Week 4: A Quick Win — Finish One Thing

Jen Beeman 4 min read

Welcome to Week 4 of Making Space to Make! Last week we assessed our unfinished projects and sorted them into "worth finishing" versus "let it go" piles. This week we're going to pick something from that "worth finishing" list and actually complete it.

The goal this week is simple, get one thing finished and off your list. We want to create a quick win to build momentum, get something off your work table, and clear out some mental space.

Choosing Your Quick Win

How do you choose what to finish? If you remember, last week when we made our lists, I suggested a few ways to organize your "worth finishing" projects:

  • What would be easiest to finish?
  • What would feel best to complete?
  • What would you actually wear or use most?

For this week, I'd recommend choosing something easy. Maybe something that's just missing the final seams, or only needs a hem and buttons. We're looking for a low bar to a win here.

That said, if you have something that would feel absolutely amazing to complete, or something you'd actually wear right now, those are great options too. Just maybe don't choose a tailored jacket that's going to take you three weeks to finish. While that would be an amazing accomplishment, we're just looking for an easy jump start right now.

Three finished tops in pink dotted cotton with yellow trim and solid purple linen laid flat

I chose those BERNINA tops I mentioned last week. They've been sitting around since 2021 and just need final seams and hems. Unfortunately I was only able to finish the three of them here. The other three had sun bleaching down the fronts so I chopped up what I could to keep for future demos and tutorials and got rid of the rest, so let that be a lesson to you on letting UFOs sit too long. Getting them off my work table feels really freeing and I’ll be donating these three over the weekend!

The goal here is to get ourselves a little win that feels good, motivates us to keep going, and gets something OFF our to-do list and out of our sewing space.

One important thing here is that you need to finish it completely. Mostly done doesn't get it off your list and we want that satisfying feeling of the project being fully completed.

What If You Get Stuck?

What if you choose something and then you get stuck? In that case I recommend assessing what needs to be done and what's stopping you from doing it. Do you need to watch a tutorial on inserting a zipper? Do you need to pick up thread in the right color? Figure out what's blocking you, then actually do it. Don't let this project go back into the UFO pile!

Close-up of finished pink dotted cotton top with yellow trim detail next to purple linen tops

For my tops, I just needed to commit the time to sit down and finish them. Once I did that, they came together quickly, or at least the ones that could be finished did.

Celebrate Your Win

When you finish your project, celebrate, but also take a moment to note how it feels. Does your mind feel a little clearer now that this isn't hanging over you? Do you feel a little extra energy to tackle the next project? That feeling of getting something off your plate is what we're building on.

What If You Don't Have Anything to Finish?

If everything from last week went into your "let it go" category, then this week choose 1-2 things from that list and take the needed steps to remove them from your life. Donate the fabric, gift the pieces, whatever you decided. Get them out of your space.

Prepped fabric pieces in pink and sage green linen with yellow trim ready for sewing

Are you a magical unicorn with no UFOs? If you have nothing on either list then teach us your secrets! No, but really this is a break week for you, enjoy it!

The point here is to start building momentum. Whether that's momentum from finishing something or momentum from clearing out things you're not going to finish, both move you forward.

Your Action Step This Week

Pick 1-2 things from your list and finish them and set aside an hour or two to make sure you get it done. Once the project is completed it’s time to celebrate! Enjoy how good it feels to get something completed and off your list.

Join the Conversation

What are you going to finish this week? Leave a comment below or on the YouTube video, I'd love to hear what you choose and how it feels when it's done!

Up Next: Week 5: Managing Mending

Browse All Topics: View the Making Space to Make Archive

Back to blog