Productivity

The daughter of a farmer and an entrepreneurial mother, I grew up in a productive family. There are six of us siblings, and each of us inherited a drive to succeed, a passion to produce in our chosen fields. I had an idyllic childhood, with my fair share of play time, but somehow (example? osmosis?) I picked up this internal force that has been with me for as long as I can remember.

One might think that once you’ve got the desire, you’re all set to go forth and conquer! But I’m finding that if I don’t manage it carefully, this compulsion can work against me, leaving me exhausted and frustrated before I’ve even begun to work on anything, overwhelmed by piles of unfinished projects and mountains of to-do lists! The intersection of this trait and its powerful counterpart in my personality (the evil procrastinator) is the crux of the creative slump I’ve found myself living in over the past few years, and the reason for writing this blog.

My little vacation last week was so what I needed to get myself gathered and centered and ready to take on the challenge of my days. In the last two weeks, I’ve read or listened to some really helpful books: How to Have a 48-Hour Day by Don Aslett and Eat That Frog! by Brian Tracy. Both directly addressed my problems with overwhelm-ment and procrastination, and I’ve enjoyed trying some new approaches to my days. As a bonus: I’m actually getting some sewing done!

(Pictured above, parts of an in-process project using the gorgeous Freshcut fabric line.)