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How does everyone keep themselves motivated on a project?


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Whiteboards are good too - a big whiteboard on the workshop wall with lists of jobs etc. is good because you can wander out to the workshop and just pick something from the list without spending 5 minutes staring at the truck wondering where you left off.

A few other tips I told myself (with varying success, like new-years resolutions):

Don't off-road your daily driver - you'll lose the motivation to get the offroader built, and you'll break it which will eat time & money.

Don't spanner on your daily driver unless you have to - get a decent mechanic/garage to sort it out/service it and save your spare time & motivation for the one you're supposed to be working on. You can easily lose a day's work doing a basic service on your DD, paying a garage to do it may go against the grain but it's effectively buying yourself a day's free time to get on with something more interesting that you can't outsource.

Also, don't f*ck about trying to save every last penny unless you're totally brassic - or to put it another way, value your time. Wasting a day in the shed failing to get anything done because you're too tight to buy a tool for £25 is just not worth it. Likewise, you can make lots of things yourself, but if you value your time it's often more effective to buy parts (EG dislocation cones, guards, etc. are cheap and plentiful) and concentrate on the bits you can't get off-the-shelf. It's also often quicker to modify some off-the-shelf bit than re-make the whole thing from scratch.

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Don't off-road your daily driver - you'll lose the motivation to get the offroader built, and you'll break it which will eat time & money.

I've thought a few times about getting a disco or something in the mean time.... but as fridge says it will only take time and money away from the project. The main one being the time. If I'm out playing in something, I could have been in the workshop getting the 90 built.

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Also, don't f*ck about trying to save every last penny unless you're totally brassic - or to put it another way, value your time. Wasting a day in the shed failing to get anything done because you're too tight to buy a tool for £25 is just not worth it. Likewise, you can make lots of things yourself, but if you value your time it's often more effective to buy parts (EG dislocation cones, guards, etc. are cheap and plentiful) and concentrate on the bits you can't get off-the-shelf. It's also often quicker to modify some off-the-shelf bit than re-make the whole thing from scratch.

100% agree - the proper tool to do the job.

There is another side to this though, it depends if you *need* to get the vehicle complete by a certain time.

I get as much pleasure out of fixing and tool making as completing the vehicle.. I needed a gear box adapter plate, I could have bought one off the shelf but it gave me the opportunity to buy a milling machine and make one.

In my case the journey is the pleasure not the destination.

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It is not easy..

It took 5 years to do the the 110 and it is not finished. On the road - but not finished.

For me, it works to set a clear goal and complete it. Good feeling when the lights get in, the wiring is done, etc.

Getting the Mrs. to do the spraying of the complete vehicle was a enormous boost as I'd been dreading to do it.

Keep going !

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:D Ehm.... She's VERY late twenties.. As in late fourties at that time. (3 years ago)

And in the last round of radiation after the full treatment for breast cancer so I can't find words to say just how proud I am of her.

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Although the result is not perfect, we're VERY, VERY happy with it and being a Greenlaning tool, it will get scratched.

A lot.

Sorry - she has no sisters....

2013-05-07LR110HTwachtopafbouw.jpg

The finished vehicle - as in : on the road and in use.

But far from completed....

Interior & rollcage are on the list, to name a few...

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Thanks all, great to hear people's methods of keepING on top of things.

I think I'll be getting a whiteboard in the workshop! A big one!

First job is to get it running, second to sort the clutch, third to loosen the pedals third to attach the accelerato r

I should then be able to move it in and out the workshop at my own will rather than finding someone free to steer or tow it round!

I will off road my daily driver, I will not be off reading the series 2! And I shan't be paying a garage to work on my truck! I just can't afford it, and I have never done that ever!

Hopefully it should start to pick up now I'm home at the evenings too!

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I find if it is the 4x4 (or the writing) that if I am right next to it I get interested and then start work. The hard part for me is just going 'to the job'.

Having the goal of an event in September helps.

There is also "the spark of an idea" that sets me off on some mission.....

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i'd love to go to 7 sisters, not the place to take my series 2 to though, if anything, thats a motivator to sort out 4WD on Brian instead haha!

A friend of ours took his Freelander 2, I'm sure your series 2 can manage ;)

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Fridge's comment does make sense, I had a moment were everything grounded to a halt. There was very much work to do and it seemed endless; at some stage I realized it was make or break time. I decided to get help from some outside sources. I phoned a bloke to finish and paint the panels, I got the chassis and all the metal bits to the blasters, and then either the galvanizers or the zinc platers. 2 weeks later I was actually assembling a car and it was game back on. Main thing was that I needed to realize that I cannot do everything myself.

Another trap people tend to fall for (myself included) is to divert from the plan while you go along; Where the original plan was to rebuild what you have, then you get tempted by an engine conversion, different axles, cage it, rewire it, Some cup holders in the interior would be nice, lets also add some flux capacitors, maybe gravity manipulation works better than an engine and so on.

You know where this is going, you keep getting better ideas, resulting in the build time taking longer and longer and in many cases, never ends. Choose your cake and eat it, is what I have learnt.

Daan

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Daan makes a good point about farming some work out. It's one of the reasons why I've had all the brackets etc powder coated. I could have spent days and days priming/sanding/panting!

It's also why I've put out some for some quotes for fixing the bulkhead up, and will probably be getting the engine rebuilt rather than do it myself.

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You guys have all missed something, something my old man pointed out to me yrs ago.... he caught me in the shed swearing and cursing about to throw down the tools (can't remember what had gone wrong lol) anyway he said to me... "A project is a journey to get something you want (kinda agree'd with him) he then went on to point out because I didn't really know what I was doing I was alot slower than a professional (didn't want to agree with him about this lol) he then went on to point out if I wasn't here I could be at work doing overtime earning money that could pay for this work to happen in a fraction of the time that way I could have my dream faster and in a better condition and I don't have to do something I didn't enjoy.....

At the time I agreed with him just so I could get him out of the shop (then I could throw my toys with out him laughing....)

Years later in my shed having a beer with a mate and talking about my hilux (that was on its 4th rebuild) I recounted the story and realized.... I loved the journey, the learning of new skills, the improvement of what I can do (or attempt lol), the problem solving.... and above all the process of having a vision in my head and building the bits that make it slowly take shape..... the whole thing about I did it

I also realized the end product wasn't the goal it was the journey, this last bit was a bit obvious... remember how I said 4th rebuild well this truck had only left the shed between the 1st and 2nd for one run, I had carved it up after the 2nd and 3rd because I had learned a new way to make it bigger and better so cut it up after I had finished lol for the books I parted it out after the 5th lol and started a business building other peoples projects

Now I'm the stupid extreme end of things most people want the goal at the end and the feeling of accomplishment that comes from doing the project thing, here's what I used to run those lost soles that came into my shop through if they were talking builds

Work out your priority... first off is this about bragging rites... the toy at the end, or a combination of both (this last one is the hardest to deal with)

Next set a finish date.... remember this is going to take alot longer than you want it too be realistic, when they have this date I would then chat to them about the project over a beer... wait until they are all amped and then tell them there date is well and truely short of the mark, for most 3 times that. Then with them a bit hot over it I tell them to rethink the first priority... the toy is more important than bragging rites lol

I would then tell them the story of what my old man said to me....with that sorted I tell them to work out what is going to take the longest and farm it out

Oh and don't use the I don't have the money to get it done excuse lol unless your unemployed or a student

Use your finish date as a motivator, treat it like a commercial project break it down into stages with deadlines and don't stretch them... if you can't finish that part before the date farm it out lol that then makes money part of the motivator

Print your time line and stick it to the fridge... put it as your computer background so every time you waist time your looking at it

To help motivate you put some pics up at work of what you want it to look like when its finished your goal, oh and man up and tell people it will be done on this date lol this is a nasty one... you will suffer alot of carp for failing to deliver on this

Your lists are just smaller parts of each stage.... stick to just two stages at a time the primary that has its deadline and a secondary that you work on when your unable to do something due to parts coming or waiting on outsourced work

Most important is don't let any deadline slip once you let one slip its easier and easier to let the next one and the next one slip and before long you looking at listening to alot of carp from your mates lol

If your thing is bragging rights post a build thread, simply put you dont' work on it you don't get the recognition lol

If your like me lol admit the fact... get a bigger shed and keep collecting stuff you'll never work on

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hmmm, go to it, loiter around it, poke it a bit with your finger (maybe even take a cup of tea), and have a look and a think... keep doing it until you go... yeah where's that spanner... :) (but its mainly about pulling your finger out your bum...)

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No one has said it (I think) but reading through members' projects on here is highly motivating. My complete rebuild took 15months, the only bit farmed out was the bulkhead galvanising. The satisfaction of saying you "did it all" is immense, especially the paintwork.

I had a clear goal of what I wanted to build, nothing too extreme with some comfort touches (XS spec) but help and pointers on here especially with loom changes was priceless.

But, you really need to want it done. I fortunately have a very understanding wife and a large shed so spending countless hours rebuilding was never an issue, getting my son involved also was great....it's how I gained my knowledge working with my Dad.

I always liked getting the deliveries of parts, be it new or eBay specials....the urge to "crack on" increased hugely if there was a load of goodies sitting waiting.

It could also be an affliction as I have my brother in laws 110 to restore and get back to as new and I'm looking forward to getting stuck in

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I have made a couple of purchases to hopefully help me on my way

  1. large whiteboard to make clear lists
  2. autosparks wiring loom (lets do it properly eh!)
  3. a new Eurotorch with 4m lead for my welder (number 2) which currently has a 1m lead on a floorstanding welder..... :rtfm: :rtfm:

Number 3 is kind of irrelevant but i like welding :ph34r:

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OH OH OH you'll love the 4m lead! but ironically sometimes its a little too long an you have to loose the cable somewhere... very much would have it rather than not.

It took me a good 8 months plus to get back working on the Camel Disco welding... and then it took a new welder and a few months on top to inspire me to do it. - now I'm just riding a wave of posetivness fuelled by the semi decent weather! and I now have pictures of the truck in her former glory as every screen saver to keep the fire burning!

I think you need to have your heart in it to get projects completed. I'l always had something invested either cash (to get back) or some personal goal. -that helps a lot.

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Personally speaking

Motivational factors: learning, improving, seeing a finished job that has been done properly.

Motivations: because I can, it needs doing or improving, playing with tools/breaking out the workshop toys.

Having great mates who will generally push you along physically and mentally to get on with it. Can be a bit like having a gym membership you never use? more likely to go and get on with it if you feel you will be letting someone else down by not doing it. Letting yourself down by not doing something can become a habit where you think, tomorrow will be fine. Tomorrow never comes.

So setting a date where mates turn up for lifting, drinking tea, spannering, fitting, painting and thinking can be highly productive. The best thing you can do in return is the same on their projects. Think you'd have to be pretty OCD or dedicated/focused to do everything without and help or input, not to say it's impossible but it's easier with mates.

Pete

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