Show'n'Tell Monday 11th June 2018

***Please note my Video is at the end of this post...click to watch and see what 

I had to say ") ***

Here is Sarah's post for this week, it is a very interesting read 

Last week the New York Times (NYT) published an article in their “Smarter Living” section about decision making. And of course, I can probably take a square peg and fit into a round roll when it comes to taking an article and applying it to quilting, sewing and our group. 

Today I am taking the plunge and purchasing a new sewing machine and I’m not going to go off on any psychological tangents about whether I need a new machine, whether I want a new machine, whether I deserve a new machine…blah, blah, blah. The “plunge” is not a financial one but rather about the process of the decision. Making any kind of decisions when it has to do with me, myself and I has always resulted in this huge convoluted discussion about the actual decision making process to the point where Mark listens for about a week and goes out and purchases whatever it is I have been harboring within that decision making, well, decision. You guys should have seen us in Israel where I saw this ring that I wanted but I needed time to think whether we should purchase it, so I told the guy I would be back after lunch; I had to have time to think about it. Mark and Sophie just looked at each other and Mark went and purchased the ring because Israel is not exactly in our backyard. lol Whenever I tell Mark, Sophie, my family or friends I have to “think about it” they run for the hills. However, that is only when it comes to myself, not when it comes to Sophie or Mark. When Mark wants to purchase a car, my response is “buy it.” Sophie wanted to travel, the response is “go.” For myself, its something totally different.

According to the NYT’s article the decision-making process sometimes get hampered by Fear of Better Options (FOBO) and when I have purchased a machine, I was ignorant about sewing machines and went with the recommendation suggestions and purchased a Juki 2010. No regrets and I also did not have any knowledge nor did I do any research on the machine or about other machines and Mark ended up purchasing the machine. When I wanted an embroidery machine, I went with a machine that was wonderfully on sale and again Mark purchased a Brother and again no research. When a machine was considered for its more availability of decorative stitches and I came back from a retreat, Mark just cut to chase and asked me “what machine now?”. 

I am an avid researcher and when it comes to the machines that I have purchased I did not do my homework. The NYT’s article called those individuals who research to make sure every stone has been turned -“maximizers”. Maximizers have a fear that if they don’t have all the information then they will miss out on the best, however, the time that it takes to gain some kind of satisfaction and peace of mind may result in of course indecisiveness and thus regret. 

So what we can do when we have to make a decision about purchasing a sewing machine is to realize that we “won’t be able to examine every possible option” and that we have to make “mostly fine decisions” (MFD) or a decision you will be fine with. I’m laughing now as I write this becomes I’m thinking about when Mark asked me to marry him…..I was not a “maximizer” when I was making up my mind - research was done through the dating process and the outcome of the decision I made, well, I’m more than just fine with the consequences. 

I have to be honest in that I am somewhat nervous about making the purchase and the sewing machine is a Bernina - a machine that I never thought in a million years I would own. I was in the quilting store and I saw the machine and the machine saw me and our eyes locked…well, the eye of the needle locked with my eyes and I was hooked. I also have to add that the quilting store is having a sale on the machines so I only have a specific window of time to take advantage of the price. I did do my research though and only waited to ask for an opinion on the machine until my decision had been made. I am going today and I will be the one bringing it home and not Mark, though he is coming along because he isn’t going to allow me to use the “I need to think about it - some more .”

Show and Tell Monday, June 11 - Show us a sewing machine or a sewing notion that perpetuated a “maximizer” decision. Were you able to be MFD (mostly fine about it) about the consequences of your purchase? Any regrets?