UFOs: Determine the Reward and Accept the Duration

I don't have a big yarn stash, but I sure do have a lot of unfinished projects. I used to feel all ADD-ish and pretty rotten about having so much unfinished work or UFOs. But I say used to -- 'cause I finally figured something out.

While there are times when I don't finish a project because it gets tedious or boring, most of what is left undone really is finished. That is, I got what I came for, which in most cases was to learn or master something new.

Barbara Sher calls it duration and rewards; the notion that we stay at something until we get what we came for and that the duration of the experience is proportional to what we want out of it.  My interpretation is that once we figure out what our reward is, we can let go of the guilt. My reward most of the time is figuring something out; trial and error or discovery learning.  And then I'm usually out!

So, about that gorgeous 3-fingered, single glove -- my reward was knitting a glove since I'd never knit gloves before. I'll finish the one, but since it doesn't fit anyway... (I do love this glove, so I intend to make a pair that actually fit me.)

And there are plenty more UFOs where that one came from. From socks, bags, fabric, and sweaters to various drawings never swatched and swatches never made garment-ready -- my reward was that I was trying to adapt something I'd seen into knitwear or discovering...uh, something. And the truth is some things I'll finish and some things I'll recycle.

If you're pained by UFOs, adapting Sher's advice on duration and rewards could help:

• Make a list of all of your unfinished projects. Why did you choose each project?

• For each project, determine your stopping point and why you stopped. Was it an error you didn't or felt you couldn't fix? Miles of a boring stitch pattern?

• Based on your observations, what was your reward? Did you get it when you stopped working on the project?

• Where your reward was met, consider ripping or recycling. Make the others interesting and finish them. Let finishing be the reward.

Rather than being embarrassed or guilt-ridden by your unfinished projects, I'll borrow a phrase from OLofWL -- "All is forgiven. Move on."

How do you feel about your UFOs?

 

Comments

[Bonnie R]

Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful. Fantastic article. I have an amazing array of UFOs, ranging from barely started to nearly finished. You are right. There was always a reason a project became a UFO. My new mantra is "All is forgiven. Move on."

[Becky]

Oh my goodness! UFOs Galore! I have clothing items cut, ready to sew with all the notions packaged in gallon freezer bags. Probably won't fit me now. I have a knitted afghan 2/3 done for my daughter who has changed her bedroom colors twice since I started. I have fabric but naked windows. I am, after all, the Queen of Pro Crasty Nation!! My projects usually get shuffled aside for my paying customers. Oh and there's the fabric I bought to make hubby 3 bowling style shirts 5 years ago..........