Staying On PointJune 28, 2024 The other day I was doing some research on tops and looking at making a variation of my woven pattern. And I was on Pinterest and looking for some variations, and thought I was
doing pretty good, then suddenly before you know it I'm looking at the canals of Venice.
How did I get there to here
Pinterest is such trouble for me. But the main thing here is that we all get side-tracked, and it can be a huge time problem. We think we are in control, but the truth is that we're not. And this is not a lecture on getting off the internet, although it's not a bad idea. (NOTE: Did you know most high-ranking tech folks won't let their kids have phones? Yeah, wonder
why? Pretty revealing.)
This has basically been studied and monitored for decades, because guess what? This happens in the workplace too and because it's so common, companies are very anxious to figure out what's going on. Companies are also very anxious about making sure their employees are as productive
and creative as possible. And driving them into the ground has been found not to work. Really? 🤦♀️
There are four categories of "Time Thieves" that make up the biggest problem for daydreams who go from top variations to Venice canals!
- Drive Time Thief
- Excellence Time Thief
- Information Time Thief
- Acitvity Time Thief
The question here to ask is, "Is there anything I can let go of?" This time thief says that I have to drive myself to do everything, when no, you really don't. You may want to do everything, but is that really important? Prioritizing is what can save you here.
Knowing that your drive can control your time can also keep you from letting this monopolize your life.
The question: "Where is good enough actually good enough?" Perfection may be a search, but it is not the end goal. Perfection is an absolute state that can never be attained. So there will always be something "better" or higher to achieve. This pertains not only
to time management but to your whole philosophy of excellence. After you've fixed the first most prominent fitting problem, then the second will show. This almost always isn't something caused by the solution to the first problem. It's because you couldn't see the second for the first most glaring problem. You can go down the list, first, second, third, etc., but once you start getting into about the 5th or 6th most glaring problem, it's time to intervene and say, "Stop!" Information Time Thief
Even the very words bring dread to my heart...this is my problem - big time! The question, "What do I truly need to know?" It's so easy to think that if we simply had a little more information, then we would know how to solve this issue or do this technique
correctly. But having that information may bring us some form of resolution in the query, but does the answer really serve us. IOW, answering every question is not really a worthwhile goal of life. Knowing how all the intricacies of how a smartphone works may be nice to spout out at cocktail parties. But does it really serve me in my life when I can simply buy one and make use of its features without having to know how they work? Asking yourself what you truly need to know can be as empowering
as knowing everything!
The question here, "What deserves my attention?" Yes, it's great to do everything, but the reality is that we have neither the time nor the energy to do everything. Realizing that sooner than later can save us a lot of consternation and frustration. This is
a godsend when you want to block out your "own" time. That means time/attention demands that your head can mess with friends, family, and co-workers.
So all this sounds really wonderful and for someone who hasn't got anything else better to do, may appear slightly interesting. Don't kid yourself, if you don't have one of these, you're lying! It's natural within all of us, and particularly
those of us who are constantly looking for more ways to do things, who are constantly want to learn new things. We're extra vulnerable because we're out there searching through a lot of stuff. It's easy and almost predictable that we'll get side-tracked.
Of course social media makes it extra hard. But even though we are aware of the social media and tricks that the internet uses to lure us here and there, it's hard.
So what are you to do. The
first step, as they say in AA, is to admit you have a problem. The next step is to figure which one of those categories fits with you. That's a lot of the battle. You may not 100% ever stray again, but you will be much more aware of what can lure you in and to be careful. And even after you've been lured in, you can wake up and pull yourself away. And I'm not saying that this is 100% bad. It's not. There are times when you need to allow this sort of rambling nonsense.
- To allot yourself a certain amount of time while reviewing and searching for information that you will use later. You'll inevitably get side-tracked, and gently bring yourself back to your goal, and you'll be fine.
- Sometimes, I just take some time, and purposely let myself get lost in this stuff. This sort of thing gets a lot of it out of your system. Sort of like having a chocolate treat
every now and then when you're on a diet, is okay.
- There are times when this sort of perusing can be key in finding and answering questions about what to sew next. Personally I find Instagram really helpful with this, but it has to be a direct search. Unfortunately I have a lot of jet planes taking off from aircraft on my profile on Instagram!
But simply knowing these time thieves exist is a huge battle, and having them named and described makes your "research" a lot more productive and enjoyable. Have fun on these sites that draw you in, but also know that they are time thieves and can steal
your most valuable resource - time!
The SewingArtistry Resource Library is designed to contain information to not only make your sewing better, but to aid in you fitting and flattering your shape, size and style. Check it out.
Look for future classes coming in 2024
The Core Pattern Shirt, (one of my favorites for woven core pattern that you can make into a myriad of different
garments),
Basic Knit Top (core pattern class for knit basic tops, shells, tees, dresses, and tunics)
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