Using Passwords to Make Habits

Admittedly, this is not sewing related . . .

Say you are trying to work on an aspect of your dance like posture, expression, or attitude.  Say you need a way to practice this a lot, outside of the classroom.  One small but effective way you can practice this is to make a password based on the habit you want to cultivate and use it on an application / device that you access several times a day.

Need to keep your chest lifted?
Need to smile more?
Need to keep your shoulders back?
Need to remember that one #$%@!! combo that eludes you in a choreography?
Need to bead that pesky costume? (Ah, a sewing connection!)
Need to  . . . (you get the idea)

Try making a password that recalls that thing you are working on.  Construct it so that it complies with the  security standards of a good password (hard to guess, has special characters, capitalization, a number, etc.); but, so that it also helps to remind you to work on those small but significant changes that will make your dance better.  By the time you are forced to change your password, you will be ready to take on a new habit to cultivate.

I personally have a life that requires that I log in many, many times a day.  And, I have found that this one little technique helps turn a desire into a reinforced habit.

Now, of course, never SHARE the habit you are working on, until you have moved on to the next one, which will be your little secret.

An Art Teacher Wants Your Scraps

 . .  and your stash of beads and your leftover ribbon and your extra pieces of paper and your spare sequins and . . . well, things you might throw away.

In honor of Earth Day, and because school budgets, particularly ARTS budgets are dwindling due to the recession, I have to write this post.

My daughter's art teacher knows me by name.  We email often.  Why?  Because she takes things that would be my "trash" and turns them into ingredients for treasures her students can make.  I like this arrangement because I hate throwing things away.  I would rather recycle them.  She likes this arrangement because she gets inspiring goodies that her students can use, whether it's the FOUR bags of scraps that came from cleaning my craft room, or the plastic containers that used to hold lunchmeat and can now hold craft supplies.

Costs me nothing but a few minutes.  And, when I see some pieces come home as part of art pieces, it is so worth it!

Don't have a child?  You still have an art teacher, or two.  Call your neighborhood school, daycare, or other institution of learning.

Your trash CAN become someone else's treasure.

All packed up, and ready for an art class!

Making Big Projects Seem Smaller

A while back, I wrote about some of the things my day job taught me that I wanted to apply to my costume making. At work, we use the "backlog" system to help take big projects and rationalize what needs to be done when. So, I started applying that to my projects. I made a table that looks something like this:

1. I list up to three projects that I really want to finish in the first column. More than that and anyone would go mad!

2. For each project, I list what I need to do in very simple terms. Example:

a. choose bra cups

b. build side panels

c. build straps

d. cut covering fabric

e. apply covering fabric

f. embellish cups

g. embellish side panels

f. embellish straps

g. cut lining fabric

h. line

3. Then, for each one, I GUESS how much time each task will take to actually finish each step and get to a stopping point. Note it by the item. Let's assume this is a SIMPLE, non-beaded bra, where I will sew on a few pieces to embellish, and I am sewing base pieces by machine. Times are GUESSES only.

a. choose bra cups - 10 minutes

b. build side panels - 20 minutes

c. build straps - 10 minutes

d. cut covering fabric - 5 minutes

e. apply covering fabric - 45 minutes

f. embellish cups - 20 minutes

g. embellish side panels - 20 minutes

f. embellish straps - 15 minutes

g. cut lining fabric - 5 minutes

h. line - 45 minutes

4. Now, to use this, you and I both know that there are some things that are dependent on other tasks -- you know I can't line the thing until I have finished everything else. But, I could build the side panels before I choose the cups. So, now I can say, "I have 30 minutes to sew, which task can I finish in this time?" and then I pick something that I can do in that period that is not dependent on another task. And, I can see where i can do some of these tasks in different environments, like embellishing or other hand sewing while waiting in a doctor's office (done it!), riding along on a car trip (done it!), or watching TV with your beloved (done it!).

I like this method because it makes me feel like I have accomplished something, and it really helps me to sort through which things I need to get done by X date, allowing me to re-prioritize things that are or are not important. (Do I really need to use THAT beading pattern that takes forever?)

(modified from comments on bellydanceforums.net)