It’s safe to say I’ve been on a roll around the house for the past few weekends, and the question I get most often from people is “How do you have the energy to get all of this stuff done?”
Let me tell you the truth: I’ve basically been riding a high of paint fumes and adrenaline for the last month. And it feels awesome. But I also know I’m going to hit a wall eventually, and then I’m going to lay comatose in front of my dinky window air conditioner for 72 hours straight.
When I woke up Saturday morning hot, groggy, and unmotivated, I was afraid my productivity streak was over. No amount of pep talks or name calling was going to get me out of bed to start painting the front porch, so I tried a different tactic instead…
Bribery.
This weekend I told myself that as long as I wasn’t a complete lazy-ass, I could work on whatever project my little heart desired. I didn’t get to Lowe’s until about noon on Saturday (six hours after my usual Saturday morning start time), but by 6 PM on Sunday…
New clothesline so I don’t have to use the dryer in the un-airconditioned house in 104-degree weather:
And, my first project using reclaimed wood from the rubble pile.
So, yeah. Bribery does actually work on me when it involves power tools and sawdust.
I recently started writing for the new home improvement website ImprovementCenter.com, and in this post I talk about the importance of small wins to keeping your energy and motivation levels up for those big projects that may span several weeks (or months, or, in the case of Liberty House, eternity). These projects were exactly that… small wins that weren’t too complicated, but had awesome results.
I’ve got a few things to finish up on each of them before giving you the complete how-to, but I just couldn’t wait to share a quick look, since I’m feeling pretty good about how they turned out. Other things you might see from me this week: A few more projects I’ve checked off the bank list, and a video in which I may or may not have thought it was a good idea to aim a camera at my face after six hours of hard labor. So I’m sure everyone will be waiting breathlessly for that bit of sweaty awesomeness later this week.
Here’s to keeping up the energy and productivity through another hot week!
5 Responses
Love the table! Plexiglass on top maybe?? And the clothesline is perfect for the old house. I just finally turned my little AC on for the first time a few minutes ago after working outside in 100 degrees all day. Cooling down the house a little before bed seemed like a good reason.
LOVE both. Build on!
That table is not only made of scrap wood, it’s made of win. It’s great! Are you thinking of posting some how-to’s? I’ve got a teenage son looking for wood-working projects for his senior year of shop, and this would be a good one.
Love the table! Which ladder/stool will you use to reach the clotheslines? (Chuckle)
Love your table! Already have ideas swirling around my skull! Thanks for affirmation that it’s good to have small wins for a boost!
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