You can't make me! What if I don't feel like it!?

Do you plan your projects based on how your feeling? If you are doing art as a hobby I guess that works okay but when it is your business it doesn't work like that. I find my feelings are too fickled.  I can remember when I was growing up my mom would say, "Ah its raining, I feel like sewing today. I have to be in the mood to sew and rainy days put me in that mood". So growing up in southern California we didn't sew much! LOL but on those few rainy days we sewed like mad women!

When you design and do art as a business whether its patterns or fabric, showing up to work based on a mood is a luxury we don't have.  I have to create daily, working on whatever is on my design board or list that day. I don't have the luxury of waiting for the mood to hit me, I have to always be in the mood! Does that make me moody? NO WAY!! I love it, its all about mindset. How you approach things and mentally prepare for things is the key. I have a few secrets on how I can turn a "I don't want to do that" moment into a productive day!  Do you want to hear more?? I will be sharing some more of my tips in upcoming posts so check back often.

Knowing that I am a procrastinator by nature I will find ways to avoid projects that I am not enjoying by creating distractions. I could be emails, Facebook, phone calls sometimes I just get hungry and want to eat. I now know that this is all the ways my mind is trying to NOT do the work. By understanding some of my mindsets and personality flaws I am better able to identify why I am always feeling so stressed. I can't tell you how many times I have come down to the wire and had to work all night so I could finish a project in time for a deadline. Do you do this too? Are you a procrastinator and avoid the things that you don't feel like doing?? When I think back to my school days I did the same thing, study for a test at the last minute, start the book the day before the book report was due…. ugg.

So anyway, back to creating whether I feel like it or not doesn't work in business, any business. How many times have you woke up and said I don't feel like going to work today, or I don't want to pay these bills. It doesn't work too well in life either. But you know once you go, once you do the task the day goes well! Right!? So tip #1. EAT YOUR FROGS EARLY. Take the thing (your frog) you are avoiding the most today and do it first!!! Don't put it off, don't get your email, don't look at Facebook. If its a big frog schedule an hour or so to start it then move to something else. Each day by taking a bite of this big frog it will soon disappear. Make lists so you can check things off, it will give you a sense of accomplishment to see all you get done this way!!

Well I am off to take another bite of my frogs this week, I am getting lots done, designing quilts and placemats and projects for some new shows. Its been a push as I really would like to paint, but no, its time to design and sew.

Today you will find me in my sewing studio, feasting on frogs and getting lots done and wishing it would RAIN.  What are you up too? I would love to see your projects too! Use the linky tool and share some picts of what your working on this week!