Project fatigue

I feel your pain.  My MSM became nearly undrivable because stuff is wearing out and the wife's 2011 MINI is starting to have typical MINI issues.  This whole year has been bouncing between fixing cars, motorcycles, and the house.  I paid someone to fix the house, gave up daily driving the Miata, and bought a Fiesta ST.  Now I only have one project that must get done in the next two weeks.  I'm much happier.

Do the stuff that needs to get done and pace yourself on the optional projects.

Well, somewhere in there you've accomplished some things to get to the point you're at.  I only have one project, well, now likely two (see my thread on possible rod knock), so my hat's off to you for what you have accomplished.  I've been buried with work before, and I find getting the project with the quickest path to completion is the best way to get things kicked off.  Enjoy the sense of accomplishment, and a beer, for the moment, and then move on to the biggest task knowing you now have less on your plate.  Once you've finished the biggest thing, anything you have remaining seems doable.  A safety net always helps keep the stress off.  Then again, I've let my project sit for three years, so maybe I'm not the best to give advice.

I determined that I have enough automotive projects to last me the rest of my life.  2 Europas, a Locost (WHICH CRANKED YESTERDAY!! Not started, but cranked.  Hey, it's a milestone and I wasn't trying to start it), 3 Harleys, the 3SGTE RAV4, 2 LS400's, 1 LX470, Megasquirted RN Truck, a couple trailers and I have to keep my step son's 350K mile MR2 running so he can get to work.  After getting a bit burned out on automotive projects post 3SGTE swap (1 year project, wiring nightmare), I took some time off of cars and did some boom-stick projects.  It was refreshing. I've thought about another Esprit, but knowing what a time sink-hole they are, I just piddle with my other cars.  Doing the 3SGTE swap got me heavy into Japanese schematics, so I got back on wiring the Locost, after giving it 10 years and finding that the thing just wouldn't wire itself.

Anyway, what works for me:  take a break, don't get any more projects.

One driver

One toy

One project.

Driver has to be ready to go. No time or patience for the toaster, but it gets financial priority.

The toy has to be usable. Not usable means it is a project, so if the GT needs a new set of tires it gets them, even though I don't  drive it anymore. I could if I had to.

The Molvo is a project with no deadline and no  objective other than whatever the current challenge might be. At the moment, it is wipers.  I sometimes go back and read the build thread from the start and say to myself..."No way I would have started if I knew how much time and money it would take". Truth is that by mentally focusing on only the one task, and completing it in such a way that I feel good about the result,  the project never feels like and unsurmountable burden.

For a "Break" I will take on a third party project as a distraction and a method to refresh the project warchest. Bonus that all customer cars so far have come with interesting owners who leave me energized and ready to get back on my own stuff.  Have had this formula for 20 years and it works for me.

Thanks everybody. Sometimes it's just important to know your not the only one.

Rule 1. Always keep an appliance that is reliable as gravity around.  For me it is a 1997 Corolla. Completely sorted. Runs drives and for the most part looks like new.  

#2. Never ever modify the appliance. 

#3. The appliance always gets serviced or fixed in frount of every other vehical. You don’t have to do it your self. Just make sure it gets done. Money always goes to the needs of the appliance first. 

By following these three rules you can then play with what ever bad idea you want.  

As for house and other things sort them by need. Unless you can sleep eat and live in your car the home takes priority over car stuff with the possible exception of the needs of the appliance as it gets you to work to have the cash to fix the house.  

By following this very simple set of rules it has kept me sane and probibly married

I need to drop the engine in the 944 to find and fix the oil leak, do the timing and balance shaft belts, and just generally go through it, and I can't even contemplate it right now.  And, as it gets colder, my motivation will decline even more.  I've done this before, it'll be March before I get started, and probably July by the time it's ready, in which case I will (once again) have missed a large portion of the summer and autocross/HPDE season.  

Sometimes I think I shouldn't even have a project car/toy anymore.  But don't tell my wife that! 

One thing that has been a motivation killer for me is lack of space.  If you've got too many projects that need attention for the amount of room you have to work in it can be highly demotivating.  My daily driver temporarily devolved to project status last week, and it barely fits in my garage.  I couldn't work on it for more than a couple hours at a time without being exhausted.  Also, having to shuffle vehicles and stuff around every time you want to work on something else feels like wasting time.  If it takes you 15-30 minutes to set up and work on a project, it doesn't seem worth it unless you have a several hours, whereas if you can step into the garage and start working immediately, it means when you have that spare 15 minutes to burn, you can get something done.

eastsideTim said:

One thing that has been a motivation killer for me is lack of space.  If you've got too many projects that need attention for the amount of room you have to work in it can be highly demotivating.  

This is so me... 

Ian F said:

eastsideTim said:

One thing that has been a motivation killer for me is lack of space.  If you've got too many projects that need attention for the amount of room you have to work in it can be highly demotivating.  

This is so me... 

Not self imposed by any chance?

In reply to NOHOME :

Absolutely all me. While I try like hell not to buy any more projects, I'll hear of a deal and emotion takes over. Then I get it home and think, "Berk. Where am I going to put this? When am I going to be able to work on it?" 

It's pretty bad sometimes... my laptop crapped out a couple of weeks ago. On Black Friday, I managed to find a deal. Just NOW am I finally getting around to setting it up.(sigh...)

That's why we bought a new Sienna. Needed something we could just fill and go. Although, in reality, the 996 is pretty much a fill and go car too, with 120k and going up regularly.