One Hour

When I quit work I envisioned that I would quilt and create for hours every day. I dreamed of hours and hours of free time. It hasn't turned out that way and I think it's all my own fault.

Of course, I do work and I have to spend a lot of time on my fabric dyeing business but recently I realized that there are a lot of days that go by and I haven't sewn one stitch and I'm sure it's a discipline issue, not a time issue. I'm spending way too much time on the computer and I waste a lot of bits of time.

I have one priority and that is to exercise every day. I usually do it first thing in the morning. Then I do my daily computer work. Unfortunately, my day seems to often end there. I've gotten into some bad time-management habits and I need to change them. I'm not watching a lot of TV but I am spending a LOT of time on the computer.

I have found that when I need to change a habit that I have to schedule the activity. I did that with exercising until it became a natural part of my day. I learned that if I exercised as soon as I got up that I would be done with it before I woke up.  Of course that took about 6 months and I could get out of the exercise habit in 2 days.  

I want to spend more of my day sewing and quilting and I've decided to start by focusing on quilting on the longarm. I think if I can get away from teh computer for an hour to quilt that the rest of the day will naturally become more productive so I've set a goal to quilt on the longarm for 1 hour every day. 

That bright quilt has been on the longarm for a month! I let myself ignore it because I wasn't sure what I wanted to do for part of it. This week I decided to change that and, for the past few days I have spent 1 hour every day on the quilt. I finished all of the SID work, CC in all of the blocks and all of the quilting in the yellow. It's not as if this quilt is going to ever be on public display. What I quilted on it really didn't matter. What mattered is getting it done. Now I have everything done except the batik dot sections! 

I'm going to continue my one-hour-a-day commitment and will post my progress once a week with my Design Wall Monday post. Here's where I am this morning. I need to get this one done and move on. There's a large stack of quilts waiting to be quilted.

How do you manage your time? Do you have any great ideas for making sure you are working on the things that you really want to do?

Comments

[Debra]

I've cut way back on computer time in all areas. It's a huge time suck. And, I've noticed I have less traffic to my blog because I think others are doing the same. I miss the interaction but I certainly understand.

[katie z.]

I make a list and stay off the computer until at least half the list is done. Lately, cleaning for our house to go on the market has prevented me from sewing much, so sewing might show up on my list soon!

[Terri]

I have that same bad habit sometimes. For some reason I procrastinate going into the studio and I don't know why because I find that once I'm there and engaged with a project, I get carried away and busy and the times flies.

[A]

I very rarely get on the computer in the evening or weekend/holiday. There in lies the secret to my success.

[Becky in VA]

I think many of us spend/waste time on the computer - I sure do, and your blog is a good reminder for me to get my priorities back in order!

[Kit Lang]

I work full time (or more as I'm in law) during the day, have kids and a spouse and try to spend some time with friends too - so I'm a bear about time management.

Nine p.m. rain or shine, I go and spend a minimum of half an hour in my sewing room (which, once I'm there - no matter how unmotivated I felt to begin with, usually turns into an hour or more) On the weekends, if I'm not working, I spend a minimum of 4 hours per day.

It's the only way I can get things done!

[Gari]

Good thinking. I, too, need to cut way back on my computer time. I think I will work on scheduling both computer and sewing time so that I get things done. Thanks.

[Lisa]

Great post! The computer is so seductive. There are so many great blogs and let's not even start on Pinterest. I need some discipline. Sometimes I make myself leave the laptop downstairs and I go up to the sewing room. Other times I just set a time limit and make myself get offline.

[shirley bruner]

i make a list for the day...it's very rewarding to mark things off the list. i quilt a bit...then take a 10 minute break at the computer....then back to quilting. perhaps another 10 minute break in an hour or so....and do a bit of piecing. just go back and forth. it all gets done in the end. but the list is the key.

[elle]

arggghhhh! I am with you. I will first get high speed to lessen the time and I'm determined to keep my blog roll to the same average number of blogs. I think I will also find a place for the computer that is NOT in my sewing room. Other than that I guess it is the 'D' word. Discipline!

[Laceflower]

I thought about this for a day before responding; I have not joined FBook as I know it will be a huge time suck, not to mention the privacy issues; I make lists, helps keep me on track and on focus. I always feel I have to get the 'work done' before I can play and sometimes the 'work' pushes the play right off the page. I also give myself a day off now and then to lesson the pressure and the guilt. My motto: Time you enjoy wasting is not a waste of time.

[Ivory Spring]

You crack me up, Vicki. I spend way too much time on the computer too.... and I have those deadly deadlines waiting to pounce on my any minute. But I still spend way too much time on the computer. No wonder I am stressed all the time.