I Do Issues My Personal Method (And It Virtually All the time Works Out)

Yesterday, I had somebody ask me, “Are you going to complete portray the ceiling earlier than or after you end the cupboards?” To be clear, this was not a snarky remark, and it’s perfecty effective to ask questions. She was simply questioning about my course of, and I actually perceive that. And also you wish to know what’s humorous? As soon as once more, I had conveniently forgotten that I nonetheless haven’t completed portray the ceiling and partitions within the studio. 😀

As I discussed a number of days in the past, I’ve developed a form of blindness to it at this level, and I’ve turn into hyper-focused on my present challenge — ending the workplace space cupboards. These cupboards appears to be like like this proper now. I’ve completed the facet panels, {the electrical} for the sconces, and the cubby bridge.

At this level, I actually don’t keep in mind the unfinished partitions and ceiling until I’m making a psychological record (or an precise written record) of the initiatives that I nonetheless have to complete within the room. And at this price, portray the ceiling will most likely be one of many final issues I do to complete this room.

I’ve all the time been a DIYer who does issues my very own approach. I’ll be the primary to confess that my methods don’t all the time make sense, they usually’re fairly often not essentially the most environment friendly technique to do a challenge. However after 30+ years of DIYing, and particularly since we moved into this home and I had such a frightening whole-house rework to deal with just about on my own (solely calling in assist or execs when completely needed), I’ve realized that I’ve to be led by my motivation.

My present work within the studio is an efficient instance of that. I’m completely dreading having to color that ceiling. I don’t know why, and it’s most likely a kind of initiatives that I’ve dreaded for thus lengthy that I’ve made it a lot worse in my head than what it should really be. However regardless of the cause, I simply don’t wish to do it. So if I insisted on doing issues within the order by which they take advantage of sense, or the order by which they appear them best, and I attempted to pressure myself to color earlier than doing the rest, I’d be making excuses day by day as to why I can’t paint, and the entire studio challenge can be stalled.

As an alternative, I went with my motivation. I felt motivated and excited to deal with the workplace space cupboards, so I went with it. Will that make issues tougher for me later? Perhaps slightly. Now, earlier than I paint the ceiling, I’ll must drape the cupboards and the wallpaper mural with plastic, and I’ll must cowl the ground. However that’s not an enormous deal, and it’ll solely take about an hour to get all of that performed earlier than I can paint.

And I additionally suspect that when the workplace space cupboards are completed and searching stunning, I’ll really really feel motivated to get the ceiling and the remainder of the partitions painted. At that time, I’ll be tremendous excited to get the entire studio completed, and to deal with any challenge that’s standing in the way in which of me having a totally completed studio. That’s usually what occurs. I finally get excited to finish these initiatives that I’ve been dreading and laying aside just because these are standing in the way in which of me having a completed room.

I do know I’ve shared all of this earlier than in earlier years, however I simply wish to reiterate for these of you who’re additionally engaged on large whole-room or whole-house initiatives. Sure, there’s most likely all the time a “right” order by which to do issues. However we DIYers aren’t strictly certain by them. Clearly, there are occasions when issues do should be performed in a sure order. Sure, it’s important to hold drywall earlier than you may set up cupboards. Please don’t set up cupboards on studs after which attempt to drywall round them simply since you hate drywalling and wish to put it off. 😀

However what I imply. Don’t be so strictly adherent to a correct order that you end up dragging your ft, procrastinating for days, or weeks, or months, as a result of the “correct” subsequent step is one that you just completely dread. As an alternative, see if there’s a approach that you would be able to transfer on and discover one thing else that you are able to do to be able to see progress. And for those who’re something like me, when you see that room coming collectively, you’ll end up waking up in the future enthusiastic about getting that challenge completed, and also you’ll lastly really feel excited to do the very factor you’ve been dreading.

Simply don’t be so laborious on your self, or so strict along with your schedule and order of initiatives. It’ll all get performed ultimately. And I’ve discovered that creating slightly bit of additional work for myself later (like now having to drape every thing with plastic earlier than I can end portray the ceiling) is effectively price it if I can simply transfer ahead and make a great deal of progress on different issues that I’m really excited to deal with proper now. That’s been the story of my 30+ years of DIYing (particularly since 2013), and issues all the time appear to work out ultimately.

So with that in thoughts, I’m going to disregard my unpainted ceiling and partitions, and I’m going to spend my afternoon and night trimming out my cupboards and getting them prepped for primer and paint. It’s going to take numerous trim, wooden filler, and caulk to get this factor wanting like what I see in my thoughts, however that is the enjoyable half!

And maybe after these cupboards are completed, I’ll get up in the future feeling excited to select up the paint curler, drag out the scaffolding, and get that 11-foot ceiling with the ceiling fan and 10 recessed lights painted. 😀 However for right this moment, I’m extremely motivated to work on these cupboards.

Be aware: On a totally totally different subject, I do know that my electronic mail program has been sending out doubles, one hour aside, over the previous couple of days. I’m so sorry about that! I promise I’m not attempting to spam y’all! I assumed I had fastened it on Tuesday, after which it did it once more yesterday. I took one other look, and I actually do assume I’ve fastened it now. I hope. So it is best to solely get one electronic mail a day, however please let me know if it’s nonetheless sending out doubles. So sorry for the annoying double emails currently!

Addicted 2 Adorning is the place I share my DIY and adorning journey as I rework and beautify the 1948 fixer higher that my husband, Matt, and I purchased in 2013. Matt has M.S. and is unable to do bodily work, so I do the vast majority of the work on the home on my own. You can learn more about me here.