I'm just at a loss....

Despite the fact that I have 12 other projects, I bought and started this at one of our meetups....

The Art of Starting: My Life with 13 Ongoing Projects

Welcome to my chaotic world, where the only thing more abundant than my enthusiasm is the number of unfinished projects cluttering my workspace. As someone who navigates life with ADHD, I’ve become an expert in starting things. I have a penchant for beginning new quilty projects, and at this moment, I find myself with an impressive 13 ongoing projects (that I remember anyway). Yes, you read that right—13! It’s a testament to my inability to finish anything. The thrill of starting something new is so much fun! Yet, as I watch others showcase their completed works at show and tell, I can’t help but feel a pang of envy. It’s a familiar feeling—always the bridesmaid, never the bride. I stand on the sidelines, applauding their accomplishments while my own creations languish in the shadows, waiting for a moment that may never come (can you feel the drama? I feel like I'm the phantom of the opera!).

The Fabric Fetish

Let’s talk about one of my biggest weaknesses: fabric. The moment I step into a fabric store,

I feel like a kid in a candy store (every quilter ever). The pretty colors, the textures, the endless possibilities! I can’t always resist the urge to buy some of every fabric that catches my eye. Even without a project in mind I load my cart with enough fabric to outfit a small village. Spoiler alert: none of this new fabric will see the light of my sewing machine for many a moon. AND I SEW ALL THE TIME. Almost every day! I must just be slow, because all I can do is watch as friends and fellow quilters display their finished projects, all the time!

The List That Became a Monster

In a moment of clarity, I decided to create a list to track my projects. I envisioned it as a neat little roadmap to help me to get it under control. Kind of like when you have debt and they say, pay off the smallest one first and then put that $ toward the next. I would work on the project closest to being finished, and then the next, and so on. I thought I’d feel accomplished crossing things off, but it turns out that seeing 13 projects listed out just made me feel overwhelmed. And I still haven't crossed anything off. Maybe I need a column to track the level of finished, so I can see there is SOME progress.

How Do Others Do It?

So, here I am, stuck in this crazy cycle of shuffling projects. Then I wonder how others manage their WIPs. Do you have a secret formula for staying focused? Do you have a

magical system that keeps you on track? Do people really have only one project going at a time? Or are you also a fellow member of the “I’ll finish it someday” club? I’d love to hear how you tackle your own projects. Do you have tips for keeping the momentum going? How do you resist the lure of new ideas when you have a pile of unfinished tasks that you loved at the time, on a long, long list?

In the meantime, I’ll be over here, surrounded by my fabric stash and a list that could rival a novel. And while I may not have anything to show for it just yet, I hold onto the hope that one day, I too will be able to join the ranks of those sharing their completed quilts. Until then, I'm determined to try to stop worrying about it and enjoy the journey- I mean, I do love quilting, right?