getting organised...

It's a funny thing isn't it - sometimes the more time you have to do something the less you achieve. How does that work?

I've often found that I achieve more if I am pushed for time - it's that old cliche I suppose - if you want something doing, ask a busy person. But it is so TRUE!

Because I love what I do, and partly I think because I have a lovely space in which to do it, I find myself working almost every spare moment. I start first thing in the morning and am usually still going at 10 or 11 at night.

Things like cooking, supermarket shopping and (she says very guiltily) looking after children, often feel like things to be done quickly before I can get back to what I love doing!!

But even so, with ALL this time I am so lucky to have, I often feel I don't actually achieve very much each day.

For a long time my long-suffering hubby, who has listened to this very familiar moan of mine many times, suggested I make myself a timetable...

- divide my time each day and specify what that time is to be used for.....in other words, treat myself like an employee.

Now in the back of my mind, I did think this was a good idea, but somehow never got around to it.

But now......for the past week......I have had a timetable!!! And more or less, with a little tweaking here and there.... I've stuck to it - and boy have I achieved!!!!

It is UNBELIEVABLE!!

In the past 3 days alone, I have packed up and posted ALL outstanding parcels, designed and sewn a new textile artwork, made 3 cushions with vintage fabric AND put them in the shop, done a mini stock check, finished lots of outstanding tidying that I kept meaning to do, sorted my vintage buttons, cut out and matched up 30 flowers for fabric brooches, updated 3 blogs and taken new stock to 2 different shops. It is AMAZING!!!

Not totally sure I can keep this up - might have to factor in some relaxation time!!! but at the moment the evenings and Sunday on my timetable are free for me to choose what to do so I could use that time!!

I think that's probably the only downside in doing something you love, for a living - you don't want or know when to stop!!!!

All the time I used to waste, knowing I had SO many things I should be doing but never quite knowing what to do first. Now I can relax, knowing there is a time in the week allocated for everything.

I am very fond of the whole concept of organisation..... as a child, I used to declutter and change my bedroom around for fun!! I love lists, and new starts......September and starting a new year at school used to be a favourite time for me.......so this has happened at the perfect time!!

Anyhow, I highly recommend timetabling yourself, however much time you have, it seems to get so much more out of it.

Just realised how much I have waffled on...but this is the slot allocated for writing the blog after all!......x

I will leave you with the new textile artwork - a little bigger than any I've done yet...our local market place....