What to do when there are no deadlines looming
Markings #5 ©2007 66"x 57"
No Pressure
My show, Markings: Repetition and Pattern, opened today. The work is done. My artist talk is outlined and ready to go for saturday at the artist reception. I’ve got a detailed list of things to bring (cookies, updated portfolio, camera, etc). The deadline for shipping work for my next show, Fencing in or Keeping Out, isn’t for another month. My kids are still in Europe. Taxes are done. Bills are caught up. Plants are watered. Cats are fed. Laundry is done.
I’m in a very rare state of my life. I don’t feel the pressure of any looming deadlines I need to rush to complete.
Wow. What an amazing feeling.
Used to be this situation would rarely last long. Some deadline will sneak up on me and I’d start feeling I have to do things in high gear again.
My intent is to not let that happen that way anymore. I don’t want to live my life feeling I’m just putting out one fire after another.
Spinning My Wheels
My normal M.O. would be to make an excuse to myself that I needed to do nothing all week, for several weeks. I delivered the work for my show monday, obviously I deserve a month off. Then I’d waste the entire time online doing nothing. Then I’d feel drained, annoyed at myself and back under pressure to crank out the work at the last minute.
The result being only the immediate deadlines are met and things like decluttering my house, which is a huge job and needs to be done in little chunks, never ever gets finished because it never gets started because I’m either doing nothing at all or running around like a chicken with my head cut off.
I know I have a reputation for being super organized and good at managing my time but the reality is I work really fast and can pull off amazing things when under pressure. But only the big splashy things get done. The other stuff gets ignored and I don’t talk about it although it frustrates me a lot.
No more!
A Better Way
My plan is to keep track of upcoming commitments for the next 6 months and each week pick a few items that I need to focus on that week so my goals will be met in an effortless manner.
This week my priorities are
- Preparation for my artist reception on saturday
- Decluttering of my house
- Making steady progress for the work for the show in April
So tonight I cleaned out 1/2 of my linen closet, wrote the outline for my artist talk and made a shopping list and I spent a hour in my studio.
This doesn’t mean I won’t take time out to relax. I think it probably means I’ll have more time for slowing down and enjoying a break.
I’ll let you know how it goes.
Markings #5
I said in my last post that there were 2 pieces that didn’t make it into the show up in Boulder. This is the other piece. I really love this piece but it was too big. I had 2 pieces that were very dark and the other one fit into the space better. So this one came home to keep me company instead.
Posted by Lisa in: Goals
Tagged: goals, markings series, Markings: Repetition and Pattern, Time Management
melissa lanitis gregory said,
February 21, 2008 @ 11:20 am
I’m really enjoying reading your blog and following your process; maybe because I’m learning similar lessons of my own. I think doing those seemingly simple tasks, like cleaning out half your linen closet, gives us a huge boost.
I really like the colors in your Markings #5. Best of luck with your show!
Lisa Call said,
February 21, 2008 @ 9:58 pm
Thanks Melissa. Glad to know you are on a similar journey!
Cherie said,
February 22, 2008 @ 3:57 pm
Lisa,
I think you just described how 95% of us live. I live in a constant state of wishing I was able to do more so I could catch up with everything. But when I actually have a few hours to do some catching up (decluttering, organizing, finishing a UFO) I find myself thinking “Hey, look at this free time I have! What quilt can I start?” This past year though, I have made a very conscience decision to finish at least 2 UFO’s before starting a new project, and it has helped me get down to less than 8 projects that are not finished in my quilt studio. And that feels very good. When I do start something new, I have no guilt whatsoever. I also will decide what I’m going to do, pull out the fabrics I want to use, draw pictures, etc, and just let that pile sit until I finish something else. The faster I finish my current project, the faster I can get started on the new one that I’m just dying to work on.
Lisa, reading your ideas inspires me to do the same! So as you organize yourself, you can feel good about organizing a bunch of us out here too!
Cherie
Joanie San Chirico said,
February 25, 2008 @ 6:34 pm
Congratulations on your opening! Wish I could see the work in person though.
xxoo