Tired

[redidbull]

Has anyone just gotten tired of working on cars? I have a couple projects that need work and just have no desire to go out and work on either. I am not feeling lazy, working on a bath remodel among other house stuff. Neither of the projects are usable at this point either so if I want to dive them I need to do the work. If others have been here, how do you handle it? Maybe just take a break til I'm ready? Thanks. Jim

 

[gene49]

I believe we go through different times in our lives where some things have a higher priority the other things, and those high priority things always seem to change as time goes on. Its probably the cycle of life.

The car hobby tends to be one of those things that moves up and down the priority list. Sometimes there are things that just need to change, other things that need to get done, and things that we sometimes have to just get away from for a while.

Unless there is an absolute need to get rid of the car projects, I suggest you just leave them sit. At some point they will likely become a higher priority again, and you will be very happy you still have them. That shift in priority may take a few months, or it may take a few years. The car projects won't mind waiting, and unless you are paying for storage, they are not costing you anything to leave sit. When you get back to them, it often becomes very exciting again, and you go after it like never before.

Personally, I only could work on one project at a time or I became overwhelmed quickly and lost interest in both. I found that having a project waiting until the current project was finished, got the first project done faster, and it kept my attention on it better.

 

[Couper]

I agree with Gene Jim. I went through the same issue last year with new septic and yard project. Although I had pockets of time where I could’ve gotten into the garage, I just didn’t want to. I’d actually wake up in the middle of the night or in the morning with a stomach ache thinking about where I was on the project and what I had to do.

I’ve had a lot of fun on this build and looking back at my pictures have accomplished a great deal of work. And even with that, I occasionally had thoughts of just selling the whole thing. Gee wiz, I’d be so upset with myself if I did that.

As crazy as it sounds, I woke up one morning, and I felt like somebody lifted a weight off my shoulders. That stupid feeling I had in my gut was gone.

I just let it ride, go with the flow and when you’re ready to jump back on it, you’ll know it. In the meantime, enjoy the other things you’re working on.

 

[Old Iron]

Nothing unusual there. It happens to most of us, not all.
I agree that more than one vehicle project at a time extends a build out to a point that interest in them can be lost.

 

[smallfoot]

I just wish the haftos didn't out weigh the wantos!

 

[redidbull]

Lots of good stuff here. I wake up with stomach ache also. Sometimes it is the plumbing projects which I hate the most. Always more have to's than want to's. Even unexpected stuff hits at weird times. A couple years back I had a new outdoor faucet put in my driveway. Used it the other day went to use it yesterday to back flow the radiator on my Samurai and the faucet was broken. So that got pushed a side. Very frustrating after finally getting out there. Starting to see some better weather and that may help too. This is my 1st winter retired so maybe my expectations were too high. Thanks for the advice. Jim

 

[gene49]

Retirement causes strange things to happen in our lives.
One day, 8 -10 hours (or more) of our day is scheduled, then the next day it isn't. Usually, everyone around you knows when the day is coming. You may have made plans with what you want to do with that time, but you soon find out that everyone around you has also made plans for you to "help" them as well. That may include your old boss as soon as he discovers that there really isn't anyone doing the job you did. The problem is, everyone one of them believes you owe them some of your new found free time. In some cases, they may be right, but you don't owe them all of your new found free time. The question and the challenge becomes who gets how much, and how much should you be able to keep for yourself?

If you thought the battle for your time was tough when you were working, you haven't seen anything yet! Your best chance to be able to keep some of that free time is to have a plan for the things you want to do for the 1st year after retirement, and tell everyone about those plans, a year before the retirement date arrives. If nothing else, it provides an excuse to not spend all your time helping others. Then you have to have the balls to hold true to at least getting started on those plans you have. That 1st month can be brutal! Its not as easy as it sounds, but it did work out OK for me.

 

[bob w]

I've been retired for 28 years. And now I'm getting just plain tired. The spirit is willing but the body is weak, some sage once wrote. Working on cars? I don't do anything to the late model drivers. I don't even open the hood. Saving what little energy and strength I have left for hot rod building. The enthusiasm is there. But I'm down to about 4 hours a day because of fatigue. Also frustrated by my skills diminishing. As you guys mentioned; throw in household repairs/improvements, lawn and garden duties, and "honey-do's" and it makes for a full day.

I'll work on hot rods until I can no longer hold a wrench in my arthritic fingers or see well enough to make a safe weld.

And with my last remaining brain cell, I'll write hot rod poetry.

 

[Old Stuff]

Gene said it great and others jumped on it also. I guess it could be said I' recently retired but I do work much more/harder now, some stress related things have left while others come knocking but ain't that life on the frontier? Sometimes things come along and give us opportunities to tune up lives, relationships, or other things that might have been a bit stale.

After working on the house for the last couple of years (along with self employed working for grocery money) we are now "indoor camping" with still a ton to do. A quick jump in the '58 to the hardware store yesterday was awesome. Seeing the '30 in the new garage is inspiring knowing that I'll be able to work on that again.... at some point....

Hang in there Jim!

 

[gene49]

No lie, the temps around here are suppose to be in the 60s most of the week! That really is a pretty poor excuse because the garage is heated, but the floor is still cold...
I might even go out in the garage and do something constructive this week. My truck wants attention, and I got a box of stuff that I'm hoping makes it happy.
I suspect me getting out of the house for a while might make my wife happy as well....

 

[redidbull]

Our weather is all over the place. Yesterday 40' with 50mph gusts. My barn has been a dumping ground for stuff the past year so is ridiculous to work in. Plan is to open the doors and take everything out when we get a nice warm weekend. We need to purge 40 years of "stuff" here. That in itself bums me out the most. If it were up to me I'd have a dumpster in the yard, close my eyes, and fill it. Wife is a keeper though. I remember finding a box she brought in when we got married, 10 years later. Told her just pitch it. Nope opened and put it back on the shelf in case she needed it. Jim