I heard on NPR once that we have a finite amount of willpower each day. This willpower, also referred to as mental energy, is depleted each time we exercise it. Making decisions, enduring unpleasant experiences, deferring satisfaction. . .all these things use our willpower. Something as simple as waiting to use the restroom when you really need to go is a drain on your willpower.
Parenting requires a LOT of self control, and therefore a lot of willpower. Have you ever felt like you’ve reached your breaking point around 5 pm? 11 am? Haha! The interviewee posited that since willpower is a limited resource, we should be aware of how we are using it. I know parenting and running a household get most of mine, leaving the well a little dry for the sewing side of my life.
“What’s the point of all this, Robin??” Well, I LOVE to quilt and to keep it feeling like love, I go easy on myself! Easy for me is not sweating the small mistakes. Since I don’t typically sell my quilts or enter them in competitions I have few pressures to create perfect projects. This works out well for me for two reasons:
- I don’t like to practice. I don’t want to make a test block when that time could make a real block. I don’t want to make a sample quilt sandwich and test out quilting. I prefer to practice my skills on the real deal, but starting real + small is definitely advisable.
- I don’t like to re-do. Ripping. Is. The. Worst!!!!!!! I already sewed it! If I’m going to UNsew it, it has got to be bad. I rarely rip out quilting barring a major tension disaster or other machine malfunction. For me, quilting is the slowest to unpick and the most rage-inducing. AVOID.