Greets!
So I am half way through building some custom cabinets under our
breakfast bar and stalled. I meant to do a buncha work last Sunday,
but just cleaned the shop and then glued up a panel for a door.
Part of my problem is that I am an avid cyclist, and the weather has
been very warm for this time of year in WI. This project really has
to get done before the cycling season cranks up as I ride 10 - 15
hours per week and really won't have a lotta spare time given my
affection for cooking, eating and beer (both production and
consumption).
I just don't seem to be able to get excited anymore about the
project. Quit the day job, perhaps ;-) ?
Help!
D'ohBoy
On Mar 27, 7:37 am, [email protected] wrote:
> Greets!
>
> So I am half way through building some custom cabinets under our
> breakfast bar and stalled. I meant to do a buncha work last Sunday,
> but just cleaned the shop and then glued up a panel for a door.
>
> Part of my problem is that I am an avid cyclist, and the weather has
> been very warm for this time of year in WI. This project really has
> to get done before the cycling season cranks up as I ride 10 - 15
> hours per week and really won't have a lotta spare time given my
> affection for cooking, eating and beer (both production and
> consumption).
>
> I just don't seem to be able to get excited anymore about the
> project. Quit the day job, perhaps ;-) ?
>
> Help!
>
> D'ohBoy
You MUST be single. Get yourself a SWMBO and you will not have the
motivation problem any more. You will be willing to do ANYTHING to
get her to shut the ^#%$ up about that %#%#%$@ honey-do list that she
keeps adding stuff to.
On Mar 27, 8:37 am, [email protected] wrote:
> Greets!
>
> So I am half way through building some custom cabinets under our
> breakfast bar and stalled. I meant to do a buncha work last Sunday,
> but just cleaned the shop and then glued up a panel for a door.
>
> Part of my problem is that I am an avid cyclist, and the weather has
> been very warm for this time of year in WI. This project really has
> to get done before the cycling season cranks up as I ride 10 - 15
> hours per week and really won't have a lotta spare time given my
> affection for cooking, eating and beer (both production and
> consumption).
>
> I just don't seem to be able to get excited anymore about the
> project. Quit the day job, perhaps ;-) ?
>
Hand the project over to the professionals. If your heart's not into
it, then you're probably going to make a mess. There are things I'll
do and there are things I'll pay someone to do. For example, I'll hang
french doors*, but I'd rather pay someone to paint them...
Jeff
( * For the president's remaining supporters in this group, those are
"Freedom doors" )
On Mar 27, 7:37 am, [email protected] wrote:
> Part of my problem is that I am an avid cyclist, and the weather has
> been very warm for this time of year in WI.
Oh man! I know what you are talking about, only my problem is that I
have gotten so involved with my woodworking projects that the titanium
Douglas road bike I bought last year is being neglected.
On Mar 27, 11:01 am, "Bill Hewitt" <[email protected]> wrote:
> On Mar 27, 7:37 am, [email protected] wrote:
>
>
>
> > Greets!
>
> > So I am half way through building some custom cabinets under our
> > breakfast bar and stalled. I meant to do a buncha work last Sunday,
> > but just cleaned the shop and then glued up a panel for a door.
>
> > Part of my problem is that I am an avid cyclist, and the weather has
> > been very warm for this time of year in WI. This project really has
> > to get done before the cycling season cranks up as I ride 10 - 15
> > hours per week and really won't have a lotta spare time given my
> > affection for cooking, eating and beer (both production and
> > consumption).
>
> > I just don't seem to be able to get excited anymore about the
> > project. Quit the day job, perhaps ;-) ?
>
> > Help!
>
> > D'ohBoy
>
> You MUST be single. Get yourself a SWMBO and you will not have the
> motivation problem any more. You will be willing to do ANYTHING to
> get her to shut the ^#%$ up about that %#%#%$@ honey-do list that she
> keeps adding stuff to.
Married. My wife said to me the other day, after I commented that I
was having trouble getting going again: "Oh, I KNOW you'll finish
it."
I think she was referring to an earlier project of rebuilding our 800
sq ft deck which had to be done before we had our wedding party (we
semi-eloped and had a party for family and friends in our new house
eight months later). I spent two weeks working on getting everything
from the joists up replaced, working after work from 5 pm to 11pm.
The prior owner of the house had installed floodlights over the deck
so I couldn't use dark as an excuse.
Either that or she was suggesting she would MAKE SURE I got it done.
She is planning a party this summer and I think that the gaping holes
in our breakfast bar wouldn't be acceptable as decor.
Oh, and the gd honey-do list fills a lined 81/2 x 11 notebook page.
She knows better than to push me - we both tend to push back harder
when shoved.
D'ohBoy
[email protected] wrote:
> Greets!
>
> So I am half way through building some custom cabinets under our
> breakfast bar and stalled. I meant to do a buncha work last Sunday,
> but just cleaned the shop and then glued up a panel for a door.
>
> Part of my problem is that I am an avid cyclist, and the weather has
> been very warm for this time of year in WI. This project really has
> to get done before the cycling season cranks up as I ride 10 - 15
> hours per week and really won't have a lotta spare time given my
> affection for cooking, eating and beer (both production and
> consumption).
>
> I just don't seem to be able to get excited anymore about the
> project. Quit the day job, perhaps ;-) ?
>
> Help!
>
> D'ohBoy
>
As an athlete, you should know that a frequently used technique is to
visualize the desired result. Scoring the touchdown, making the kick,
sinking the long putt, etc. You just need to visualize the finished
project and allow yourself to feel the sense of accomplishment that come
when the job is done.
If none of that psycho-babble works for you, go ride your bike and pay
somebody else to finish the job. :-)
<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Greets!
>
> So I am half way through building some custom cabinets under our
> breakfast bar and stalled. I meant to do a buncha work last Sunday,
> but just cleaned the shop and then glued up a panel for a door.
>
> Part of my problem is that I am an avid cyclist, and the weather has
> been very warm for this time of year in WI. This project really has
> to get done before the cycling season cranks up as I ride 10 - 15
> hours per week and really won't have a lotta spare time given my
> affection for cooking, eating and beer (both production and
> consumption).
>
> I just don't seem to be able to get excited anymore about the
> project. Quit the day job, perhaps ;-) ?
We are in the same trap. I am training for the MS150 (Houston to Austin -
actually 182 miles) and my shop time has gone way down. Recently its picked
up considerably because I got sick and could not take the risk of pushing
training, but somehow could get out to the shop to make a few cuts or drill
some holes.
It sounds to me like your "project" choice is actually a construction job
that you are doing to save some money. I have no desire to build cabinets
after having built a few last year. One of the drawbacks is the amount of
space and physical labor required. Maybe its the fact that you are doing a
project that you "have" to do?
I still enjoy woodworking a lot. I just keep it in balance and do however
much is exciting to me at the time. Cycling is weird. I cannot seem to get
enough of it. Maybe because it makes me feel a lot younger and I continue to
lose weight doing it. At least I don't think I'll ever have to listen to
my father's advice: "Don't retire, its boring".
Bob
Charlie M. 1958 wrote:
> As an athlete, you should know that a frequently used technique is to
> visualize the desired result. Scoring the touchdown, making the kick,
> sinking the long putt, etc. You just need to visualize the finished
> project and allow yourself to feel the sense of accomplishment that come
> when the job is done.
>
> If none of that psycho-babble works for you, go ride your bike and pay
> somebody else to finish the job. :-)
If he's married (not in his OP), he could also envision his wifes
response to non-completion.
Life is a combination of both positive reinforcements for those things
we want to do and negative reinforcements regarding those things we are
reluctant towards.
He may need the carrot AND the stick on this one. ;-)
Bill
--
http://nmwoodworks.com/cube
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Bill Hewitt wrote:
> You MUST be single. Get yourself a SWMBO and you will not have the
> motivation problem any more. You will be willing to do ANYTHING to
> get her to shut the ^#%$ up about that %#%#%$@ honey-do list that she
> keeps adding stuff to.
I consider the 'honey-do' list to be advisory only ... and she knows
that. That's enough to keep it short. HOWEVER ... I have not had the
temerity to leave a project partially done for a moment longer than the
minimum time circumstances absolutely required.
To quote Yoda: "Do. Or don't do. There is no 'try'".
Bill
--
http://nmwoodworks.com/cube
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Only one 8 1/2 X 11 page ? Lucky you ! Mine is a little over 3 pages
right now, and it seems like every time I get it down to two she comes up
with another page.
--
Charley
<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Mar 27, 11:01 am, "Bill Hewitt" <[email protected]> wrote:
> > On Mar 27, 7:37 am, [email protected] wrote:
> >
> >
> >
> > > Greets!
> >
> > > So I am half way through building some custom cabinets under our
> > > breakfast bar and stalled. I meant to do a buncha work last Sunday,
> > > but just cleaned the shop and then glued up a panel for a door.
> >
> > > Part of my problem is that I am an avid cyclist, and the weather has
> > > been very warm for this time of year in WI. This project really has
> > > to get done before the cycling season cranks up as I ride 10 - 15
> > > hours per week and really won't have a lotta spare time given my
> > > affection for cooking, eating and beer (both production and
> > > consumption).
> >
> > > I just don't seem to be able to get excited anymore about the
> > > project. Quit the day job, perhaps ;-) ?
> >
> > > Help!
> >
> > > D'ohBoy
> >
> > You MUST be single. Get yourself a SWMBO and you will not have the
> > motivation problem any more. You will be willing to do ANYTHING to
> > get her to shut the ^#%$ up about that %#%#%$@ honey-do list that she
> > keeps adding stuff to.
>
>
> Married. My wife said to me the other day, after I commented that I
> was having trouble getting going again: "Oh, I KNOW you'll finish
> it."
>
> I think she was referring to an earlier project of rebuilding our 800
> sq ft deck which had to be done before we had our wedding party (we
> semi-eloped and had a party for family and friends in our new house
> eight months later). I spent two weeks working on getting everything
> from the joists up replaced, working after work from 5 pm to 11pm.
> The prior owner of the house had installed floodlights over the deck
> so I couldn't use dark as an excuse.
>
> Either that or she was suggesting she would MAKE SURE I got it done.
> She is planning a party this summer and I think that the gaping holes
> in our breakfast bar wouldn't be acceptable as decor.
>
> Oh, and the gd honey-do list fills a lined 81/2 x 11 notebook page.
> She knows better than to push me - we both tend to push back harder
> when shoved.
>
> D'ohBoy
>
>
[email protected] wrote:
> So I am half way through building some custom cabinets under our
> breakfast bar and stalled.
<snip>
Some days the dragon wins.
A major project is a marathon, not a sprint.
For years I have operated on the premise that when you leave the shop,
something is done that wasn't done when you got there.
Keep at least a couple of projects going at the same time. (Could be
different parts of the same major project)
Keeps you a leg up on boredom.
Most important part, HAVE FUN.
Lew
"Bob" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
>
> We are in the same trap. I am training for the MS150 (Houston to Austin -
> actually 182 miles) and my shop time has gone way down. Recently its
> picked
Funny, my situation is the opposite. I used to cycle daily to and from work
(about 20 miles round trip) and run 4 -5 times a week as well. Last fall I
fell off the roof of my house and was fortunate enough to only bruise my
hip, which was bad enough. But it scared the living daylights out of me and
it was difficut literally 'getting back on the bike'. Then a second
harrowing experience where I was grazed by a pickup truck when I went out
for the first time since falling off the roof. So I lost any motivation for
cycling.
On the plus side, I have spent a lot of time in the shop, and have also
taken up an interest in blacksmithing. Then there is homebrewing, working
on the 1949 Ford 8N, and as someone else said, cutting grass, all since it
has been so warm. But I need to get back to exercise at some point although
I doubt I will ever commute again by bicycle. There is just not enough
time to do everything I'd like to do.
Cheers!
Dukester
On Wed, 28 Mar 2007 01:38:16 GMT, Brian Henderson
<[email protected]> wrote:
>On 27 Mar 2007 05:37:23 -0700, [email protected] wrote:
>
>>I just don't seem to be able to get excited anymore about the
>>project. Quit the day job, perhaps ;-) ?
>
>I don't worry about excitement but then again, I build because I have
>fun doing it, not because it's anything I have to do. If I feel like
>working, I do. If I don't, I don't. Heck, it's been a while since
>I've been out in the shop, I have one project that's been sitting
>there half-finished since November or something. I'll probably try to
>get back to it one of these days.
Some things are easier than others - mostly because we *want* to
complete them.
Good examples:
1. photo plaque for my wife for Valentine's Day (just happened to be
the first finshed piece from my new router ;-)
2. 2'x4'x8' storage rack for the garage (I wanted back the floor space
taken by the grandkids' riding toys - instead of each needing floor
space, they all fit vertically in slightly more floorspace than the
largest one needed before)
Not so good examples:
1. insulate the interior basement walls that a previous owner
"finished" (paneling, no insulation) - the rolls of insulation have
been waiting on me for a couple of months
2. the rescued pine paneling that will be shelving on the unfinished
side of those walls is also waiting
Things I have less control over:
I have a couple of refinishing projects that are waiting for the
pollen count to drop to a non-gritty level (5937 in Atlanta today. the
3rd highest day in 12 years:
http://remote.atlantaallergy.com/pollencount/ )
John
On 27 Mar 2007 05:37:23 -0700, [email protected] wrote:
>Greets!
>
>So I am half way through building some custom cabinets under our
>breakfast bar and stalled. I meant to do a buncha work last Sunday,
>but just cleaned the shop and then glued up a panel for a door.
>
>Part of my problem is that I am an avid cyclist, and the weather has
>been very warm for this time of year in WI. This project really has
>to get done before the cycling season cranks up as I ride 10 - 15
>hours per week and really won't have a lotta spare time given my
>affection for cooking, eating and beer (both production and
>consumption).
>
>I just don't seem to be able to get excited anymore about the
>project. Quit the day job, perhaps ;-) ?
>
>Help!
>
>D'ohBoy
Here's how I work it. I always want to start a new project, but stop
my myself until the current working project is completed. If the
project is major and disrupts everyday activities I work on it daily,
at least 30 minutes worth until it is completed. I guess it's about
scheduling your time or paying someone else to do tasks you enjoy
less. Woodworking is typically more intense during the winter months.
Now I have yardwork/gardening to do that cannot be put off, but during
rainy days it's woodworking time.
Simple idea:
(I) Start off each weekend with a list of everything I intend/need to to.
You can prioritize while you are making the list. You may not get
"everything" done, but at least you'll have optimized your use of your time
(with respect to your priorities). I find I get more done just by having a
list. YMMV, --Bill
<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Greets!
>
> So I am half way through building some custom cabinets under our
> breakfast bar and stalled. I meant to do a buncha work last Sunday,
> but just cleaned the shop and then glued up a panel for a door.
>
> Part of my problem is that I am an avid cyclist, and the weather has
> been very warm for this time of year in WI. This project really has
> to get done before the cycling season cranks up as I ride 10 - 15
> hours per week and really won't have a lotta spare time given my
> affection for cooking, eating and beer (both production and
> consumption).
>
> I just don't seem to be able to get excited anymore about the
> project. Quit the day job, perhaps ;-) ?
>
> Help!
>
> D'ohBoy
>
On 27 Mar 2007 05:37:23 -0700, [email protected] wrote:
>I just don't seem to be able to get excited anymore about the
>project. Quit the day job, perhaps ;-) ?
I don't worry about excitement but then again, I build because I have
fun doing it, not because it's anything I have to do. If I feel like
working, I do. If I don't, I don't. Heck, it's been a while since
I've been out in the shop, I have one project that's been sitting
there half-finished since November or something. I'll probably try to
get back to it one of these days.