WiP Wednesday - Pondering the To Do List

I'm linking up with WiP Wednesday over at Freshly Pieced.

This week I've been clickety clacking along like the little engine that could - or is it the tortoise from the race with the hare? - making slow and steady progress on a couple of projects.

I've finished quilting the large white crosses and squares on the family ties quilt and have moved on to the partial ones along the edge.  Then I have to decide what to do about the pink and purple sections and the blocks with the little girls.  Baby Reagan is now 3 months old, so I'm pushing forward on this one.

Whenever I get a few minutes that aren't really long enough to set up for FMQing, I like to add a few quick strings to my spider web blocks.  This quilt makes me so happy whenever I lay out the blocks.  I may have to set my design wall back up just so I can look at them all the time for inspiration.

But the real work in progress this week has been my to-do list.  I have always thought I was a good multi-tasker - isn't that a requirement for motherhood? - but it has been brought to my attention that I actually pretty much stink at it.  When I am writing a blog post or checking Facebook or working and someone asks me a question, I stall with an "Ummmm..." until I'm done with what I'm doing.  I think I can keep working when someone calls, but they can tell I'm not really paying attention.  And when I'm focused on eating healthy and exercising, the house doesn't stay as organized and I forget to turn on my sewing machine.  If I'm reading a really good book, dinner might not get made. 

I am not, after all, good at multi-tasking.  I'm sorry.  I have a one track mind, and I like to think about what I'm thinking about and everyone else please leave me alone. 

Except that's not how life works. 

So I've been listening closely to the people who get a lot done and trying to mimic them a bit.  I've always been a list maker, but something Brye used to talk about and Pam mentioned a long time ago and I'm sure is totally obvious to the rest of you is that writing FINISH QUILT or CLEAN HOUSE on a list doesn't exactly inspire progress.  It's overwhelming.  What these people who accomplish things seem to do is to break the task down into small steps, maybe even little baby steps for people like me who are just getting the hang of it.  That way, if you have five minutes, you don't look at the list and think, "Nope, no time for that!" but instead think, "I could sew three more strings onto my spider web block." or "Let me just pull the chicken out of the freezer for dinner."

This week I'm working on my to do list, keeping it right in front of me, making the items very simple, and I have to say it's working.  I've gotten more quilting done this week but it isn't to the exclusion of everything else.  I'm on track for my work hours and managed to put fresh sheets on the bed and do laundry.  I've written several blog posts, but also caught up with some nagging errands that have been put off.  I've even gotten back on the elliptical. 

I'm not saying any of this to brag about my three decent days or fishing for compliments.  I'm certainly not claiming this is an original concept.  I say this because, as plain as it is to some of you, I think there are other people like me for whom this does not come naturally. I know that once school starts it is going to get even crazier, and I have to be ready.  Also, I'm hoping that when I veer off track again - and I'm sure it will happen - future me will be looking for something and find this blog post and be inspired to pull it all together again.

 If you've stuck with me this far, thanks!  For the rest of you, back to our regular programming tomorrow.  Seriously.  I've already written it and scheduled it to post. 



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