not even hard ones to write), it helps if I promise myself a reward for getting them done. today's promise is Starbucks. I'm going to tackle those emails shortly! (can't wait to see the quilts!!)
Posted by: Mary | 03/13/2013 at 05:38 AM
You've got such a long way down the line with those quilts, it would be a shame not to get them finished for display :). I like the 'structured procrastination' idea! My own concern is that I might just keep finding more lower-level things to add to the list so I never got to the Big One! The thing that works for me is to break the Big One down into smaller and smaller tasks until I get to one which is so small I can't not do it, and then the momentum of having started keeps me going.
Posted by: alexa | 03/14/2013 at 06:31 AM