Why I only have one Work In Progress at a time

 

I used to have several WIPs going on at any given time.

I had an easy, mindless project, a complicated one that required all of my attention, and a few separated by location. It was a constant cycle of trying to remember where I was in the project, trying to recall what the next step was, and unfinished projects piling up. In short, it was overwhelming.

Now that I have shifted my focus and become more minimalist and generally tidier, I can't do this anymore. I don't have the energy to remember that many projects or have that many spaces taken by a project.

I usually have 1-2 WIPs at any given time anymore. One is easy, mindless, and repetitive (such as a blanket or shawl) and the other has a pattern I'm trying to follow closely. Often when I'm pattern testing, I use this one as the concentrated project. That's the most I have the capacity for anymore. 

But now that I've shifted that way, I don't know why I endured years of 5+ projects going at a time. What did I gain from this? Stress, mistakes in my projects, countless projects never finished. That's all I got from it. 

If you're a maker with multiple WIPS, can I ask what's causing this? Is it that a project is overwhelming and you don't think you can finish it, but also don't want to admit you don't think you'll ever finish it? Is it that you find a new project or get inspired, and can't wait to start it? Ask yourself why you're doing it, and see if there's a root to the chaos. I realized that I had needles taken by insurmountable projects and hooks forever lost to the unswatched project monster. Embrace a little bit of self-discipline and see if your life improves by cutting back on the number of WIPs going at any given time, and let me know how it goes! 

I'm on a mission to simplify my life, and I would love to see you simplify yours as well.

Blessings,

Jessica