After going great guns for a few months on my wife's car, I had some health problems, some money problems, and some other stuff all happen at once. As I was stuck in the house without the means to do much on the vehicles, I spent my time on another project. (a book I wrote) Now that I'm doing better physically and financially, I need to get busy on the Rambler, but can't seem to get motivated. Anyone else ever have this problem of not being able to get excited about getting re-started on a project after a long layoff? I'd appreciate any suggestions. I realize I'm leaving myself wide open to those who love to have fun at others' expense, but hey, I can take it!
Been there. I've gone out to the garage lately only to rustle around a little bit, do nothing, and go back in the house. Just don't feel like cutting into making a huge mess sometimes. I'm sure I'll build up a big head of steam for the weekend.
Happens all the time, just get burnt out on things. What helps me sometimes is to watch some DVds I have, flip through mags, sometimes it sparks up the motivation and creativity.
Watch some Vintage Torque, or Hot Rod Havoc on Youtube or go to an indoor winter show. Usually does it for me. I picture myself in the warm weather pounding down the road and gives me drive to go out there and make it happen.
Been there, done that an' got the tee-shirt somewhere. I usually get back on the horse in small steps . . . Do something on the project every day, even if it's only fifteen minutes worth, and ratchet it up from there.
Find an event you really want to take it to, that's really feasible to make. I don't always make them, but it gives me the kick I needed.
I think everybody goes through that from time to time,especially after other life stuff happens. Helping take care of my parents when they were older kept me out of the garage for years,as did my divorce,and other soul ****ing relationships with women. Now,I'm in the garage all the time,and can't wait to get off work today,and go back to work on the project. I'm trying to get in 100 hours a month on this decades old project,but I'm sure there will be other hurdles. If nothing else,pull up a chair in front of your car and look at it,and think about what you need to do. Pretty soon you'll see something you can't ignore,get up,and jump back in. And when you stop working that day,and turn out the lights,it'll be a helluva good feeling.
Know the feeling well. If there's not lifes troubles in the way then I Generally find its just one issue, the hard part is identification of the issue. Something is ******* you off about the project. The problem is that you are going to have to find it and correct it because the project can't fix its self. It's a lot like study or homework in this respect: Say you are going along and come across a word or concept that you don't understand. Almost immediately you brain quits learning and gets Hung up right there. You may read 4 mire pages and not one word sticks because your brain is preoccupied with what ever it was that you did not understand. Best thing is to stop, figure it out and continue. Same thing if you listen to a great speaker, as soon as they say something you couldn't understand or know the definition of you won't hear anything else.. Project has you going with a bad part, a rework issue, too much work, lack of funds for the parts you really want, your skill level, then you stop. Mines a rework issue, most likely not as bad as I'm imagining but I'm really pissed about it and not done a thing because of it.
I'm there myself. I work on the road all year. I have been out going on 4 years now. I have a stalled out 59 buick and a 28 closed cab truck. The buick has been basically read to paint for 3 years. I do come home for a day or two every blue moon and don't want to get started then have to stop and forget where I am at on the project. I am still buying parts for the 28. I guess I'll have projects when and if I ever retire. I am looking at a project in Ho Chi Min City[Saigon] vietnam now. If I take that I'll be gone a couple of years. I go out in the shop and wipe everything down or just handle the parts. TP
For me alot of it is weather related, I hate the cold & even though the shop is well heated, I have a hard time leaving the fireplace & the tv. this time of year in Ohio. Sometimes you need to force your self to start & when you finish a small task it builds ambition & kinda snowballs, for me anyway
Animal, Got any local hot rod friends? Buy some beer and pizza, make a short (easy) list of a couple things you'd like to get done and schedule a thrash. Nothing like a couple good friends turning wrenches, talking through build ideas, bench racing, etc. to re-light a fire. Sometimes we got to drag each other along
Thanks for the suggestions! There are a few posts that definitely make me think....not always a good thing! Keep 'em coming, and thank to those of you who already responded.
After a back operation, I redid the underside of a car and wired it in six months one hour at a time. I made myself go out there for one hour, rebuilt the front end, put in a different engine and trans, made a rear crossmember, made exhaust by gas welding pipes, and the worst part was a trans cooler leak. Bought the car in December and drive to BTTF's. Many days of one hour add up.
Maybe that's what I need to do....just get started, even if only for a hour or so. I just can't get enthused about doing anything, maybe like 31Vivky said, there's ome thing that's bugging me, and I just need to identify it.
GO out to the garage and do ONE thing..... clean, cut, weld, take apart, put together, It doesn't matter. Do it again tomorrow. Progress will bring the drive back.
I with Ole Don, I've had several surgeries, bones ache real bad when it's cold out and laying on the cold floor is tuff but there where little things I could do in short burst. Worked an hour here and there, after a while, I've been able to spend more time in the shop. All those little thing are done now and I get to drive it more. Just get out there and do it man, you'll be back to your old self in no time.
That happens to all of us from time to time. Good advice here. It is helpful to hear this stuff. The ones that stick out to me are: 1) Identify the thing about the project that is bugging you. AHAA! This is good! When I think about it, this is really spot on! Very helpful. 2) Do one little thing at a time whenever you have an opportunity, even if you don't feel like it. This is how I do it. It's amazing all that can get done this way. 3) Schedule a thrash with hot rod friends. This would be great. There's nothing like a friend coming over to drag your *** out to the garage and get something done. I wish I still had some local car buddies. Back in the day I had lots of them. We had some good times. I really miss that.
This is what I try to do when I hit a slump. It works for me! And if I REALY want a jump start I like to start and complete one small project that I can step back and look at with a little pride. Pull, de-rust, repaint and rebuild a generator for instance. ~ Carl
Pretend you are on a ridiculously stupid reality TV show with some equally dumb deadline for no good reason and bust *** over a week and get it done? Maybe promise yourself a new set of tools if you make it and hang a poster of some air head hottie on the wall for visual inspiration might help too. Seems to work on TV anyway. Or you can do what I do, just pick an easy small project and start at it. With me, it usually snow balls back into the full on work again before too long. One things leads to another and another and next thing you know you are on a roll again. Get tired of one project, just work on another for a bit. I'm no pro for sure, but that is what I do.
When I worked I always had the energy to work on a project when I came home just to get my mind off the 8 hrs of disfunction I put up with at work. Bought a project last summer to redo after I retired and have it about 3/4 apart, but latley I just can't get going to make any headway. I can't figure out if being in my mid sixties has slowed me down or I am just getting LAZY. I get up when I want, read the paper and just loaf till about noon and some days I loaf all day. I used to think about what I needed to do next on the hot rod, but now I just walk past it. My wife says I worry about the direction of our country too much and should and just enjoy retirement and to get back to work on the car.
Make a checklist. Just the act of making out a checklist is often all I need to get going. Then you look at the list and find something that fits the time you have available and go do that job and mark it off the list. The next time you have some energy/time look at the list and find the next thing you can do in the time you have that day or night. My big problem is that the house and yard **** up a ton of energy/time.
I always get this way in the winter when its cold outside. Can't heat my garage very well so end up inside usually reading the HAMB, etc. Going to start working on my upholstery now that my sewing machine just got here, only waiting on vinyl
I made a $100 bet with a guy That he had to have his car drivable by a certian carshow(6 months away). He has plenty of money and is retired. He`s been workin on his car for 4 years. He lost the bet and i give him **** every time I see him. Two years later it`s still not driveable. I should of said double or nothing. He tried to give me the money but I said just finish your dam car.
My Rambler wagon is sitting right now...I want to finish it but just haven't been able to dive in..seems something else is always requiring my money! If you have the money and can get on it I would say start on it and once you get moving along the excitement will come back..especially as you get closer to being done. I am actually looking into another vehicle to do and the wagon is just sitting there! Something is not right in our heads..lol...of course to everyone else thats obvious..(we own Ramblers) Get on that Rambler!!!
I had the same problem finishing a motorcycle, finally I commited to 1 hour a day as someone has already suggested. I felt a lot better about myself doing something every day, instead of sitting in front of the tube. As progress was made it kinda snowballed as I could see light at the end of the tunnel, when you fire up that project and go for the maiden ride it'll all be worth it, I took off went to look in the mirrors and discovered they were still in the garage!
For me the hard part is getting out there. Try taking a few minutes to go out there and just look around. Out of sight out of mind. Once you start looking things over the creative juices may start to flow again and it's all down hill from there. Pick something small to play with so that you get some rewards.
I finally have the situation to work out of our home, only took 20 some years but it's great. My office is where we keep a couple of our cars, it's freaking great. The only problem is now I'm working more day job hours and when I'm finished I really don't want to do anything else. I guess it's "be careful for what you wish for". I now dedicate my weekends to the projects that I would have done after work and it's working for me, and stuff is getting done. Work all week, nights off and kick *** on Saturday and Sunday. Don't get down on yourself, find your pace and don't feel guilty about it. Here is my office.
Hey Bro, some nice opinions posted here. Most of us go thru this cycle, first step to gettin back at it, is admitting it is a problem. As some of the guys said, little baby steps untill it feels good and you can increase the work. Usually there are some issues you can work on that don't require big bucks right away. We are pullin for ya bro, you can do it. ~sololobo~
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