For many people, the biggest challenge of knitting for profit success is not lack of money or experience or ideas – it’s procrastination! So here’s 7 top tips to help you beat procrastination and start living your dream sooner…
Tip #1 – Write a list of what needs to be done each day, then cross things off as you finish them. This will give you a great sense of achievement and help keep you motivated and enthusiastic
Tip #2 – Prioritise your tasks and focus on the ones that are most important for getting your business off the ground and making money. There’s a difference between being busy and being productive – you can fiddle around doing low priority things but it won’t get you any closer to your dreams of a knitting business
Tip #3 – Put the things that need to be done right in front of you. This way you just won’t be able to avoid doing what needs to be done. And do the things you really don’t want to first – then they are out of the way and you can enjoy the rest of the day – yay!
Tip #4 – Focus on doing and finishing, not perfection. You have to get over the idea that things need to be just right, sometimes a slightly less than perfect job is better than none at all (especially in the online world where things don’t have to look perfect to be effective). This tip applies more to "running the business" kind of tasks than your actual knitting – I am certainly not suggesting you try to sell unfinished or bad quality products!
Tip #4 – Write down your goals for the future and a plan of how you’re going to get there. Again this doesn’t have to be perfect and it’s not set in stone, but it will give you a good overall picture of where you are going and what you need to do to get there.
Tip #5 – Get help from mentors and advisors. Don’t be shy about asking for help and advice from people you admire and respect, they can probably give you ideas that will save you time and help you through tough times. And don’t be closed minded about management and personal development books and courses, you could discover an idea or breakthrough that could be worth thousands of dollars to you (not to mention make your life easier and happier!)
Tip #6 – Learn to say no and mean it. It’s easy to get caught doing useless tasks or engaging in idle chat when you can’t say no. When you work for yourself, you are wasting your own time and money when you accept tasks that don’t take you closer to YOUR dreams. Keep socialising and unproductive tasks for your leisure time, not your working time.
Tip #7 – Stay positive and avoid worrying. Psychologists have proven that worrying uses up huge amounts of energy, and worrying never solved any problems. If you find yourself anxious, write down everything that is on your mind and then write out the tasks you need to do to solve the problems – just doing that process will relieve stress enormously. Try changing your state by talking to someone who inspires you, or reading a book that encourages you, or by doing some guided meditation. Working on yourself and your positive attitude is the most valuable thing you can do – not only for your knitting business but for your whole life too!
Tip No 8
Thoroughly organise your work area. There is nothing more likely to negate creativity than scratching around looking for something you need!!
Great tip – thanks for adding that one in!
Actually, the very act of tidying up always motivates me… at least I think it does!
Because once I get my craft room all cleaned up…. I am in a vigorous “need to do some crafting” mood.
With my knitting and crochet pattern designing, it doesn’t take long before I have about 3 hampers of yarn beside me.. and then I have to go about re-organizing and sorting
the jumble and re-arranging them into my various stacking boxes where I try to keep them categorized by color. (If I only had yarn as a crafting supply, my life would probably be a bit easier, but I delve into just about every type of crafting, except pottery, which I did try, … so I have had to become an organizing wizard with all my varied supplies!)
So yes, I do think an organized space clears up the visual as well as the mental aspects of creativity.
Even with my patterns… I used to just design according to name… but now.. I have so many.. I have had to add a number to them as well, it becomes an aid to sorting and arranging them. (Thanks offered up to the numerical genius that came up with a way to count things!! Something we just take for granted these days!)
Speaking of sorting by numbers, I have over 90 patterns on my site at wwww.Hectanooga.etsy.com. As well, there are 4 FREE patterns on my site! Included is a one minute wonder, for making flower motifs, which can be added to hats, scarves, purses, sweaters… well, just about anywhere! And a crocheted headband that takes about 5 minutes to make. And a knitted baby hat, which can be completed in about 15 minutes. But the cutness factor if still there!!
Knit yourself up a wonderful day!!
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