I’ve heard so many Project Lifers say that they just can’t keep up with it. “It takes too much time,” “My life is boring,” and “I don’t take that many pictures” are only a few of the common complaints that can be seen in forums and on facebook. Is there any way to keep Project Life from taking over your life? Yes, there is. Here are 7 things I do to keep it under control.
1. Do a monthly Project Life instead of a weekly one. One spread a month is definitely easier than one a week. You also won’t need to use as many photos.
2. Don’t worry about not being “caught up.” Because you’re only completing one spread a month, it’s not a disaster if you’re a little behind. It’s easy to catch up. I’ve been known to complete two monthly spreads in one sitting.
3. Keep the embellishments simple. I use labels, stamps, chipboard, and stickers for embellishments. That’s it. When it’s time to work on Project Life, I take those out and resist the urge to use anything else. Sometimes I’ll add a little something here and there, but I try to keep embellishments to a minimum.
4. Stick with one or two page-protector designs. This will allow you to be able to use your photos in the orientation you like to take them. If you prefer photos in a portrait orientation, use the page protectors that have all (or almost) all of the pockets going in that direction. The same would hold true for landscape photos, if that’s what you usually take.
5. Avoid the urge to edit your photos. I used to try to make sure that all of my pictures were as close to perfect as possible before putting them on a layout, whether it was Project Life or a standard layout. Now, I don’t worry about the ones that go into my Project Life. (Baby steps, right?)
6. Choose one or two pockets for journaling. I write all of my journaling on one or two cards. The rest are used for photos and decorative cards. I used to try to write throughout the layout, but it was just too overwhelming. I have found that if I keep the journaling in specific areas, everything flows better and looks smooth.
7. Don’t second-guess yourself. Remember what your teachers used to tell you about your answers on tests? Go with your first choice. It’s usually the right one. If you keep stressing over the perfect placement of a sticker or enamel dot, your layouts will take much longer to complete than they need to. Your layouts should look good, but they don’t have to be perfect.
Project Life doesn’t have to be a chore. Let go of perfection, and make choices that will simplify things as much as possible. I hope these tips help you to get your Project Life off to a good start, and that you will continue to refer to them throughout the year to keep yourself on track. Happy New Year, and Happy New Project Life!
