Have you ever felt so overwhelmed with what you could scrap that you don’t scrap anything at all? I’ve heard it said by many of us that we are “years behind” in what we’d like to scrap. Such feelings can become stumbling blocks to progress that lead to inaction and regret.
At The Future of Scrapping, we want to encourage and inspire you to preserve your memories through digital scrapbooking while making it fun and easy to do. Following these steps is a good to place to start:
- Identify Projects
- Visualize What To Scrap
- Make a Plan
- Get Started
- Adjust the Plan
- Celebrate!
Step 1: Identify Projects
We have so many special events, holidays and other projects to scrap that it can be overwhelming. Laurie Grover, a Creative Memories’ consultant once told me that sometimes the best place to begin is with a recent event. It’s fresh in our minds so our journaling is filled with more accurate memories. It may also feel more fun to scrap a recent event.
In identifying projects, keep in mind that there are different kinds of events to scrap. There are events that fill a certain timeframe such as a week or weekend like a family vacation, wedding and birthday party. There are events that cover various seasons such as sports, the school year and the summer. And then there are events that follow someone’s life such as a child, a couple married for 50 years and a retired person. Understanding the types of projects you want to scrap will help you visualize how to take your photos, organize them, and eventually scrap them.
Step 2: Visualize What To Scrap
Zig Ziglar says, “If you want to reach a goal, you must “see the reaching” in your own mind before you actually arrive at your goal.” As you look at each project individually and visualize what you want to scrap, write these things down. For instance, in scrapping a birthday party you may look at the photos you’ve taken and see parts of the event such as the gift opening, meal time, activities time and guests. I’ve found that visualizing what to scrap helps me feel less overwhelmed and more excited to get started.
Step 3: Make a Plan
At this point, you may be thinking “Ugh… a plan? Making a commitment?” Well, try to look at this step as a way to get started more quickly and complete a project more efficiently. Begin by creating a timeline with target dates. If the StoryBook is a gift for someone, when will it need to be ready? Even if it’s not for a special occasion, look at your calendar and determine when you can realistically have each part scrapped and include the date you plan to order it. Without a plan in place, chances are slim that you’ll accomplish as much.
Here are some things to consider in creating a short-term plan to complete a scrapbooking project:
- When is your energy level at it best?
Knowing when your energy level is at its best will motivate you to continue scrapping. If you’re a night owl, a morning person or someone who feels energized when they’re away from the house, knowing this can help you determine the best time to scrap.
- When is the best time for you to scrap? (And “never” is not acceptable even though it may feel like the truth!) If you could make the time to scrap, would it be on Saturday morning for a couple of hours? Or just after the kids get on the school bus? Or do you scrap best at weekend retreats?
Making the time can be challenging but if we know when our BEST times are, we at least have a fighting chance to use that time to scrap. Otherwise, it’s easy to fill the time with other tasks and make your scrapping time less of a priority. As Stephen Covey says, “The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.”
- What do you value about your scrapbooking project?
Understanding the value of your scrapbooking project may be the only motivating factor in completing it. Will your child appreciate looking back at the memories of football season? Will your Dad treasure the memories you’ve captured over his lifetime?
- Is there someone you could scrap with? Or someone you can check in with when you sit down to scrap?
Being accountable to someone can help you stay on track with your project. Maybe it’s calling the same friend every time you sit down to scrap. Or maybe you can meet up with a “scrapping buddy”. If you’re accountable to someone, you may feel more committed.
Step 4: Get Started
A good friend and professional organizer, Susi McCune of Specialized Organization Services, shared this advice with me in working on any project. She said to . If after the timer goes off and you’ve had enough, then stop what you’re doing. Nine times out of ten, you’ll want to forge ahead. Sometimes getting started in the tough part and making progress is easy. Seeing progress can be encouraging enough to continue.
Step 5: Adjust the Plan
Just because you start with a plan doesn’t mean you can’t change your course. My business coach, Judy Merrick-Lockett of Smooth Sailing Business Coaching, knows all too well that we can be our own stumbling block unless we figure out what is holding us back from accomplishing our goals. And sometimes this means adjusting the plan to keep us on the right track. Examples of this could be adjusting your timeline to accommodate a birthday party you are planning, switching accountability partners or finding a better time to scrap.
Step 6: Celebrate!
Find a way to celebrate your accomplishments especially when you complete a StoryBook. Celebrating could mean sharing your StoryBook online with family and friends or posting it on FaceBook. Bringing the printed book to family celebrations, sharing it with guests, or borrowing it to friends can be very satisfying. Visiting a favorite coffee shop or restaurant with friends (and maybe the one who kept you accountable through the project) and browsing through your StoryBook is another great way to celebrate. Any way you like to celebrate, the point is to JUST DO IT!
“People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily.” as quoted by Zig Ziglar. It’s our desire at The Future of Scrapping to help you stay motivated to complete your StoryBooks so we hope these 6 steps will help you.
To further help you stay motivated and inspired to scrap, we will be launching our new online Digital Dream Club in October 2009. This club will provide free resources for digital scrapbooking including fonts, digital kits and “how to” videos. We’ll have an interactive online forum to share tips and experience. We’ll offer contests and challenges for members to post their creations. And we’ll keep you posted on the latest Creative Memories’ product updates. Membership will be free for a limited time.