Preparing for 2017

I can't believe how soon it will be 2017. In an effort to be more organized, I'm preparing for 2017 in several different ways.  I get so much more done when I am organized, and I have lots I want to do next year.  I'm not doing any major prep work, just small things to help me keep on track better. Some of these are quilt related, others just general things I'm working on to make life easier. Here are some of the things I'm doing.

1. Quilter's Planner. I have the 2017 edition and I've already started documenting things in it. I used the 2016 planner with some success last year, but found myself using it less as the year went along. So I'm trying to be more conscious about using it this year. I even bought some erasable pens to use with it this year.

2. Gratitude Journal. I've found that when I focus on the good things in my life I'm a much happier person. I've done challenges like 100 Days of Happy and such in the past and they have always helped me stay focused on the good. I decided this year I'm going to do a gratitude journal. I've done them in the past and they really are a great way to help me stay positive. I decided to use a composition book and I made a cover for it using some of my scraps. I made one for Sharla as well, but I'm not sure how she plans on using hers. These were fun to make and went together very quickly, mine is the purple and Sharla's is the pink.

3. To Do Lists. I've purchased a tablet of to-do list. They are meant to be a daily to-do list, but right now I'm using them as a weekly list. If I can master using them on a regular basis I will design some of my own and have Sharla print them for me. But for now I'm happy using the pre-made ones.

Now to the stuff without pictures, but still very important.

4. Move My Sewing Area. I actually did this in November, but I've been working on getting it organized in a manner that works for both Sharla and I. I think it is almost right. I was very lucky in that Tom and Mecca gifted me a wonderful top for my Raskog cart from Ikea. This cart sits between Sharla's table and my table, and with this piece we can iron or put a cutting mat on top of the cart and not have to get up to do simple ironing/cutting. The other two trays on the cart are used for storage. The goal is to keep the sewing tables as clear of clutter as possible.

5. Preset Project List. Sharla and I each selected 12 projects that we want to work on in 2017. We then had Cole draw numbers between 1 and 12 and we assigned each project a month. The goal is that we finish the top in that month. Now we have a ton of projects beyond this list, but this was a way for us to work on existing items. If we finish an item early in the month we can move on to the next months or add in something new. This is only the list for tops, I haven't decided how I'm going to do the list for tops to be quilted yet.

6. Unsubscribe Emails. I started on Christmas Eve really looking at the emails I get in my two main accounts. I found lots of duplicates and lots and lots that I don't even open, I just immediately delete. So I started to unsubscribe from as many as possible. I didn't count exactly how many I did over the holiday weekend, but I noticed a dramatic reduction in the volume of emails in my mailboxes this morning. So instead of wasting time deleting tons of emails each day, I can use that time for something more beneficial.

7.  Review/Edit My Blog Reading List.  This started by accident, when I went to classify a couple of new blogs I added and I saw the number of blogs I follow. I first went through and opened the latest post for each blog to see if I read it or skipped it. I was really surprised by how many blogs on my list didn't post anymore. So those were an easy delete. Then I looked to see if I really read the blogs or not. Some I started following and then found I didn't enjoy the writing style or quilting style or whatever, and I would just mark them as read, without even opening the page. So I deleted them from my list. I am still going through and doing some more edits, but mostly for categorization purposes.

8. Fabric/Project Organization. This is an ongoing project for me, I'm constantly, trying to get all of my fabrics and projects organized.  Since I moved my sewing table away from where my fabric is stored, I have to stay more organized. If not it gets out of hand very fast. How do I know this you might ask. Well in just the short time I've had my sewing table else where my fabric has gotten out of hand. Mostly because I pull fabric and don't put it back in the right spot. So my plan is over the New Years holiday, everything has to be put back in place.  I've been working on it some, but the goal is that it be complete by the 2nd of January.

Well that is my prep list for 2017. Each is of these is designed to either free up time or focus me in the right direction, both of which I need. Do I need to do about a zillion more things, yes, I could write all day about what I need to do, but that would get boring and leave me no time for getting anything done.  So for now these are what I'm going to focus on through this weekend (and into the new year).  I hope each of you has a wonderful New Year and please remember to be safe over the holiday weekend.