Pinterest

by

Magpie Mind

I am a magpie when it comes to projects.

Today, I would have to admit that I am in the middle of:

  • Reorganizing my kitchen, so that the pantry is more easily accessible (hoping to minimize food waste)
  • Considering making a Halloween Costume for myself, so that I can be a mommy octopus to my baby octopus (which I also made, but it is finished!)
  • I’m in the middle of the Mondo Beyondo e-course
  • Planning to turn our front closet into a mini-mudroom with benches and hooks so that we have a better place to put our stuff
  • Grad School (I always discount this as a project)
  • A tradition book, so that we don’t have to reinvent the holidays every year

And actually, I am probably in the middle of more, but I would have to REMEMBER them at the moment.

This is something that actually always bothered me about myself. I thought myself a failure because I couldn’t concentrate on something for an extended period of time. Did I have no commitment? No follow through?

Here are some things that have helped me:

  • Work for 20 minutes, rest for 10 minutes (from UfyH). These are referred to in short hand as 20-10s. It makes it easier for me to resist checking tumblr or twitter during the work period, if I know I have a time scheduled for it later.
  • Having a list of the most important projects, so I can pick and choose what is most important at any given moment, and maybe even get ahead with some of them.
  • Having permission to dream and collect ideas. Pinterest is perfect for this for me — I’m gathering inspiration for the mini mudroom as well as all the holidays for the tradition book as well as for potty training, which I know will have to begin soonish.
  • Having all the supplies for the project all in one place, so I could pick it up, work on it, then put it down and away for a few days in a nice, safe spot. This worked for Rocketship’s Halloween costume, and it’s working for the tradition book too.

Something that I used to think of as a weakness — having lots of things going on at once, seemingly without focus — is turning out to be a strength for me. I’m really enjoying doing things, and having an interesting variety.

What do you guys do to make sure that you get what you want done?

 

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