Under the Pile?

By Diane Harris, HQ Stitch Brand Ambassador

There are days when I feel like I am under the pile. Do you know what I mean?

So (or sew) much to do, and so little time to do it. It seems to be life in the 21st century.

But here is how I cope. Maybe it will help you to cope, too.

• Make a list.

I keep small lined notebooks everywhere so they’re always handy. It would be better to have only one but I can’t seem to manage that. So I just open one and start myself a list. It doesn’t have to be pretty, although the actual notebooks are pretty because that’s more fun.

I add everything in one place: quilting or sewing tasks, personal stuff like paying bills or sending a birthday card, and work stuff like writing a blog post or unloading 50 quilts from my car.

I let the stress in my brain pour itself into this list, because once it’s written down there is less chance I will forget it. And that alone reduces my stress.

• Handle the quick things.

Then I see if there are a couple of small items I can take care of immediately. First thing this morning, I made a car payment and sent an invoice.

Done and done, and done fast!

• Slay the fire-breathing dragons.

Next I see what is on the list that really must be dealt with and shouldn’t be put off. These are the deadline-type items that feel as if they’re breathing fire down my neck.

I make a plan to spend whatever time I can on them as soon as possible. I want that fire feeling gone!

• Strategize my time.

From there I can usually see where to go next. Could I fit in a medium-size task or two before day’s end? Will there be time in the evening when other family members are busy, time that I could grab and use?

• Break tasks down into small steps.

I also try and think about what things on the list could be done in stages. For example, unloading a trunk show of 50 to 70 quilts is always daunting, but if I unload them a few piles at a time, it’s easier.

• Ask for help.

Occasionally I notice a task on the list that I could ask someone else to do. I’ve learned over time that I can usually get help from family members, quilting friends or neighbors in my area.

• Stay the course.

I’m a creative person, and for me that means that I’m easily distracted. I can be pulled off course at the faintest whiff of something more interesting. Over time I have learned to maintain my focus a little better. I stick with that list until everything on it is complete. It won’t necessarily happen in one day or even one week, but I keep the list around until I can say AMEN.

I hope this simple strategy of making a list and dealing with it one thing at a time will help you too. For me, the bottom line to all of this is that a completed list means just one thing:

More time to sew.