But is your living easy? I write this as we are on August 1st!! Summer is usually my time to step back a little, having done summer fairs in June and July and travelling to see family, especially as a number of them have birthdays in August. This year, however family visits are restricted and there are no summertime fairs for me to enjoy, to meet you face to face and to show off any new creations. How are you finding it all?
We all benefit from routine, from systems and from “a norm”. There is a case, especially in this year, of doing what we have wanted to do, knowing even more that tomorrow may not be possible. There is also the challenge that this year of respite is the time to learn skills, to improve skills and to ensure that what we take out of this year is the best that we possibly can. But how do we try and marry the 2, without causing stress or ending up doing nothing?
I am ensuring everything is photographed and out to be seen, wherever you are, especially as we cannot travel the same. I began and realised that I want to ensure that each item is recorded in the same manner, so I began to pause and retake photos. It is a great way to obsess on the same thing, over and over, which then prevents moving forward to get the rest of the job done! Know the feeling? So many of us can do that in life, hoping that if we make 1 thing perfect then we will be able to move forward. All we do is go round over the same ground, making ourselves a little rut and watching the view as we go lower. I once went to a talk which gave this very good advice, “do something each day which you do not need to do again.” This can be to paint, to knit, sew, read a page in a book, or upload a photo and not return to it the next day and change it again! This is why housework can NEVER fall into that category.
So I have decided. Yes, some things may not be as perfect as I want and yes, with each new thing I do I see at least 3 others things which need to be altered/updated/redone, but I am learning that this shows that I am improving on my skills. In the meantime, I can ensure that the primary job of all items being shown to you is done. Then the retouches and improvements can happen. After all, when we hold back until everything is perfect improvements can never happen. Improvements can not happen to what does not exist. So if you can today, do something that you really want to have done. You may not finish it today, but you will be further along. I have my aim to what I want done by 31st August, what about you? Shall we meet up again in a month’s time?