As I came back to work this morning after the long weekend, I faced a mountain of things to do. Where to start? Maybe I could manage to do more than one task at a time. You know, answer the email while I am listening to an online class, or trying to straighten the studio while I am making a phone call and quickly check the calendar to see if an appointment is scheduled. Quite the picture, isn’t it?

Yes, I am talking about multitasking and it does not work! According to Harvard Business Review blogger Paul Atchley, studies show that multitaskers are less efficient, perhaps by as much as 40%, than they think. He says that it takes an average of 15 minutes – and I have read numbers as high as 40 minutes – to reorient oneself to the main task. Wow – 15 minutes! Can you imagine how much time you waste on a daily basis trying to get back to the task at hand?

If you want to break your multitasking habit, here are four tips:

1. Focus on one task at a time. Atchley says our attention starts to wane after 18 minutes. He suggests that if that happens and you switch to a different task, make notes about the first task so it is easier when you go back. I think that if your attention wanes, it might be time for a quick stretch and then quickly re-focus on the same task.

1. Since I mentioned focusing on a task, be sure to divide your project into doable tasks. Set a timer for the task. I find it easier to focus if I have specifically set the time aside. You can find an online timer or use your iPhone alarm.

1. Eliminate distractions. This could be closing the door to your studio, letting the answering machine pick up the calls, stopping the audible tones of your e-mail. What is key is paying attention  – again focus – to your task.

1. Stick with it until it is done and done right.

 

And, if you think multitasking is only a problem today, here is a good quote from Lord Chesterton, attributed to a letter to his son in the 1740s:

“There is time enough for everything in the course of the day if you do but one thing at once;
but there is not time enough in the year if you will do two things at a time.”

 

Good luck single-tasking.

 

Quilt As-You-Go Made Modern
Jera Brandvig
Stash Books; $21.95

Those of us who have been quilting for several decades may remember the original quilt-as-you-go method taught by Georgia Bonesteel. I still have the my book from the 1970s and made a few quilts using this method. Jera Bradnvig has taken the concept and updated it for the modern quilter, allowing creativity to shine in design. Blocks are fully quilted on batting, which she refers to as your canvas, and then joined together, with or without a sashing strip. To finish the quilt, she adds a backing along with minimal quilting along the seams. The book includes 12 projects to serve as starting off points. A good choice for someone interested in a quick method to finish quilts.

You can look for the book at your favorite quilt shop or book retailer. Here’s a link to Amazon if you would like to learn more about the book.

Recently I have been talking with several of my clients about what seemingly little things they put up with. Yes, and some of the big things, too. We all have what could be called “tolerations,” those situations, problems or things that are really solvable, but that we let stay unattended. What happens? They bug us on occasion, and, more importantly, they zap our energy. Sure, we can put up with a few items, but most of us let the list grow. And, we start to compromise on those items. You know, maybe it is not really that bad. The problem is that you start to desensitize yourself to all the good around you.

So, how do you get control on those tolerations? First, admit you do actually have some! For starters, make a list of what you are tolerating. I do not think it will be hard to come up with 20, and I am sure you will get more if you get started listing them. So set aside 15 minutes and start your list. You might even do this walking through your house or office. I wlil admit I have one set of curtains that circle the floor. (No, they are longer than what is fashionable.) Every time I look at them, I think I should just take them down, run a quick seam and be done with them. It is such a simple, little thing, yet it takes energy from me every time I go through the room. So start that list and keep at it. It might be the dead plant you leave thinking it will suddenly grow shoots. It might be the clutter you live with. It might be your kids’ socks that never seem to leave the family room floor. It might be the stack of library books you have got in the car you are meaning to take back. It might be something your spouse always says that you that you live with rather than create waves. Look at all areas of your life: your business, your home, your car, your environment, your habits and behavior, and the habits and behavior of those you interact with.

Next, ask yourself for each of these tolerations what you are getting from it. While it may seem odd, you have some benefit for not addressing the toleration. You also have costs for each of the tolerations, so identify those. Once you realize what the benefits and costs are, it becomes easier to take action.

Decide that you are ready to take action on the tolerations and start at the top of your list. At some point, it really will hit you that you do not want to tolerate any longer. Just tackle one toleration each day. If I can decide today to hem those curtains, you can pick something on your list. And, watch what happens: you will build momentum towards eliminating the tolerations and you will find more energy.

What are you tolerating that you commit to eliminating?

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photo credit: Tanja FÖHR via photopin cc

The Little Things in Life
Heather and Elissa Willms
Kansas City Start Quilts; $26.95

As the summer winds to a close, I often look for a quick project, something that will give me a sense of accomplishment if my sewing days wane. I found lots of choices in The Little Things in Life from mother/daughter design team Heather and Elissa Willms. My list includes cord wrap for all the many cords lining the floor behind a table, a small notebook and adorned with embroidered circles. Some of the extras you will find are how to rust fabric and how to make salad in a jar.

You can look for the book at your favorite quilt shop or book retailer. Here’s a link to Amazon  if you would like to learn more about the book.

One of my favorite books is Stephen A. Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Habit 7 is about sharpening the saw. Covey shares the story of a man who has worked for more than five hours to saw down a tree. When asked why he does not take a break and sharpen the saw, sure to speed his work along, the man replies, “I don’t have time to sharpen the saw. I’m too busy sawing!”

Covey goes on to define sharpen the saw as “preserving and enhancing the greatest asset you have – you.” It is about renewing yourself, physically, mentally, spiritually, and socially/emotionally. This requires a proactive investment in ourselves. And it takes time, something we all seem to find in short supply. I will be the first in line to say it is easy to get caught up in my daily activities and neglect sharpening my saw. With so much going on with the day-to-day activities of my business and other commitments beyond work, where am I going to find time to “sharpen the saw?” For me, it is about making it a priority – and honoring that priority. I am big on time blocking, and this is one way you can put that to use. Currently I have time blocked for a variety of “sharpening” activities.

Here are some ideas for sharpening your saw:

1. Visit a museum
2. Try a new technique or class
3. Educate yourself (read something new, go to a seminar, listen to one of our teleclasses)
4. Journal
5. Organize your studio
6. Review and update your goals
7. Take time to exercise or try yoga
8. Enjoy natural surroundings

Covey also explains his “Upward Spiral” concept of renewal that allows us to grow and change. To do this, we must consciously learn, commit and do; learn, commit and do; continuously. This will keep your blade sharp. Where are your blades dull and what are you doing to sharpen them?

I also wanted to share an appropriate quote

Please share how you “sharpen your saw?”

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photo credit: steeljam via photopin cc

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE?

Please do! Just use it in its entirety and be sure to include the blurb below.
Morna McEver Golletz is the founder and CEO of the International Association of Creative Arts Professionals where creative arts entrepreneurs craft business success. Her weekly e-zine offers tips, techniques and inspiration to help you craft business success from your creative arts passion. You can sign up for a FREE subscription at http://www.creativeartsprofessional.com.

Stitches in Rhyme: Mother Goose Embroidered Quilts (and More!) for the Modern Nursery
Donna di Natale and Amy Ubben
Kansas City Star Quilts; $26.95

The discovery of a series of Mother Goose nursery rhyme blocks from the early 1940s inspired Donna di Natale to track down the descendants of the designer, artist LaVerne Bartos. From there, she and a friend Amy Ubben took the 21 blocks and created a sampler quilt plus an extra block. In addition to the quilt, you’ll find directions for 11 more projects, ranging from a curtain and pillow covers to a changing pad and stuffed Humpty Dumpty toys. The book includes general embroidery instructions as well as step-by-step instructions for each item. With so many of my friends having grandbabbies, I have got my eye on one or two as gifts.

Do you ever go to a trade show, an event or even a show and come back with lots of notes, papers and business cards? Well, I know the answer is yes to that one. What do you do when you get back to the office? Here are some tips to make it easier:

1. This first tip makes it easier because you do something at the multi-day event rather than waiting until you return. At the end of each day, go back through your notes and mark the top three as far as action items are concerned. Be sure to do this every evening. At the end of the event or the next morning when you are back in the office, look at your list for each day, prioritize and then narrow the list down to five overall. What actions can you take in the next 30 days to move these ideas to implementation? Schedule it.

1. What about the mass of business cards? Ideally you do this as you meet the person, but it is not always possible. I like to look at each card, try to remember the interaction and what next action is necessary. I will write this on the back of the card. It might be as simple as the person wanted to start getting your weekly newsletter. It may involve additional follow-up from you. Whatever is required, take care of it or schedule it.

1. Onto the handouts. I know I come back with flyers for products. Ideally you go through them in the evening and toss what you do not want. I have found that I may not have time for that and they end up in a stack. When I get back in the office, I toss out what I do not need. I sort other materials into what needs more information and what needs action. Then I schedule time to do this.

What are your tips for dealing with events? I know that it is very easy to let the notes, cards and flyers just stack up in the corner without attending to them.

Set the Table
Mary V. Green, ed.
Martingale; $16.99

Are you looking for a simple, stunning project? You are sure to find one in Set the Table, a collection of 11 table runners by 10 designers. You will find both traditional and modern designs as well as simple and improvisational techniques. I found several that made me want to get out my fabric and start to work, including “Standout” by Josée Carrier and “Calamity Cross” by Jenifer Dick. Other designers include Natalie Barnes, Audrie Bidwell, Thomas Knauer, Heather Jones, Angela Walters, Candi Weinrick, Amy Ellis and Jessica Levitt. I am sure you will find several that appeal to you. In addition to the complete instructions, extra tips are interspersed throughout the text.

If you found a specific project that stood out to you, I would love to hear about it. Just leave a reply below.

You can look for the book at your favorite quilt shop or book retailer. Here’s a link to Amazon  if you would like to learn more about the book.

About 10 years ago my husband worked with Toronto-based Strategic Coach, a firm run by Dan Sullivan. Dan and his staff worked with entrepreneurs on issues ranging from “strategy creation” to “work/life balance” and from “developing intellectual capital” to “creating and implementing exit strategies.” Because my husband would share the lessons, I felt like I was learning right along with him. One of the lessons that stuck with me was what Dan calls “The Referability Habits.”

If you stop and think about any success that you have experienced, it is because of a relationship. You do not just create the success by yourself. I see this everyday in myself and my clients. And, if you think about it, your most powerful testimonial is “word of mouth.” That’s your best customers wanting to introduce others to you, so that you can help them. Why do they do this? It is not just because you do a good job. According to Dan, you have developed four key habits. If you have these four habits, you will get referrals. Here they are.

1. Show up on time. How many of us making punctuality a priority? I believe that when we are late, we are saying that our time is more important than the person we are meeting with. It is rude behavior, and I doubt any of us wants to be perceived as rude. Allow yourself time to be on time, maybe even a bit early.

2. Do What You Say. This is all about commitment. Your word is your word. Do not over commit, keep a schedule so you know what you committed to, and follow-through. And this applies to everyone in your life and business, even yourself.

3. Finish What You Start. Do you ever get excited about a project and then get sidetracked and don’t finish it? Keep at it until it is fully done. To do this, you have to know what the finish looks like, so spend time figuring that out and follow through until you reach the goal.

4. Say “please” and “thank you.” We learned this common courtesy early on as children. I know I learned this from my parents. I still remember it being reinforced as the two little magic words from Captain Kangaroo. Doesn’t it make you feel good when you hear those words? It makes others feel good to hear them.

What do the four rules have in common? They show respect and appreciation for the other person. They let you build a level of trust and you become a valuable resource for the other person. And, it makes you a referable person. These are great every-day strategies to incorporate into your life.

Do you have others you might like to add?

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photo credit: Leo Reynolds via photopin cc

The Icarus Deception
Seth Godin
Portfolio Hardcover; $24.95

I recently listened to this book and found it full of some good reminders. You may remember the story of Icarus. Icarus and his father Daedalus, who made wings from feathers and wax, attempted to escape from Crete. Daedalus warned Icarus not to fly too high where the sun’s heat would melt the wings or too low where the sea’s dampness would clog them. Ignoring the warning, Icarus flew too close to the sun, and the melting wax caused him to fall into the sea where he drowned. Godin takes the story and asks us to move out of our safety zone, he asks us to fly closer to the sun. He talks about the fact we are living in the connection age, rather than the industrial age. Creating connections is what creating art is about. And art is not just the traditional definition we might have. Art is what we do with passion, what anyone does with passion. A corporate business person who has passion in what he creates is an artist. A bus driver who connects with his passengers is an artist.  Godin encourages you to take a risk, to share your art, to connect. While parts of the book seemed repetitive and preachy to me and it did not always seem always seem cohesive, I thought it had some valuable nuggets.

What is your passion? I would love to hear about it below.

You can look for the book at your favorite quilt shop or book retailer. Here’s a link to Amazon  if you would like to learn more about the book.<br/.>