…And the Children Were Nestled All Snug in Their Beds…

I've closed the door on 2009. It's over, done, gone, in the past. I am looking forward to 2010.

I have done some soul searching the last few weeks. I'm not big on new year's resolutions. Rather, I try to look at me, my life, and decide what areas I would like to change or enhance. And this year I want to make better use of my time. At work, at home, and in my sewing world.
One thing I am doing to enhance my life is training to run a half-marathon in April. I actually started this journey in November. My oldest daughter, Jeni, is my trainer & coach. Jeni has run since high school and has competed in marathons, triathalons and numerous half-marathons. Check out my running blog.

I have accepted the position of co-leader for my neighborhood ASG group. I am pretty excited. I haven't been very active in the past, but attended several meetings last year. When they asked for volunteers to help out, I spoke up. I felt like it was a way to commit myself to the organization.

The other aspect of sewing that has been on my mind is how to do more of it. I read other seamstresses blogs and marvel at how they a) work outside the home; b) have a husband & kids; c) do volunteer work and still manage to sew 70+ garments a year. By comparison, I work from home (no commute time), have no kids at home, only The Love of My Life, and managed to sew maybe 10 things last year. What's my problem?

I have tried to master the "10 minutes every day" motto. But it just hasn't worked. Some days there are not 10 minutes for me to sew. I am out of town, I have customers to entertain in the evening, sometimes I just don't feel like sewing. So I've been trying to figure out how to do more of my most favorite hobbies.

Well, yesterday as I was shoveling 6" of snow off the driveway in sub-zero temperatures, I listened to the latest podcast from Grandma's Sewing Cabinet. (I know, I'm behind on my podcasts also.) But the topic was so right on for what I'd been mulling over. Dr. Julie had a conversation with Dr. Meggin McIntosh, a productivity specialist.

Dr. McIntosh used the visual of life as a tote bag. (Dr. McIntosh also sews so she was talking about all the beautiful tote bags we all sew. I could just see the most recent bag I made my granddaughter for Christmas.) Then she went on to explain that the most efficient use of your bag is not to just throw everything in the bottom. Rather, make lots of pockets for all the things you carry—your wallet, cell phone, photos, change, make-up, whatever it is. That way, when you need something you can find it quickly and efficiently. Life is like that, she said. You need to have "pockets" of time to do the things you need to do and want to do. In plain everyday language I think it is called "scheduling". Duh! How simple is that concept?

This conversation fit perfectly into my overall desire to make better use of my time in 2010. So I have started thinking in terms of "scheduling" my sewing time. Next week I have scheduled Monday evening and Thursday evening for sewing. I'll let you know how it goes.