LIST-MAKING STRATEGIES
Posted by mountaintopquilting on Monday, April 25th, 2011
Today's post is about something I struggle with all the time ... the proverbial "to-do" list. I'll let you in on a little secret (shhh ... don't tell ... and ... I don't think I'm alone on the list.)
I hate lists! I hate making them; I hate having them hanging over my head with threats of diaster and utter and complete humiliation if I don't complete everything on the list; I hate the loss of freedom and being held accountable for all the tasks on the list. I hate the feeling of being constrained with the boundaries of the list box. Sure, I can see the value of list-making ... but ... and there it is ... the word of excuses, the word of squirmy behavior, the word of apology ...
Let me tell you a story about a "famous" list I started once and has become a staple among friends. The day came when I couldn't keep track of all the unfinished quilting projects scattered, stored, hidden away in a forgotten drawer and lurking in boxes and bins in my studio. I also couldn't remember which quilting projects were planned as gifts for family members. If I didn't get some kind of system in place I could be giving the same kind of quilting gift to the same person year after year. Doesn't sound like very thoughtful gift-giving does it. So I started a list ...
STRATEGY NUMBER ONE: take small bites of the elephant rather than trying to eat the whole thing all at once. I began with a spreadsheet document first listing projects as I found them. Additional columns were created to indicate steps needed to get the project to completion.
STRATEGY NUMBER TWO: Add color; add stickers; do something to make it pretty! I began color-coding to keep things interesting visually ... I color-coded according to gift recipiants; I color-coded according to project type; I even developed a color-coding system to indicate when the project was started (information that many times we really don't want to have written down anywhere in actual print!) Remember my story about the organizer calendar (another form of list making) seminar I went to ... reluctantly ... until I saw the presenter using stickers to decorate her calendar! I know I must keep the mundane tasks I dislike so much visually interesting to keep me motivated to continue through to the end.
STRATEGY NUMBER THREE: Share your lists with friends. In the spirit of friendly competition they'll harrass you (yes Ruth, I'm speaking to you, girlfriend :)) and hold you accountable until the day you die for the stuff you put on that list! Suffice it to say, the list grew and grew and began to take on a life of its own. And before you knew it, my friends started their own UFO lists, and another friend even wrote a book and started teaching workshops on "the UFO List." Much laughter and comradery among us quilters as the UFO List idea resonates with all of us.
I still have my UFO list as a reminder of fun times, forgotten gifts given, memories of smiling faces as gifts were shared. The list hasn't been updated for quite some time, but it serves as a wonderful reminder of hopes, dreams, and possibilities.
Stay tuned for future posts on the story of my list life ...
... know your craft ... practice your craft ...
... and ... be innovative with your craft ...
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