Staying focused and getting the gift knitting done

The holiday season is upon us. Well if you pay any attention to the store displays, ads, and TV commercials, the holiday season was upon us over a month ago in early October. It amazed me that stores were setting up for the holiday before we even made it to Halloween. But I digress, this post isn't about how the holidays creep up faster and faster every year, its about, how do you stop yourself from getting knitting sidetracked during this time of year.

For me, I find myself surfing Ravelry and AllFreeKnitting.com for patterns to knit for gifts or for myself. I get so excited about all the patterns that I want to try that I can't stay focused on knitting the actual gifts. Every year I struggle with this dilemma. This year I took time off from product knitting because I got really burned out trying to keep up with shows, farmer's markets, and trying to figure out what will sell and what people will buy (this is an on-going process, I still haven't figured out). It was also to give me time to get back to making gifts for my family and friends, which I've neglected over the past few years because I have been focused on product/custom knitting.

How do you keep your knitting on track? What tips and tricks can you share that help you to stay focused and get the gift knitting done and not end up sending Christmas gifts after the new year (which has been my trend for the last few years, which usually are not handmade - which is frustrating and disappointing).

Some ideas I've been using this year to keep me on track are:

1. Once I'm home for the night, fed and taken out the dog, and I've had my dinner, I turn on my DVR'd shows and watch them back to back, which for me could be anywhere from 3 to 6 hours of shows, depending on when I decide to watch them. I totally unplug, I stay away from my phone which is a total distraction with apps like Pinterest, Facebook, email, etc. I totally engross myself in the shows that I'm watching and the needles just fly and before I know it I have a fingerless mitt done, or I'm able to get quite a few rows done of a cowl. I find this to be very rewarding and it keeps me motivated to go to the next project and get it done.
2. At work when I'm on my lunch break, instead of browsing Ravelry like I normally do, I plug in some ear buds and listen to some music while I knit away, tuning out all that is going on in the office around me.
3. I made a list of the items I want to give as gifts this year, I prioritized the list by difficulty and time it will take to complete. Once I've completed the item on the list I cross it off, this gives me a sense of accomplishment.
4. And of course I reward myself when I complete an item on my list, by giving myself permission to browse patterns, check my Facebook or Pinterest page, or just giving myself my favorite piece of chocolate.

I'm finding that sticking to these simple little tricks have made it possible for me to get more done this year than I have in previous years. I'm also not feeling so overwhelmed with how much I have to get done.

For me one of the hardest parts of staying focused  and completing the tasks I set out to do, whether it's knitting, work, studying, etc. is keeping myself motivated. But I found that if I remind myself why its important to complete the task it helps me to stay motivated and focused on getting the task done, which for me the importance of completing my gift knitting is to give handmade gifts to my friends and family as well as get my Christmas gifts out on time this year.

While I was thinking about what I do to stay focused and motivated I did a search on the web to find some others tips and tricks to help stay focused and motivated and this what I found:

From How to Stay Focused at WikiHow.com:  

Make a to-do list. Making a to-do list at the beginning of every day or week can make you feel more focused and motivated to continue your work. If you make a list of all the things you have to do, no matter how small, you will feel more accomplished when you check those items off your list and move on to the next task. This will also keep you focused on one task at a time.   

Find your purpose. Having a purpose to finish your work will keep you motivated and will therefore keep you focused.Part of the reason we lose focus is because we can't see the point of whatever task we have to get done and would rather be doing something else. Once you find your purpose, write it down, or repeat it to yourself to keep your energies in the right place. Your purpose can be the key that unlocks the door to your focus. 

Pinpoint your goal. What is your goal for completing your task? The goal can be the carrot at the end of the stick that makes the task worth doing. 

Repeat your "focus mantra." When you know exactly what your purpose and goal are, you can create a focus mantra that you repeat to yourself whenever you get distracted. It can be just a simple phrase that you repeat when you're getting sidetracked that helps get you back in order.

Don't procrastinate. Procrastination is the thief of time. Avoid delaying any of your activities by leaving things to be done for tomorrow, next week, or next month. Rather have them done now and move on to the next project. 

From How to Stay Motivated at WikiHow.com

Remind yourself of your goals. Usually before devoting time to any specific endeavor, we tend to make short and long term goals. If you start to lose sight of your goals, then you may be less motivated than if you were always checking to see how much closer you are getting throughout the whole process. Keeping track of your goals and checking your progress can help keep you motivated day in and day out. 

Make weekly checkpoints to track your progress. Everyone needs to see how they are keeping up with their goals if they want to stay motivated. If you see that you are on track or even excelling every time you check your progress, you will be motivated and happy that you are getting there. If you see that you are lagging on your goals, it may be the kick start you need to help get you back on track.  

Make sure to reward yourself every time you achieve your weekly goals. This could be as simple as a bowl of ice cream after a long, hard week of working out. Or as rewarding as a trip to the spa for all your hard work. Whatever rewards will keep you going are the ones you should be giving yourself.

Give yourself breaks. Sometimes even the most determined people get overwhelmed. You may be burning yourself out, and a much needed break might be just what you need.

Don't be too hard on yourself. Everyone falls short sometimes. If you fail to meet your goals for the week, don't get too emotional. Let yourself take it as a lesson. It's not always how hard you hit, but how hard you can get hit and keep moving. Don't dwell on failure, just accept it as a human occurrence, and continue working towards your goals. 


I hope some of these tips and tricks are helpful to you as well and they can be used for any task you set out to do. But if you have tips and tricks that help motivate you and keep you focused that weren't mentioned here, I'd like to hear from you. Tell me what keeps you focused and how you stay motivated when you have 10 more pairs of fingerless mitts to finish before Christmas!!!


Happy Knitting!