Works in progress and the art of procrastination

We are all guilty of it as crafters... if I was to ask you do you have any works in progress and how many? Hmm!

Some admittedly will be in 'process'. That is to say they might be waiting for dye to dry, glue to cure or for a buckle to arrive.

Lets face facts though, it is likely we have projects that could be more accurately termed as shelved, put aside, abandoned. We lose the momentum to finish them, or our mojo for creation disappears. Even as I write this I feel the weight of a pair of fringed earrings that just need the hooks putting on - a five minute job, and they are a commission. They have been sat looking at me for days now.

So why do we struggle to finish, to pick up a piece of work again once it is set aside? There are many great articles, research and coaching done around this area of procrastination.

Starting new projects is exciting - getting the pieces and bits together, and if we are lucky to not get disturbed, we can often see it through. Sometimes though, part way through a more mundane aspect we lose sight of the end and feel like it is more of a chore than an inspiration.

If we are not careful we can end up with too many WIP that really take the fun out of things. We shut the door to the craft room and stop doing what makes us most happy because those projects are crying out to be finished. (Hence why they often end up shut away and buried so we can't hear them!)

So how do we best tackle this problem? Here are a few tips:

Remind yourself that unfinished tasks have no value - refresh as to why you started and wanted to do that project - perhaps those reasons might have changed.

My sister in law has a WIP quilt she was making for her daughter when she was two years old. My niece is now in her late twenties, so perhaps time to re-assess! Can you tweak the design to bring it up to date? How far along are you, perhaps you can re-purpose for another project? Note to Karen waiting for a grandchild is another form of procrastination!

STEPS TO HELP GET THOSE WIPS FINISHED:

Out of your head - get out all your WIPs and really take a good look at them.
Make a list, with notes next to each as to what needs to be done to finish up. This can help you to see the projects in more bite size sections. It might not take much to move the project along a little. Click here for a download project chart to help you get started.

3.Choose one that would be the quickest to finish and tackle it. Getting a few easy things ticked off helps your brain to get that serotonin rush that comes with finishing. Once you have that you may find the rest comes a lot more easily!