Stitching your finger with your sewing machine not recommended, the myth of "catching up", and digital detoxing...

I'll try to keep this brief (exactly when was an Italian woman ever brief?)

I endeavor to maintain a schedule of sorts.  My weekly planner is home made and based loosely on David Allen's Getting Things Done.

The top 1/3 of the page is for my weekly goals.  The middle is for my actual schedule based on what's in the top 1/3, and the bottom 1/3 is for notes (green ink for garden stuff ), along with my few appointments (in red ink.)

I decided a few weeks ago that putting everything, or what seemed like everything, in the top 1/3 wasn't working very well.  I did an Excel spreadsheet listing all of the things that needed to be done and very selectively picked the most important for each week.

What does this have to do with the concept of catching up and sewing?

When I had everything written in my weekly area. it always seemed like I was forever "behind."  It was impossible to account for unforeseen happenings, which brings me to sewing.

I've had a sewing project that really needed to get done.  I scheduled it along with the rest of the project.  Within mere minutes of starting on Sunday, I managed to just about sew my finger to the cloth which also broke the sewing machine needle.

After stemming the flow of blood (it was copious), I looked for another needle.  No needle.  That led to a quick trip to Wally World for a new needle.  Except now the day was about over so I decided to slip in the needle on Monday morning and finish up the project.

After putting the new needle in, I decided that the location of the broken needle tip may be important.  I was pretty sure by this time it wasn't lodged in my finger, but what if it was in the machine?

I took out the bobbin, slipped off the race cover, took a look around, and then - the shuttle hook fell out. 

I had no idea of how to get the darn shuttle hook back in, so I hit the internet for advice which I eventually found from a nice lady who is obsessed with sewing machines.  Her advice and magnificent pictures saved the day - or what was left of the day.  (NB: Until this woman gave me my first sewing machine lesson, these parts were all referred to as "thingys" - i.e: the outside round thingy and the inside thingy.  I did know the bobbin case was the bobbin case.  Score one for moi.)

On Monday, I managed to finish with the sewing, but not the remaining part of the project.

 Now it's Tuesday, and most of Monday's scheduled stuff is not done, and has been pushed to today.  But wait.  I have my Tuesday scheduled stuff still sitting there.

Are you getting it now?  There is no such thing as catching up.  Accept it.  Live with it.  Learn to love life just as it is.

Courtney Carver, at Be More With Less, has an excellent article on the subject:  How to End the Endless Game of Catching Up

 I've taken up way too much of your time already, so I'll save digital detoxing for tomorrow.

Right now, I have tomatoes to transplant and whatever else I can mange to do.  One thing I know for sure; I won't get "caught up."

Question:  How many of you live in the "getting caught up trap?"

Swiped from my good friend Blue: