I want to talk a little about procrastination. This is something that I am really good at! I think it affects a lot of artists, quilters and people in general. It is something that one has to overcome to be able to create freely and live a happy and stress-free life!
Procrastination is not something that we are born with. It is something that we learn. It is a habit that allows us to avoid certain things like creating art, completing that quilt that is lying on top of that UFO pile or simply getting up to do a morning exercise walk! It allows us to do more pleasurable things instead of less pleasurable jobs. It allows us to put off impending tasks to a later time.
How many of us know the feeling of anxiety when there is a deadline looming and we have not started on our competition quilts or challenge quilts or whatever the job is that needs to get done? We tend to put everything off till the last minute before a deadline. We put obstacles in our own paths by doing something else....in fact, ANYTHING ELSE as long as we don't have to do the one that we absolutely have to do! In other words, we sabotage ourselves!
Procrastinators are often people who are very concerned with what others think of them. I wonder if it is that they would rather have other people think they didn't put in the effort than that they just don't have the ability. Perhaps it is a fear of failure or maybe the lack of motivation.
All of us experience this habit in some form in our lives. It is nothing new to quilters....all one has to do is to ask a group of quilters if they have any UFO's. Very seldom will there be that one person who doesn't! Author of many bestseller books on self-improvement, Alyce P. Cornyn-Selby, had the following to say about procrastination: 'A perfect method for adding drama to life is to wait until the deadline looms large.'
I think we owe it to ourselves to lead lives that are as fulfilled, happy and healthy as possible. How can the pressure that we put ourselves under be of any help to our health? In my next blog, I'll chat about some ways that we can break this evil habit!
Keep quilting, keep creating and be happy!
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