How to make time for beading: 2 simple tricks

Did you know that the number one beading problem in my recent survey was how to make time for beading?

Well, if you are one of the people who feels this is a problem, I’m about to share my solution. Even better than that, all it takes is two simple tricks!

How do I know it works? Well, at the start of 2017, I was one of those people who didn’t know how to make time for beading. Now, in spite of low energy, I am beading every day. In fact, I have just completed a huge new beading project.

Let me teach you how to make time for beading

I am going to go on and explain the two simple tricks I mentioned. But, if you’re not big on reading or theory, don’t worry.

I have also got a plan that will just let you learn how to make time for beading. So, you can stop reading right here and just sign up to the project that’s going to do this…

…Or you can find out a bit more about the theory first!

Why I didn’t touch a bead for over a month…

So, back at the beginning of 2017 I found I had very little time for beading. You might find this surprising, since I earn my living from beading!

Admittedly, part of the problem was my poor health which meant I had very little energy to do anything at all. However, I originally started beading when I was in a similar health crisis back in 2003. So, why was this one different?

Well, we all lose our beading Mojo from time to time. I think this was part of the problem for me… In fact I had just lost my Mojo, fullstop! …So, if that is the reason you’re not beading, then this advice I am about to share may not help.

If you are suffering from a loss of Mojo, the best thing you can do is put your beads away for a bit and do something else you enjoy. Your desire to bead will return naturally when you are rested.

The real problem

What you may not have realised about making a living from beading is that is takes away your time to bead. So much of my time is spent in writing up tutorials and general business administration.

In that sense, I am just the same as all of you. For all of us, there are things that we have to do. It may be a job that pays your bills, or a family that needs your care. Or, any other number of things.

The point is, I am constantly finding that, although I want to bead, I have too many other things that take priority. So, at the beginning of the year, this was disastrous for me. My limited energy meant that I had to carry out all the tasks (that weren’t resting, sleeping or eating) in a window of about 2 hours a day.

It became a necessity that answering emails and sending out orders took priority. Then, I always have things to update and look after on the website. There are accounts to take care of. …The list of ‘boring’ admin goes on and on.

The net effect: literally no beading throughout almost all of January and February!

Now, when you’re making a living from selling beading patterns, this is a big problem. I need to be adding new patterns all the time and I can’t do that if I’m not actually beading!

Luckily, I do have a stock of unpublished patterns for such emergencies as this. But that stock will run out before long!

How I solved the problem

As you will have noticed, I did solve that problem. So I want to share that solution and show you how to make time for beading.

The solution came from thinking about the problem. It may surprise you to learn that I didn’t have to wait until my energy began to return. Neither did I have to invent a time machine or somehow cheat time to put more hours into my day.

I simply realised that there are two little tricks.

The first simple trick

This is all about attitude. Do you notice how I described my desire to bead? I was viewing the beading as less important than a whole host of other things on my daily to-do list. As long as I held that view, I never found time to bead.

The point is, this is not about how to find time, but how to MAKE time to bead. You will never just find more time, unless you make it happen.

But the underlying factor is in how you view your beading. If you view it as a ‘luxury’ or as a ‘guilty pleasure’ or a ‘selfish pleasure’, then you will always have more important things to do.

In fact, the truth for me is that beading is essential. If I don’t do it, then I don’t have any patterns to sell and I don’t earn a living.

You may be sitting there thinking, ‘well this is just a hobby, so that’s not true for me’.

In fact, it probably is true that beading is essential to you. I could point to dozens of articles and pieces of scientific research that tell us how important it is to relax. Having an enjoyable hobby is a highly recommended form of relaxation.

Lack of relaxation leads to stress and stress leads to serious health problems, even loss of life. So, I’m not exaggerating when I say that your beading is a way to keep you healthy.

The second simple trick

Now you’ve justified your beading and realised that it is an important and valid use of your time, what next? Well, it’s time to make it a habit.

What is the simplest way to make something into a habit? To do it repeatedly until you are doing it without thinking about it.

So, how does this help the big question of how to make time to bead?

The simple trick is to start small. So, begin with just 5-10 minutes of beading per day. But make sure you stick to it and do it every day.

Perhaps you allocate a specific time. I mean, we can all squeeze in five minutes before bed or on waking or with an afternoon cuppa. (Just please don’t deprive yourself of sleep or food as that will not help your health!)

You can use other tricks, like setting yourself the task of completing a set number of steps in your current project.

Practical steps to help

There is really just one practical step that will help you start and achieve this habit. Either find a dedicated space where you can leave your beading stuff out all the time. Or, get a portable beading mat that you can close and keep your beads safe.

If you do that, then you will just be able to sit and bead for the five minutes, not be getting things out or packing away.

Psychological steps to help

Stop thinking about your beading project as a whole. If you are thinking about completing the project, then it becomes a daunting prospect. You will find yourself thinking things like, ‘when will I find time to do that?’ or ‘it’s going to take me forever.’

Instead, just focus on doing one or two steps. Complete those, then focus on the next couple of steps. Before you know it, your project will be complete.

I proved that to myself when I made my Advent calendar. It is a huge project and I could have got bogged down and never started at all. Instead, I focused on one tiny thing: make a single box. Then make a second box and so on. Not only did I complete the project (you can get the pattern here), but I totally fell in love with the process of making it.

So, instead of feeling like a daunting prospect, or a chore, I found complete relaxation in enjoying the beading.

How to make time for beading

So, I’ve just shown you the two simple steps you need to take if you want to learn how to make time for beading.

Step 1: change the way you think.

Your beading is as essential to your health and well-being as eating and sleeping.

I hope you treat food and sleep as top priorities on your daily list of tasks. So, start viewing beading time in the same light.

Don’t allow yourself to feel guilty for beading and don’t let others make you feel guilty either. It is not a frivolous past-time, but a good way to stay healthy.

Step 2: make beading a habit

Start small and carve out just a few minutes each day for a little bit of beading. Aim to complete 1-2 steps of your current project.

Remember not to focus on the end result, but on that tiny process.

Start by being disciplined about doing this every day, no matter what. Then it will become a habit and you will miss it when you don’t bead.

What if you don’t believe me?

Well, if you’re sitting there thinking, ‘that’s all very well for her to say, but…’ (insert any number of ‘good reasons’ or excuses as to why I’m wrong) …then let me show you.

Come and join me next week for my Beadalong (it’s free and you can choose from four projects, so you’ll find something to suit you). I’m going to show you that you can complete a project in just 7 days, only beading for a really short time each day.

So, put my theory of how to make time for beading to the test!