Do you set goals? Could be sewing goals, housework goals, cooking goals. I do so much better when I set goals and for those who are participating in the Design Wall Monday posts, I think you’ll agree that some measure of accountability helps us stay on track.
Every night before I go to bed, I make sure there are three things on my “to do” list. Those are the three things I have to do before I can start sewing. It’s always three very do-able things so I don’t set goals too high and then not get them done. It’s not things like unload the dishwasher, do the laundry . . those are things that have to be done no matter what. For example, this morning’s list was:
- Clean lights and mirrors in upstairs bathrooms
- Wipe down cabinets and inside doors with Murphy’s Oil Soap solution
- Clean outside of front door
Tomorrow’s list includes:
- Clean glass in downstairs doors
- Clean family room blinds
- Sweep ceiling in ramp room
None of those are things I do every day but they need doing every now and then.
This time of year there are so many things that pop up that I hadn’t planned, it’s kinda hard to stay on track with my sewing goals, especially if I don’t have them written down and in plain sight. It’s really hard to plan things out very far in advance because who knows when I’m going to pick enough tomatoes to have to can a batch or get enough basil to make pesto for the freezer so I’m going to start putting my sewing goals for the day in each morning’s blog post and the next day, I’ll add a note about the progress I made on those goals.
Setting goals doesn’t work for everyone (or so they tell me) but setting goals, sharing those goals and then feeling accountable helps me stay on track so I’m going to try it for a while and see if I get more done.
Sewing Goals for Monday, June 28:
- Finish all 35 blocks for rust and green quilt (don’t panic — 10 blocks are already made and components of many other are ready)
- Sew the blocks into rows
- Cut squares for quarter square triangles for rust and green quilt
Let’s hope this works and results in more progress in the sewing room.
Julie says
Every day I work on the three goal schedule. I have my day planned when I get up, and have three tasks on the list that I don’t do every day. Some days I may just have a list to keep me motivated, and there are those days that quilting goes on my list if I feel that I’ve been pulled in other directions. Most days I have my meals planned ahead and try to do all the prep work early in the day. And, I try to remember to add something on the list that is a “treat” for me – it usually involves time in the sewing room. I don’t think I could accomplish nearly what I do if I didn’t have my list.
Megan says
I am a list-making nut! And I also have this pact with myself that I can’t sit down to sew until I have 10,000 steps on the pedometer. Sometimes I break it. 🙂
Karen says
How do you keep track of your daily goals? Do you use a computer spreadsheet or a note pad? I really need to work harder at setting and keeping my goals.
Karen Langseth says
My goal for today is to get the kitchen floor scrubed…..that task is the same as three items so I should be good to go.
I don’t have daily tasks, rather I set them weekly….that way I can choose to do them all in one day or spread them out over the week…..and yes sometimes on Saturady night I’m busy getting my chores done for the week. I’m so good at putting things off until later.
Mary Beth says
I have never been a goal setter. Let me tell you, you can get overwhelmed most of the time. My house gets out of control if I focus on quilting. My quiting gets out of control if I focus on my house. My husband goes nuts if I focus on them and not on him. Too much!! Right now my weight is out of control, fortunately so is my husband’s so our focus has become the same. My goal is to get the weight back in a healthy perspective. Then goal setting for the rest too. I have become a believer in goals…but just recently.
Marilyn says
Are you using your Go! cutter to cut the squares? Love to see a post about that 🙂
Sandy Gail (Sandra Neel Hutchins) says
Judy, you are such an organized lady! Now that I’m retired I take each day at a time. I do whatever makes me happy that day! I may cook OR not! I may sew or NOT! It’s such a wonderful feeling to have each day happen as the mood strikes me. My house does stay very clean because we always put away any thing that we get out. I do clean often so nothing is ever really dirty. I work in the garden as the weather permits and on my schedule. You’d be surprised how wonderful being so laid back can be. No stress. I do enjoy reading about how you have so many daily goals and all about your adventures. Enjoy!
Helen in Switzerland says
You are possibly the single most organized person I have ever come across Judy. I’m kind of not surprised that you achieve such a lot! Tomorrow I shall try very hard to follow your example!
Lois Goblinf says
I’m feeling slightly intimidated that you feel you need to set goals – from where I’m sitting you acheive an huge amount daily anyway! I set goals, but on a weekly list and try and tick off a couple a day, then I get to choose as I go along, it gives me an illusion that I don’t actually have to do them all. Of course Friday’s can be hideous unless I’ve deliberately picked some nasties earlier in the week!
Margo says
I LOVE GOALS! I find it so interesting that you are addressing this issuse because my girlfriends and I are currently working on Flylady.net daily and weekly goals. To take it a step further, last night one of my girlfriends and I decided that we wanted to also set sewing goals for the remainder of the year.* I was really thrilled to see in your post today that you will be sharing your daily drill/goals with us. Thank you for your inspiration, Judy. You provide more than you can ever imagine for your readers. Thank you!
*I personally have worked on reducing my stash and fabric purchases this year. I was inspired to do so by your weekly stash report. I am proud to say that I have only bought 9 yards of fabric this year. I have been working steadily on my projects and hope to keep up the momentum for the remainder of this year. Again thank you for your inspiration.
CJ says
Isn’t it funny how different we all are? I don’t do goals or plans, because I find them very frustrating. I fly by the seat of my pants, always have and always will. Everytime I try and conform, my life goes downhill in a hurry! LOL
Judy D says
I have a daily to do list. I like crossing things off so laundry, floors, etc go on the list. If it isn’t there, it probably won’t get done. I try to keep it simple so when days like today pop up, I can still cross things off and make the hurry up (like there is such a thing!) trip to town for lawn mower parts and power shopping at Walmart since it was close to the LM shop.
Now I have a flat of strawberries to take care of! Yeah for fresh fruit!
Diane says
I am a list maker-LOVE crossing a completed task off the list. But I have to keep it under control or I’ll just keep adding to the list until my heart is racing.
But when I’m not interupted (like I screen my calls and let the answering mach get it) and have a good list, I can really get a lot done, whether it’s quilting/sewing or housework. Cooking never is on the list..bleck.
Someone commented about TheFlylady website–she has really got housework figured out and her system works.
Patchkat~ Susan in TX says
Goals? Lists? I can’t think about what I’m going to do in the next 3 hours before I go to bed…how am I going to set goals, makes lists for the next 3 days???
I have discovered that indecision is the worst time waster around. I grab a project and work. If it gets done, that’s cool…if not, maybe it will be what I grab the next time I have time to sew. It doesn’t matter to me what I’m sewing on…as long as I can have time to sew.
AnnieO says
With two jobs, it is hard for me to make daily goals, but is a good idea. I have been “working up to” walking daily but laziness usually wins out. I would rather sew or blog between my two jobs!
I am a list maker but haven’t set more than a per project goal with my quilting. Self imposed monthly deadlines do help!
Darlene S says
I too am a list maker. It’s always motivating to see in writing that you have accomplished something today, even though the DH may not see or acknowledge it. It’s a good way to get more done. This is also true for my UFO list. I have it on my design wall and it stares at me each time I put something up on the wall. If it’s not on that list, I feel guilty that I’ve started something new before finishing a UFO — my self induced rule – finish 2 old ones before starting a new one. It has worked pretty well, but occasionally I can’t resist the call of new material or a new pattern that I see somewhere. It’s all fun anyway and just as long as I’m sewing, I’m Happy!! Dar
Mary says
I’m lucky if I get one thing non quilt related done each day. I do set goals but they’re mostly quilt related which is why my house needs a MAJOR cleaning!
pdudgeon says
Judy, you most definitely work faster than i do. those three things would take most of the morning for me.
one thing i do that has helped me with quilting (besides taking 2 Aleve for arthritis) is to do my prep work at night for the next day. that way i’ve got two chances to get things right (read ‘find mistakes”) before i sew.
last night i set some sashing strips, corners, and setting squares in order to sew today. So if i can get my current project into a quilt top today, i’ll be happy.
that will be one more UFO project (on it’s third go around!) done. It has really morphed from the original plan, but i think i’m gonna love it.
Nancy in MI says
Setting Goals: yes, I do set goals for sewing and other projects. When we moved from MS to MI (dead of winter when we arrived up here..kind of a shocker) I decided to keep the winter blahs and lonliness away I was going to do a block a day for a pattern I had purchased (BOM). This was a fun goal for me and I completed the quilt in no time. I have to set goals because I homeschool…and you know the old saying “if you fail to plan then you plan to fail”. The move was 3 yrs ago. Since then I have continued to set goals for quilting and odd cleaning jobs in the house. Actually I set goals for about everything…now do I manage to hit my goals and complete them? Nope…but I give it a good try!! Today my goal is finish the binding on a quilt, make a backing for a couple of other quilts and get them on the longarm!
Happy quilting from beautiful 70 degree Michigan…that is our high today!! SWEET!!!
Ann says
My daily goal is five days a week I try to exercise for one hour not because I want to and not becuase I like it. I actually hate to exercise.
I am over weight and not in the best shape. But exercising does help to keep my back and hopefully my heart in shape so I don’t have to go to physical thearpy for an achinig back!
After I have exercised then I pick up the house and most days I choose one or two things that need to be done that I call SPECAIL cleaning. Example: wash the full view storm doors or clean a shelf that has a collection of some sort on it. Something that would take to long to do on my normal cleaning day.
Most afternoons I am off to sew at a friends house, Guild or Sewing Bee. When I don’t have those fun things to do I stay home and sew. Once my husband comes home from work we go out to eat or I cook. After dinner I am usally to tired to go to my sewing room so I always bring a hand project to work on while watching tv in the evening.
Right now I better go exercise………