Day 2: Tackle Your Hardest Thing First
I agree with Minimalist Parenting’s assertion that procrastinating brings us down and drains our energy. (n.b.: there is a fantastic chapter in Allie’s new Hyperbole & a Half book about procrastination; if you haven’t gotten your copy yet, get one! The colorful pictures make for a fantastic bedside reading experience. She was also on Fresh Air a few days ago, so give that a listen.)
In that vein, I know exactly the task I am going to tackle today. A felt Advent calendar! Last year I made up my mind that I would finally start using my brand-new mint-in-the-box sewing machine to make one for the girls. I had seen it done on Pinterest (seeย hereย andย here), and the directions seemed simple enough. I got out my sewing machine and bought the colors of felt I would need. Then I proceeded to do nothing until it was too late.
I’ve been staring at the felt for the past year every time I open my supply cabinet. Today I’m going to spend 15 minutes figuring out how to get started. I will probably spend the majority of that time cursing while trying to thread the machine, but at least I’ll be one step closer to project completion!
p.s. To those of you who work full time, it must seem ridiculous that I would choose an optional task as my most difficult. But as a person who spends 99.9% of my time coming up with ideas and the last 0.1% procrastinating on following through, it is always the fun things that end up being the most difficult for me to complete, for whatever reason. I need DEADLINES, people.
p.p.s. I’m still not sure which one I want to do, but you can see my pins for more inspiration…