I love reading about the history of popular phrases. I felt that one popular saying could really fit in with our craft project tonight of making our appliqué aprons. You may have heard this one before, “A Stitch in Time Saves Nine.” I looked this one up and couldn’t really find a definitive origin though most believe it started as a reference to saving nine more stitches by doing the one needed stitch now. That makes sense if you have ever left a string hanging off a garment and seen it unravel later. Not a pretty sight!!! Most researchers agree to the meaning behind the saying: Don’t procrastinate. Taking care of something today will prevent it from becoming a bigger issue or situation later. To me, that makes a lot of sense. In fact, in my current Seven Habits Study, our ladies are learning about how important it is to take care of things that might take a little more time now, like spending time with your kids, talking with them, exercising, watching out for your health, etc., in order to prevent these things from occupying major portions of your life later as huge emergencies, like a major health issue or your kid getting into trouble because he didn’t feel comfortable talking to you about the situation in the past.

So why do we procrastinate? Here are nine major reasons I believe that we don’t “do the stitch in time.”

1. We just don’t want to do it. It may be an unpleasant or boring task. We feel we have more important things to do.

2. We may feel overwhelmed at the time. We just have too much on our plate. We are just too busy to fit one more thing in.

3. We are worried we may not do it right. We fear failure. We may have low self-esteem about ourselves to the point we feel we could not complete the project.

4. We don’t have a good commitment ethic. We have developed a habit of never getting things done. We don’t feel committed enough to accomplish the task ahead.

5. We don’t have the resources to do the task or know how to start.

6. We may be perfectionists. Why do it, if it can’t be done right?

7. It may just seem unimportant to us. It’s not that big of a deal. There is just not enough intrinsic value to do it or there doesn’t seem to be any rewards for doing it. It is not a priority.

8. You have a difficult time focusing or concentrating on what needs to be done.

9. You have negative feelings about the situation that needs to be done.

Well, since we know that “A Stitch in Time Saves Nine,” I have come up with nine ways we can stop procrastinating and get that stitch done.

1. Sometimes the best thing you can do it just get busy and start doing it. Do the first thing. I am amazed at how much time our son wastes each day complaining about his homework and talking to us about how bad it is. In the time he was complaining he could have already finished it. We do that too.

2. Learn to prioritise. If you find you procrastinate all the time because you are just too busy, it may be time that you looked at your schedule and started eliminating things that really aren’t important. Start setting some goals and learn to prioritise the important things that matter. Map out your week with goals and make some plans. Get the clutter out of your life.

3. Take small steps. If you are putting off something because it just seems too overwhelming (like cleaning up your house or doing a big report) break it up into small, attainable goals. For instance, plan to clean one room out a week. Do one part of a project each day. How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. Don’t allow yourself to be overwhelmed by the enormity of the task. Just take one step at a time. You’ll get there. You may want to look at delegating. Are there some things that you could turn over to someone else? Try not to be so controlling and trust others to do some things for you. Involve others to help you with your task.

4. Do the hardest or most unappealing thing first. If you’re putting off something because it’s hard or you just don’t like it, do it first. Once it’s out of the way you will feel so relieved. I hate cleaning toilets and tend to put it off. I’ve found when I do them first the rest of my work just flows easier. If it is a difficult conversation you need to make, you will feel much better to just get it over with than worrying about it.

5. Take the risk if it’s something you fear. The sooner you overcome it, the freer you will become. My son kept putting off trying some tricks on his scooter. Once he finally took the plunge and after a few scrapes, he is truly enjoying his scooter. You may have to take some risks but the joy of success will be yours. Get out of your comfort zone.

6. Don’t stop once you start. Commit to completing the task. You will feel so much better about. Make a commitment to finishing what you started until it becomes a habit.

7. Take the time to obtain the resources or information you need to complete the project. Don’t put it off just because you don’t know how. Make the effort to find out what needs to be done.

8. Don’t worry about the fact that you may not do it right. You won’t know until you get out there and try. And, so what if you don’t do it exactly right. We learn from our mistakes and can make things better the next time.

9. Our final step is to make a plan and write it down. Give it a deadline. Set an alarm or a timer if you have to. Put it on the calendar or in your computer… whatever you have to do. Maybe tell a friend of your plan and ask her to keep your accountable. Then stick to your plan.

Realise that procrastination actually causes stress. By taking these steps above you could very well eliminate some stress in your life. Now just do like the Nike slogan, and “Just Do It.” Don’t forget to reward yourself once you’ve completed something that you have been putting off.

To get you started here are nine things that you may want to think about first:

1. Working on your spiritual life. Do you have a real relationship with Jesus Christ? Are you basing your life on values and principles that will last into eternity? Have you made that decision to ask Jesus into your life?

2. Forgiving someone who has wronged you.

3. Cleaning up and organizing the house completely. De-cluttering.

4. Living a healthier life: starting that exercise plan, working on your diet.

5. Doing something special for yourself.

6. Spending more quality time with partner/boyfriend/husband.

7. Spending more quality time with each of your kids.

8. Organising your desk and office.

9. Finishing or maybe starting a hobby or project. Learning a new skill.

Hopefully, I have encouraged you a little to stop procrastinating and start living. By making some effort now to do the important things, you may very well eliminate your life unraveling all around you later.

Remember: A Stitch in Time Saves Nine!!!
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