DIY fatigue

[tobydog]

I often make a list each weekend that includes achievable and unachievable jobs. It can be 10 or 15 items long. Mrs T usually mocks my lists and usually adds a new item when I'm not looking titled 'Arse' :roll:

 

[Flyfisher]

I have a "motivational consultant".

First, a list of jobs is made.
Then I am invited to prioritise them.
Then I am reminded which is next on the list.
After a period of "not doing it", I am asked "Will you do that, or shall I get a real man in?"

Your 'consultant' needs reminding that when a chap says he'll do something, he will, and doesn't need reminding every six months.

 

[masochists-r-us]

Stop briefly, reflect on what we've achieved so far and give yourselves a pat on the back for it. It's very easy to lose sight of how much you have achieved on a big project, particularly if there's still some way to go.
Get some sympathetic friends to visit and they'll hopefully tell you how much things have moved on since they last visited.
Then make a list of priorities - we tend to find 3 is more than enough at a time. If your list is too long, it can overwhelm you.
Be determined that you won't let a week go by where you haven't made any progress, no matter how small.
Consider getting some professional help in for a discrete task if you can to give you a shot in the arm from time to time.
Then repeat.

 

[Zebra]

Love all these tips.
I like this very much:

Stop briefly, reflect on what we've achieved so far and give yourselves a pat on the back for it. It's very easy to lose sight of how much you have achieved on a big project, particularly if there's still some way to go.
Get some sympathetic friends to visit and they'll hopefully tell you how much things have moved on since they last visited.
Then make a list of priorities - we tend to find 3 is more than enough at a time. If your list is too long, it can overwhelm you.
Be determined that you won't let a week go by where you haven't made any progress, no matter how small.
Consider getting some professional help in for a discrete task if you can to give you a shot in the arm from time to time.
Then repeat.

And I also like this:

Keep calm and carry on.

This weekend, I've found that getting a sister-zebra and a giraffe in to help has led to two walls of the bathroom getting base-coat-plastered, weehee!
I'm in the camp that finds lists oppressive, and likes to choose tasks at will. Furthermore, I find that I get my best work done when I'm meant to be doing something else. For example, I go out to the van to get a drill, and get distracted fixing that dent in the van that I've been meaning to do.

 

[SilverSaloon]

When we bought our house to renovate, we were already renting another house (after selling our original house prior to buying the new one). I made myself a deadline of about 8 or 9 months to "move in", this overran by a couple of months, but eventually we got in.

Up to the move in date I was really enthusiastic, working at the house every weekend, and in the week after working 8 hours at work and then going straight to the house working till 12-1am. I got it to a point where we could actually live there. This was December last year.

That was the issue for me as we were then in the house, pretty comfortable in our "temporary setup" and therefore i found without a pressure of a deadline, many weekends went by without much done and as the family were in the house when i got there in the evenings i found there to be too many distractions to actually get on with any work. But we had to move in as the rental + 2 sets of bills was eating up what we could and would rather spend on the new house.

Fast forward to past couple of months and i've started work proper again and now i am back into it, rather enjoying it again.

my advise - dont make yourself too comfortable and give yourself a deadline of some sort that you cant really allow to slip. Ie invite extended family around for a birthday or something, be realisatic of the time it will take you and then get stuck in to try and meet that deadline

 

[SilverSaloon]

one last thing, if you feel "in the mood" to do some work, and have the time, change into your "old clothes". I find if i dont change into old working clothes i end up just looking around, moving stuff etc without really getting stuck in. if you have the old clothes on you get into the work better i find!

 

[LadyArowana]

give yourself a deadline of some sort that you cant really allow to slip. Ie invite extended family around for a birthday or something, be realisatic of the time it will take you and then get stuck in to try and meet that deadline

Woo hoo PARTAAAY ....

 

[agbagb]

Zebra - Congratulations on your determination to complete your house to the high standards you have set yourself.

Apparently statements like that work better with the sub-concious to get that last 10% done. The trouble comes when your sub-concious accepts congratulations for what you have already achieved, they put you in an "already finished" frame of mind.

I find adding either verbally or mentally "it'll be lovely when its done" helps keep my focus after any self or external congratulations.


Like others have said, having a break can help. I'm fortunate that my missus forces me to once in a while. If nothing else you than work more efficiently to make up lost time.


Having said that I'll let you know if it works when I've finished my last 10% on the cottage.

 

[JoceAndChris]

If it's the forever home, and it's functioning alright, and you aren't being driven mad by the task undone, does it matter if it's done in 2014 or 2019?
We said when we moved here that as we wanted to spend a few grand on each room, and as we didn't come here with anything but a decent salary, each room would likely take a year. 5 rooms are done, the outside replastered in lime, and the other rooms titivated somewhat but we still need a good kitchen, bathroom, drawing room, damp proofed scullery, and roof. If each of those jobs takes 3 yrs that's really not a problem - that gives us plenty of time to make elaborate curtainry, make cabinets, afford antiques, figure out the best layouts. We like doing everything ourselves. I don't want to employ a plumber, electrician or joiner ever again.
I think don't reproach yourself, look at that gorgeous outside you created and all the excellent work so far, think of a couple of things you'd like done by the end of 2015, relax.

 

[LadyArowana]

I think don't reproach yourself, look at that gorgeous outside you created and all the excellent work so far, think of a couple of things you'd like done by the end of 2015, relax.

Wise words, I still think the "have a partaaay, create a deadline" approach has merit though .... :lol:

 

[Zebra]

Well, I can't promise anything in terms of progress, but if the worst comes to the worst and you all don't mind flushing the toilet with a bucket and drinking out of plastic cups, when do you all want to come over?

 

[skier-hughes]

If it's the forever home, and it's functioning alright, and you aren't being driven mad by the task undone, does it matter if it's done in 2014 or 2019?

Can you talk to my wife............ and no doubt everyone elses' please

 

[JoceAndChris]

:lol: I rather think if Job "X" was given to the lady of the household then she would have a different perspective on completion date. I used to chastise Chris for his slowness, but then I took over most things and learned how slowness happens. Now I just play tennis, meet friends, shop, and hope the fairies will get it done!

 

[agbagb]

Well, I can't promise anything in terms of progress, but if the worst comes to the worst and you all don't mind flushing the toilet with a bucket and drinking out of plastic cups, when do you all want to come over?

That'll make most of us feel:

A) right at home

or B) nostalgic

 

[malcolm]

I have a bit of DIY fatigue too. I've cured it all by jotting down a timing plan.

It turns out that various constraints and knock ons mean that nothing can be started until March next year so I don't need to worry about anything at the moment. That's good as I could do with a break and need to spend some time earning money.

It also suggests the bulk of the current phase can be completed by October next year, though the budget incorporated into the plan (it's on a spreadsheet you know) will ensure I can put a few things things off until at least the following year as the budget exceeds my bank balance.

 

[a twig]

Gantt Charts are great - free software such as OmniPlan can help you make wonderful charts showing tasks, sub-tasks, resource assignments, costs etc.

Then as you move through you can update completion levels of each task etc, generating cost reports and a on-target / at risk status.

You could even pull it all together into a project status "dashboard" which could be printed off and displayed prominently in the house.

And that's before you get into colour coding, prioritising, etc

The best part of doing all of this is that you can honestly say you are busy doing stuff for the house, without actually having to pick up a tool or leave your chair

(Yes I occasionally project manage in my job - yes I have a slightly cynical view of the efficacy of many project managers :twisted: )

 

[El Greyo]

Hi Zebra

Yes, I know the DIY fatigue feeling very well. We've been working on our house for about four years too and you have achieved way more than us. I think you should congratulate yourself on the huge amount you have got done and shouldn't worry if you are feeling less enthusiatic about it for a while.

A few things I can think of:
1) Take a complete break and do some other things for a while.
2) Perhaps break it down to small scale projects where there are clear objectives which feel achievable.
3) Is there one thing, perhaps not too significant in the grand scale of things, that would really improve your comfort? Then do that and then enjoy the benefits.
4) I too am a believer in lists. But if you do write one, make sure you write down quite a few things you've already done and tick them off. It's good for morale.
5) Go climbing.

 

[Penners]

I think your biggest problem, Zebra, is that you don't have somebody nagging you about the list of unfinished jobs! :wink: For an appropriate fee, I'll happily come over once a month and give you a real ear-bashing, based on my own real-life experience of such things!

More seriously, I am a great believer in deadlines. Even if they're completely arbitrary, once you have set them and written them on the calendar, I find that they can be a useful motivation to get things done - particularly if the achievement of a deadline also results in a reward.

Here's a suggestion. Make a list of the jobs that remain to be done. Beside each job, write down a target completion date (make it realistically achievable, otherwise you'll just get even more demotivated by continually missing targets). Then, beside each deadline, write down a reward that you promise yourself when that job is finished... a weekend trip, a visit to friends, a theatre outing, a jumbo pack of Kit-Kats... anything that takes your fancy. Pin the list up in a suitably prominent place and, every now and then, move it to a different place (if it stays in the same place for months on end you won't see it any more). As each job is completed, mark your chart with a big green tick or gold star - anything to remind you of how much you have achieved.

I also agree with the above comments about DIY fatigue. So it's probably a good idea to include some pauses in your programme, during which you just back off, relax and forget about the DIY for a period.

Now - shut down your computer and get on with your work! (See? I'm quite good at it!) :wink:

 

[Feltwell]

Gantt Charts are great

If ever there was a finer example of "each to their own", this has to be it! I too use Gantt charts as part of project management at work, and they are invaluable. At home, I'd rather poke myself in the eye with my sharpest bradawl than prepare a Gantt chart of what needs doing! However, I confess that mentally I have much the same thing in mind - a list of tasks, their interdependencies and what order they need doing in. There's just no time axis to measure against :wink:

 

[Zebra]

Good advice there. But I'm a bit low-tech at heart, so where's the crayons?