Ready, Set, ACTION!

Yeah ... that's the hard part.

In my needlework, I have two kinds of knowledge:

1. Head Knowledge: stuff I've read about or listened to conversations about or have done a bit of research on or watched other needleworkers do
   
2. Hand Knowledge: actually putting what I've learned into practice by giving a new technique a try.

But I suppose this goes for most of life.

Sometimes, I get stuck in the growth that happens with the help of my counselor. If I do, it's usually because I know the theory, I know what is asked of me, but I'm just not yet willing to go there, to make the change, to do it. I let the fear of failure take over. I stall.

Same with weight loss and my exercise routine. I knew that once autumn was over and winter was upon me, I'd have to change my favorite form of exercise (walking outdoors down by the Spokane River). But it took a month or more before I jumped on the elliptical trainer and did a workout 4 to 5 times a week.

To my credit, I do practice in my head for a while before actually starting the action. I'm reading a book right now that praises extremely small steps. In this author's reasoning, THINKING about doing the new thing and imagining yourself doing it must come before actual action takes place. That makes sense to me.

It's how I learned to typeset when I worked for a small literary press on my college campus. I knew about the new machine. I'd watched it being used in the Spring. I thought about it all summer when I was away from school. Then I took to it like a duck to water when I was back at school the next Fall.

Today? Today I'm thinking about making a batch of Pizzelles as I type this. I know they need to be done before 2pm. I'm willing to make them. Now it's time to apply, to do.