Feb 28, 2012

FINALLY! A RULE THAT ACTUALLY WORKS!

I've developed a very bad habit lately, which I'm chalking up to the fact that I am standing in the vestibule to Menopausal Hell. I'll get hungry for something and then sit in the chair saying to myself "Naaaah, that doesn't sound good" or "No, that's not what I'm hungry for". And on an on it goes until it's either too late to eat something (I mean, come on, who here has the ability to eat anything past 8pm anymore?), or I've waited too long and am now in a full-on blood sugar crash that results in me falling face first into the refrigerator.

The worst part of this new habit is that it has wormed its way into my stitching. So every afternoon/evening becomes a mental game of "I'm in the mood to stitch something......(sounds of crickets chirping) until it's too bloody late to make any meaningful progress on anything and I go to bed defeated.

If you've been here for any length of time with me, then you already know my propensity for concocting routines or tricks or bribes to get myself more productive with my stitching, so it should come as no surprise that I spent the better part of yesterday doing just that.

Finally, at around four o'clock it hit me square between the eyes.

FIFTEEN MINUTES!

(You'll note that when I shouted this out loud, I startled Little Lord Fauntleroy right out of his late afternoon reverie and right into a hissy fit that resulted in me having to wash the drapes again.)

(Damn dog.)

The thought came to me yesterday that I used to be one of those people who lived by the credo of "I can do anything for fifteen minutes". This, of course, can be put into the same philosophical category as "Just one bite of peas and then you can go back out to play", or "Start with ten minutes of light walking and before you know it you'll be running the Boston Marathon".

So that's what I decided to do vis a vis my stitching.

Whenever I am undecided as to what the heck I want to play with on a given day, I'm going to pick up a project (any project, mind you), and work on it for fifteen minutes. That's all. Just a lousy fifteen minutes to see if I can get the stitchy juices flowing. If, after fifteen minutes, I'm still bored and want to throw myself into a Violet Beuregard tantrum, then and only then will I do so with impunity -- knowing all the while that I at least gave it a shot.

So here's what yesterday's fifteen minutes turned into....about five hours of pretty good stitching on a canvas that had been languishing in the WIP basket:You know me...I loathe the idea of giving anybody advice (you can stop that snickering in the back now, please), but if you're starting to feel a little slumpy in your stitchy area, try the fifteen minute thing and see what happens. You might be amazed at what appears. (*)

(*) The fifteen minutes starts AFTER you've gathered your project, adjusted it on the stretcher bars or q-snaps, fished out all of the threads, etc., poured yourself a vat of dietCoke, and then nestled into your Happy Chair.

Baby steps, people. Baby steps.

27 comments:

  1. The part about the Diet Coke goes without saying. Can anyone function without it?

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  2. I use the fifteen minute thing for cleaning lol. (ok I lie, it's 10 mins for cleaning). Doing it for stitching on those days where I can't decide a thing is a good idea~!

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  3. LOL! What a great idea! I'm gonna have to try this one for myself.

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  4. I like that idea!! I also love that canvas!! It makes for a bright day here in Bama! It is raining here! But a great day to take some stitching and finish them! Happy Stitching!

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  5. Hello!....I've heard your name for so very many years, but seeing your blog name twice in two blogs in two days....well, here I am.
    I must admit I'm not a sampler person, tho I read Needleprint, and samplers seem to be mostly your thing, looking at your finishes. However, I also know of your esteemed reputation, and your sense of humour and irreverance has immediately captured me!
    I love the chocolate brown ground a post or two down, btw.
    I'm a little bored of the late 17thC sampler atm - all tent stitch. But I keep reminding myself "zen, zen, it's zen, not boring". ~grin~ (really gotta blog on it too...)

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  6. Since I am home only on the weekends which means I am usually doing laundry, I go by the dryer buzz. I do housework until it buzzes and then I stitch until it buzzes with the next load. Works for me.

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  7. So I'm sippin' my diet coke as I read your blog (when in Rome....), and I thought I was going crazy with the "indecisiveness" that has crept into my life. Thank you for your explanation. Ruth is a genius with her canvas, stitch and thread selections. What a wonderful way to welcome spring!

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  8. So I like your new post comment box...and I am at the same point you are...just can't seem to get started or I wait too late. I believe I will try your 15 min. thing and see where I get to. Thanks for the chuckle Coni!! your always a hoot!!!

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  9. Great advice I see stitchy slumps being almost a thing of the past.

    Lovely progress on the stitching front.

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  10. I have definitely been in quite the slump lately. Ill be trying out this new rule!

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  11. I've tried the 15 minute trick before - and boy does it work! I utilize Beth P's dryer trick (above.) I just haven't figures out how to make dinner AND stitch at the same time..... bummer.
    Hey - what's the lovely background stitch...???

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  12. You seem to get so much more done then I do. Just curious -- do you work outside the house? My day is eaten up by 12 hours I have to give someone else.

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  13. Damn, I thought you were going to tell me how to make myself eat lunch before 3 pm.

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  14. I've been doing the 15 minute thing for quite a while now--not because I can't decide what to stitch, but because I have promised myself that I get at least 15 minutes a day to stitch, no matter what.

    It's amazing what progress you can make in just 15 minutes, if you stitch faithfully...

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  15. I like it!! I am going to have to try this because otherwise I sit on the couch and look at the stitching bag and sigh, and look at the TV, and back to the stitching bag....well you get it. Thanks for the idea!

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  16. LOL! I don't have trouble decided what to stitch. I have problems with, "Oh, what color thread should I do now?" And I'm in full tennis-head mode: the blue one, no the white one, no the blue one... Arghh! Time for a Diet Coke, with lime.

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  17. Glad your 15 minute idea worked. Will have to try that next time I have trouble deciding on what to stitch.

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  18. Years ago I decided that everyday I would have at least 1 hour for me time and I still follow that. Your 15 minute plan is a great idea. Having a project at the ready is good too.

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  19. Wise words as always Coni. Sometimes it is just that there is too much to chose from and the brain clicks from one project to another ( a bit like channel surfing on the tv). What a lovely rut to be in, this to shall pass with your 15 minute wisdom.
    Carol, Australia

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  20. This sounds good! Maybe I'll try that to help with the "I can't decide which ufo to work on so I'll watch tv" syndrome ;-D
    On the other hand my LNS has new goodies from market they are showing off this weekend. Maybe there's a new project to help lift the winter blues! Happy Week!

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  21. I do it for 45 min. I love to watch TV series and since each episode is about 45 min, I stitch on any given project for 45 min and then pick the next. If the pattern "speaks" to me, I will continue stitching this pattern and finish it.

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  22. Hey. I've got the same food problem. Seems like lately I've been eating lunch around 3 p.m. which isn't good when hubby wants dinner before 7! Oh well.

    Your 15 minutes equals my one thread. I've been trying to make myself stitch at least one thread length a day. Some days it turns into many more thread lengths. Which is good!

    It is all about those darn baby steps.

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  23. I discovered your blog yesterday, and have enjoyed reading your posts. This post in particular could have been written about me. I am so glad to know I am not the only one out here suffering from this problem of having discussions with ones self about dinner, stitching and well everything else for that matter and getting nothing accomplished and then it's too late. I like the 15 minute idea and I think I'm going to try it. Now if I could just convince myself that I have to get off the computer and pay the bills and straighten the house so I can have my 15 minutes of stitching, hopefully I'll get to it before midnight.

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  24. Will try this little trick. Just maybe it will work for me. I have been a slump...thanks Trudy

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  25. Knowing me, I'd count all the collecting of things needed for the project as part of the 15 minutes. And knowing me, it would take me at least 20 to get them all together, so I wouldn't get a darned thing done!! LOL

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  26. You are too funny, and you are not alone on any of these topics! Thanks for the chuckles.

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  27. Glad you clarified when the 15 minutes start. I make deals with myself all the time and that would definately be up for negotiation if it benefited the situation...lol!!

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