1.29.16--One of the Ways Eleanor Burns Affected My Life

Eleanor Burns
photograph by Orion
 
Eleanor Burns is one of our present day quilting foremothers. Tons of information is available about her all over the webisphere, but today I want to tell you how she recently affected me, personally, in a non-quilty way.

Earlier this winter, long before the decluttering and 3 Goals a Day, I was rattling around in this house with no one but the dog to talk to. I turned to YouTube via my television screen, since I don't get television in the traditional sense.

I was in a quilting frame of mind, so I queued up some Eleanor shows. She is so generous with her talents. There is no charge to watch her shows, unlike many other quilting professionals. Eleanor was in the background while I folded and organized fabric. 

I wish I could find the exact sound clip, but she said she had one chore she just HATED to do. She put it off and put it off until she just had to do it--empty the dishwasher. 

She thought that she had to make a change in her attitude about that, so she timed herself and I think she said it took less than eight minutes. Maybe it was four minutes. Anyway, she concluded she could easily tackle the chore because it hardly took any time at all once she got started. 

And that is the key. That first step, that first move in the direction you intend to go. That first step can take days longer than the actual task. 

So, I thank Eleanor for setting me on the road toward making goals, and moving my successful goals to daily habits. You already know I got myself back into the bed-making habit. I moved a new daily goal to my #1 spot and it is almost permanent enough to move off the daily list, it is almost a habit. I have to admit, I have missed this goal 4 times in the past 20 days. It isn't, yet, a habit. But I think in another 10 days, I will have it! 

The two other goals on the list vary according to what needs to be done around the house. I will have to come up with new #1 to make permanent and I think I have just the right thing.





















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