Making a Pattern with Your Day

This morning I alternated between coffee, clean house, play with photo's, and do laundry. I was keeping it up pretty well too. Kind of like to get my 5 yr old to eat a little of everything on his plate we'll suggest he do a pattern. First, veggie, then bun, then entree, then applesauce, then veggie... you get the idea. So in the hopes of motivating myself this morning I tried the same. The problem I have as a random-minded person is that I'll start with coffee, think of wiping of the counter, go to the closet to get a towel, remember I have towels in the laundry, go downstairs, and get distracted by the dirt on the steps, vacuum that up, notice that my coffee is cold, go to the refridgerator for some almond milk for the coffee, get the phone, notice again that the counter needs cleaning off... you get the idea. Usually I get a fair amount of work done this way, but it's never quite the list I had when I started, and I'm tired at the end of it, and don't feel like I've accomplished much.

I know some of you are like this too, and I want to encourage you to do a pattern this holiday season. In between the have-to's of the season, throw in some want to's. You know the things that energize you and refresh you. Like knitting, or watching Christmas movies, or taking a walk in the snow, or lying on the couch flipping through a few magazines. I also try to make the chores I have to do a little more "me". I have to wrap gifts- ok so let's have some fun at it and get out the mixed media supplies to make tags. You have to bring a hostess gift to some occasions, why not stitch up a quickie little wine bag or make a few ornaments?

I know it's easy to say and hard to do but I know that if I force myself to think of a chore as a creative opportunity it's less of a drain on me. I also try to do the pattern thing during the day and I have to say I do feel like I accomplish a lot more during the day if I've sprinkled in a few want-to's. After all, the laundry will be never ending, the counters will always need wiping, the fridge forever needs cleaning, but on the days I've added in a little time to do a scrapbook page, or played with some photo's, or created something, I feel better about what I've accomplished. I bet you will too. :)