Ever feel like you've lost your motivation?

My project motivation for anything has been at absolute 0 lately. As in car projects, house projects, etc. The only thing I'm consistent with is working out and running on a daily basis.

I've got two car projects that need work - 2012 Civic Si body in white from the ground up and a chump car that needs a engine transplant and I'm having the hardest time getting off my ass to do anything. Not sure if it's kids or work that's doing it to me; but, what are some things you guys have done to get your head back in the game?

Home projects are straight up discouraging because of the wife changing her mind every two days.

I don't know... But I understand it. All I want to do is go to the gym. No interest in work, none in the cars... I've always thought of myself as this guy doing big projects but I'm coming to realize that's not me. I kind of want to get rid of everything... But in to attached to my miatas, and I do love my jeep. But I so want to purge my garage of everything but tools. I store so much E36 M3 I have no real need for.

Although I have been fooling with vintage rc stuff. Maybe a change of pace would do you good?

You know how i deal with wife projects? I dont. Those are hers. Well, and divorce.

Yup. That's why I'm in pj pants on the couch perusing GRM. The s2000 needs post season maintenance and SWMBO has a newly acquired crx Si that needs some attention.

I go through binge and purge cycles with cars and other projects. I think I'm coming up on a major purge.

Anybody need a BMW Z3 or a Cayman S?

Funny, because I would give up all my projects if I could get the gumption to exercise daily.

take a break, it'll sort out

I know the feeling.

The Abomination hasn't been out of the garage or fired up in 8 months. There is an engine and transmission I bought from Strike Zero months ago, that is still in the trailer. The truck still needs the heater core that popped on vacation 4 months ago, replaced, and it's December. There is a supercharger to be mounted on the Samurai, that has only been out of the box long enough to take a picture of it. A new plug set up for the Alaskan camper, that made it as far as the floor of the camper.

I could go on but I'm too lazy to do that too.

I haven't really worked on anything, beyond little crap, since I finished the Jet Boat, and it hasn't been off the trailer in months as well.

I'm pretty good at dreaming up the ideas, but kind of sucky at getting things accomplished lately. I'm ready to wash my hands of the whole mess, sell it or burn it to the ground, and start over.

fasted58 wrote: take a break, it'll sort out

I've been trying to; but, it's hard for me to sit idle hence the constant exercise. I'm starting to believe it's partially due to my job as there is very little satisfaction in my work which is killer.

I've been working on other things though. I'm almost done turning a surfboard into a coffee table and a skim board into an end table for my man cave. I've also been messing around with arduinos and showing my oldest daughter how to utilize bread boards.

I think my boring DD of a 2016 WRX is a buzzkill too. It's too smooth, quiet, and meh. They really did a good job of refining these cars lol.

Anyone need a body in white civic Si shell? 9th gen coupe chassis. David Wallens? GRM needs a new project. I'll even deliver it to you.

Does not seem like you lack motivation, more like you are fixated on what you are NOT doing rather than what you are doing.

Oh hell yes. It's why my TDI has been 4 feet off the ground in my garage for the past two years... and the GT6 is still waiting for a new transmission... and the steering rack in the Mini hasn't been replaced... and a huge list of house projects haven't been started. ...and I haven't started training for the 2016 race season...

Yes. It's been about 2years since I last properly drove the 964. I'm the meantime I moved to Australia (took it with me), bought a house, had another child, settled into a new career and rediscovered mountain biking. I've wanted to spend time with family, and on the trail. I pulled the motor this past March to fix a broken stud, and finally started putting things back together. I figure: it's supposed to be fun, and it's not going anywhere.

The drive will come back.

Yes! I've been unproductive as of late. Bought a battery this week for the FX16 so I can drive it again.

The thread on vinyl wrap has fired me up!!!! So I need to finish a house project and move to clearing out more space in the garage (been on the list forever).

I had a long period of blah, which culminated in selling 3 cars in a year and picking up just one 'project'. And that project consisted of throwing parts at it for like 3 weekend evenings and calling it done. Plan was a no-fuss autocrosser because given my wife and kid and the details of that which I will spare you, garage time wasn't really gonna happen. But going out for a day could. Autocrossed for 2 years with pretty much zero maint or changes. Just load up the car at 6am sunday and head out.

Now that the kid/wife situation and schedule is better, I am keeping motivation by going 'out to the garage' (sometimes this is literally working on cars, or plugging away at house projects or whatever) for 30-90 minutes most nights and never missing a whole week. Keeps me happier and her happier and stuff is getting done for the first winter in like 6 years.

I have no motivation to do anything but absolute routine stuff. The Manic Miata sat through months of great weather with a simple problem that took maybe 3 hours to fix and finish the button-up from the Depressive Mode conversion once I finally got to it (with outside help from DD#1 and a friend). I've been off since Christmas Eve and don't go back until the 4th, but mostly I'm just sitting around watching TV or sleeping. I'd love to go on vacation, but deciding where and planning a trip is just too much to overcome. I'd like to have some people over for New Years but don't feel like doing the prep work. Hell, I should vacuum the house. I don't even want to figure out what to cook for dinner tonight.

I did fix the seat heater on DW's car. That took some willpower and effort, so I'm not a total slug.

I know that feel. Lately, it's been a lack of time and money that has stalled my projects, but after the holidays are over, I'll motivate myself to get wrenching again.

Pro Tip: don't buy a project that's beyond your skill level. Both my project cars need body work now, and I suck at it and don't own a welder, so I have to ask my skilled friends to help out until that part is over with, which I constantly feel bad about.

Spoolpigeon wrote: ...and SWMBO has a newly acquired crx Si that needs some attention.

I'm not sure what the CRX needs, but SWMBO sounds like a keeper.

Back on topic, good luck. I'm in a slump myself. Need of money is what keeps me going at work, and sitting down with minecrack is my only current hobby. It doesn't help the my ADD is back with a vengeance.

I think my next day off I should just go in the woods with a camera to recharge. I also need to get to the doctor in the new year and get help with the ADD. Lastly I need a real camping trip in the summer.

Feeling bad about not not accomplishing a goal is a massive demotivator. I have a couple of projects on hiatus until Jan 4th. Not even on my radar! Sure I still have the big plans that may take months, but sometimes you gotta narrow the focus to the job in front of you.

Every big job is usually just a collection of little jobs. Engine transplant? gotta pull an engine, which is removing this, unbolting that, disconnecting those...topside stuff, bottom side stuff. Go out and spray those stubborn bolts with a little PB Blaster and call it a day! Get ambitious and pull the radiator and disconnect the throttle stuff! Often you will find that it is real easy to go ahead and do the next thing too. A little win beats a little fail every time.

Bruce

"Do or Do Not...there is no try!"

Everyday.

1- have to work outside in whatever Mother Nature is providing that day.
2- just getting time to do anything. Even with the MIL in house to watch kids when wife can't because of third shift, she has things to do too.
3- nobody communicates desires here until it's almost too late. Especially when I have E36 M3 to do.

I'll stop there or it will just turn into a rant.

I usually switch to one of my other hobbies. Right now they are, in no particular order: Cars, Guitars, Tube Amps (hi-fi and guitar), computers/electronics, and wood working. Of course being a home owner of a 40 year old home that we want to sell in a few years, and father of an one year old, I don't really have hobbies but a spare minute every other week.

SilverFleet wrote: I know that feel. Lately, it's been a lack of time and money that has stalled my projects, but after the holidays are over, I'll motivate myself to get wrenching again. Pro Tip: don't buy a project that's beyond your skill level. Both my project cars need body work now, and I suck at it and don't own a welder, so I have to ask my skilled friends to help out until that part is over with, which I constantly feel bad about.

89$ harbor freight flux core built my elky. Just get good wire. And the auto darkening helmet.

My thing is to do something every day. Yesterday it was order a few dollars of an fittings and strip off injectors for a refreshing. 20 minutes tops. But it was progress.

A few things going against me.

December is always tough for those of us with borderline seasonal affective disorder. Every day is a little shorter and darker until the solstice, I can already feel improvement in just the last week. Getting past Christmas is key as well.

The daughters in my house are the laziest creatures ever created and while I try to keep the energy level up more often than not the sheer level of sloth is overwhelming and after a day at work it's easier to veg out on the couch than to go down to the garage to turn wrenches.

Money. Or rather the general lack thereof. Generally when a part can be bought, it gets installed pretty quickly. It's just that funds are tighter than I'm entirely comfortable with.

I don't have any projects or anything but yes, I have no motivation to do anything. I haven't even put clothes on for three days, just gym shorts. I had a couple things I wanted to do to the bike while I was off this week but I doubt I will get them done. BLAH

Dusterbd13 wrote: My thing is to do something every day. Yesterday it was order a few dollars of an fittings and strip off injectors for a refreshing. 20 minutes tops. But it was progress.

I know this. I say this. During my long slog home from the office I say to myself, "gosh darn it, I WILL get something done when I get home."

Then I get home. And do jack sh1t...

The weather has been great all through Oct & Nov, and I didn't get off my ass to enjoy it. Now that it just turned chilly this week, I've decided to start overhauling pretty much every part of the miata.