Searching for garage motivation

[Hugo's greasy garage]

All,
I am looking for some inspiration, motivation and wisdom. I have attached Pics of my garage and projects that are dyeing for some attention. How do all of you find the time to gain control of your garage and projects? I have two young children and a wife that works however a lot of what you see is my lack of motivation and resulting in many fights with my significant other, I am looking for your insight into a starting point for which I can balance life and being creative once again in my garage. I welcome any constructive criticism that can help with a starting point. (OH yea if your going suggest cracking a couple of beers to resolve this issue it doesn’t work)

 

[1953mercury]

I think that has to be pretty much self provided. **** it up and get out there and get to it. Clean up and organize first, then find a project you would like to do and just do it. Mike

 

[colt zantop]

yup...once you clear out stuff and have a blank slate....then your imagination can run wild!!! LOL

 

[Sureshot]

Start with cleaning and selling anything not in use. Organizing the rest while finishing the 30 minute projects. Move to the 60 minute and so on. Little by little. I too have gotten behind due to a goofy summer and am picking away at the little jobs while "getting a plan" on the couple bigger ones.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Little by little, make a list of goals and mark them off as you complete them. Make some shelving to get the trim up and out of the way.

 

[1Garageman]

Yes to some brief cleaning up and organization.

Tell us about that nice looking air compressor in the back corner while your at it also! That things looks nice!

 

[Ben7203]

Got to clean and organize first. List and prioritize the projects, getting the SO input here may be a good idea. Pic a few easy ones to begin with and finish them. Get your, and her's too, confidence back and go from there. Remember, long projects have down time for parts or $$$, that down time is good for the smaller projects. Make sure the space is safe for the kids and get them to help or create their own space. I've seen allot worse, you'll be amazed how much better you guys will feel when you get it cleaned up. Get started

 

[Imcrazy]

Realistic goals with hard personal deadlines. Anything else is just a wish list.

I keep a list of projects (large and small) in notes on my Iphone. When I go to the shop I look at the list and decide which project I can complete in the time I have available. Otherwise I prioritize and work down the list.

 

[Kevin54]

All,
I am looking for some inspiration, motivation and wisdom. I have attached Pics of my garage and projects that are dyeing for some attention. How do all of you find the time to gain control of your garage and projects? I have two young children and a wife that works however a lot of what you see is my lack of motivation and resulting in many fights with my significant other, I am looking for your insight into a starting point for which I can balance life and being creative once again in my garage. I welcome any constructive criticism that can help with a starting point. (OH yea if your going suggest cracking a couple of beers to resolve this issue it doesn’t work)

Little by little, make a list of goals and mark them off as you complete them. Make some shelving to get the trim up and out of the way.

Fighting with the wife doesn't help matters. Then you'll just go out in the garage and stew about things.

Like Nutts says, make a list. The wife and I do that every year of things we NEED to do and things we WANT to do. Sometimes it takes some effort and you really need to force yourself to do it, but putting it off until tomorrow or next week, it won't get done.

I find if there is something that I need to do, I'll set the alarm to get up early, check the internet and e-mails, **** down a couple of cups of coffee, then get at it. Once you start getting into the project, then it starts going better and doesn't seem to be as bad as just putting it off. But if you keep procrastinating about it, then it just makes the next job coming up seem all the worse.

 

[Al Bundy]

As a qualified expert with no equal in lack of motivation let me offer you my advise. Your situation looks remarkably similar to mine in that you have a giant unorganized mess. Mine was a culmination of having to empty an entire house and a decided lack of discipline when it comes to bringing home new projects. But how you got there really isn't important. What is important is now every time you set foot in your garage, you're overcome with a feeling of hopelessness because you can't envision ever getting it cleaned up. That puts you in a foul mood and keeps you from getting anything done aside from taking it out on your wife. Feel free to stop me if I'm wrong. Your answer is simple. You need to break down your task into much smaller more manageable parts. Figure out a place to store all that trim and put it there. Once that's done, you'll have a feeling of accomplishment. Then you'll be ready to tackle that rolling cart. Keep going in small steps until your space is clean and organized. You'll be amazed what a great feeling that is!

 

[CT2012]

i see a lot of wasted storage space on the bare walls.

coming from a bit of a retail background, every square inch is precious, and vertical wall space that is not filled with something (a fixture, basically), is less $ per sq. foot of merchandise.

perhaps think along those lines. say to yourself--what can i hang or put up to get things off the floor? maybe the first item is simply $20 worth of 1 x [8], [10] or [12] pine board and brackets. once you get things off the floor, it makes a world of a difference.

buy a 4x8 sheet of pegboard or slatwall and mount that on a section of wall where it can be best utilized. the good thing is you have lots of options since you have exposed framing.

lots of affordable, simple ideas that create momentum.

good luck and have fun!

 

[dladcock]

If it were me...... I went through this and still do to a certain extent.

Back the truck to the door. Put things that can be donated in the first load and take to GoodWill, Habitat, or the like and "Release" them to someone else's care.

You'll feel a sense of accomplishment, which will fuel the motivation and vision. Just one load will get it started.

Bag two or three bags of trash a day and put those out. All the while scheming on your vision for the space.

If you can get the wife to join you, all the better. You'll be working toward a common goal. Make it a family affair, but balance your need's with hers.

And don't forget, it ain't gonna happen in two days. So, hang tough.

dla

 

[Hugo's greasy garage]

I appreciate all the idea’s for resolving my lack of motivation, I have already started a list of big to small (I will be putting the list on my I-phone) and went out to look at what area would be easiest to address first I hope to get back to these two larger projects once I have completed these much smaller ones, I guess you just need to hear the truth sometimes, I will be posting my progress.

 

[regguy1]

Decide what you want to end up with
Decide in what order things should be done
Don't focus on everything at once, break it up into smaller pieces and it won't be overwhelming.

Do one thing at a time and as you go along it will seem less intimidating.

Always be thinking...as you go along you'll have ideas to improve your original concept.

Here's my project (still a few thing to do but well along):
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=140674

 

[Turbo_Prop]

Aside from clearing out the garage and starting with a clean slate, which briefs well, but is probably a bridge too far right now, I would start with clearing out a small work space. Work out from there. I see lots of potential in your garage, but you will have to get rid of a bunch of stuff.

 

[64Trvlr]

All,
I welcome any constructive criticism that can help with a starting point.

It's the same way you eat an Elephant, one bite at a time. I pick one thing and work on it until it's done.

 

[NHBandit]

Clearly the whole problem is all the space being taken up by that old Shovelhead. PM me for shipping info.

 

[Ocho]

I've seen much worse that was cleaned up in a day. Start by dragging everything out, then putting back only what you will need in the next year. Take the rest to Goodwill or pitch it.

When I moved a couple of years ago, I saw a couple of various neighbors out who were "handy types". I told them I was about to take "this pile" of stuff to the landfill and between the two neighbors, they took enough to where I was able to put the rest on the curb. I was happy because the stuff was out of my garage and there was at least a chance it would be made into something useful.

Also, don't underestimate the problem solving power of a dumpster. Good luck!

 

[Exceller8]

I think that has to be pretty much self provided. **** it up and get out there and get to it. Clean up and organize first, then find a project you would like to do and just do it. Mike

Yep, that is the only way to go about it.

 

[mdbeck1]

My advice... enlist some help...

I had a similar problem with my Dad's garage/shop (27 X 30). He had one pickup in there that would roll and another in pieces. He hadn't touched it in 7 years (since he had open heart surgery). He kept saying that he would get out there and finish it. It was so full of "stuff" that he had a very small path leading from the garage door to the house. I should have taken pictures.

My sister and I made a plan. Dad went into the nursing home and Mom needed a place to park her car. We took my wife, kid (17 year old), her family (husband and two teenage girls) and a three day weekend.

We made three piles:
1. Trash
- All the old bills, paper bags, .... old spark plugs....
2. Stuff that went to "projects" that needed to be sold/donated.
3. Tools and stuff that needed to be sorted and given out to family and friends.

We started at 0800 and by 1200 we had the pickup in the back yard with the bed back on it. Eventually we stacked all the parts in it and taurped it down.

We set up some sawhorses and boards to use as a worktable and started going through the shop. We made multiple piles and were down to sorting tools by the end of the first day. We filled BOTH of his 30 inch wide by 5 foot tall roll arounds and still have a 16 foot bench piled over a foot deep (...and that's just the hand tools).

We still have one one side to go but by the end of the third day we could pull Mom's car in and open the doors and not hit anything.


...on my next trip I'll bring the pickup load of automotive paint (10-15 years old) home and put hardner in it so I can throw it away. I'll also take pictures of the three complete engines and get the numbers off of them so I can sell them. The next trip I'll set a toolbox up for Mom's car and start figuring out what I need to fill out my tool sets. Eventually I'll start putting some ads together for GJ and Craigslist.

It would have been much easier on us if he would have done this himself but that's how it works out. Get some help if you can. If you can't get help fill a trash can every day. Steady and slow will win the day.

 

[Vegaman_Dan]

Take advantage of the wasted upper wall space along the walls and ceiling- put up brackets out of wood attached to the studs and get all that molding/trim/lumber out of the way. If it's long and skinny, put it up there.

Simiarly, 18" long pieces of 2x4 attached at a 45 degree angle to some of those studs will make short work of extension cords, hoses, etc. Make some for electrical, water, air hoses. Get them off the ground and benches.

If something can collapse/fold down, do so, and hang it up. The ceiling is full of space to hange a ton of stuff out of the way. It's amazing how quick you can improve a space by elminating the the clutter.

Shelving units and tubs. If you can afford it, or if you can't- hit Craigslist for free shelving and put it in the garage. Use plastic clear tubs and toss all the loose stuff in there. You'll clear up a lot of space in a hurry that way.

I see multiple carts. That's okay- I love carts. I have carts dedicated to purposes. One is just metal working so it has the plastic 5 gallon buckets on the bottom holding the metal cutoffs/scraps. My metal working tools are on the cart as well. The whole thing can be rolled out of the way when not in use and keeps all same function / related items together. You could do similar for wood, autobody, paint, etc. Group things by purpose.

The more things you can put on casters, the better. It just makes it easier to clean when you can empty out the garage into the driveway. Take a leaf blower and blow the garage out when you do- seriously, it helps a lot and you can clear out under those benches quickly.

All of this are zero cost projects except for casters. Look at sites like the familyhandyman.com at their garage / workshop storage tips and ideas. You'll find a lot of it is just improvements you can do yourself easily and is actually fun in the process.

 

[Kev442]

Vegaman Dan has a great idea about getting the trim stored, I was going to say this also.

Except, when I think about it, that trim is a project waiting in the house, isn't it? Along with the roll of painting paper, I think there is a first project staring you in the face that is not getting done, therefor an unhappy wife and a cluttered garage.

If I'm wrong, get that trim stored up high on the wall pronto!

 

[Hugo's greasy garage]

Kev442,
You are correct that is a project that needs to be addressed, I have cleared a little area today and I setup the chop saw to get some trim up hopefully this will clear the air with the wife, and I won't have to start drinking first thing this morning Later to day I will take a look at getting some things set up on the wall so I can create even more work space everyone thanks for kicking me in the (A)!

 

[DynoDave]

...everyone thanks for kicking me in the (A)!

Thanks for posting the topic. You are NOT the only one with this problem...believe me. And lots of good tips from everyone.

 

[dladcock]

Kev442,
You are correct that is a project that needs to be addressed, I have cleared a little area today and I setup the chop saw to get some trim up hopefully this will clear the air with the wife, and I won't have to start drinking first thing this morning Later to day I will take a look at getting some things set up on the wall so I can create even more work space everyone thanks for kicking me in the (A)!

No, THANK YOU. Take the camera with you, you know, so we can live through your triumph!

If I had known that the "buzz" from the purge was as great as the "buzz" to accumulate, I would have tackled my own project long before I did. I still stand in the middle of the shop and gloat far longer than I ever did with all that stuff. (And she is as happy as I)

dla

 

[Jagmandave]

I find that the less time I spend on the internet perusing forums, the more time I have to spend with my family and/or in my garage....

You're lucky, in that weather is not really an issue for you like it is here in the midwest, where if it isn't raining, sleeting, hailing, snowing, freezing *** cold, dodging a tornado, then it's a hundred degrees with a million per cent humidity!

Good luck with your project, you can do it!

 

[JimVonBaden]

Also, don't underestimate the problem solving power of a dumpster. Good luck!

Best quote of the year!

Jim

 

[JakeKohl]

Prioritize and fill in the blanks. A basic set of rules makes cleaning and throwing things away easy and is also something you and your spouse can agree on ahead of time which should help to eliminate the motivation-killing discussions about keep or discard.

If it hasn't been touched in ____ years and is worth less than ____, give it away, throw it away, or burn it.

If it hasn't been touched in ____ years, is worth more than see above and I don't need it in the next ____ years, sell it through _______.

For me, keeping the scrap lumber was killing me. I now budget for a project and when it's done, if it's less than 1/2 of the dimensional lumber is left, it gets chopped up for the wood stove. If it was a 4x8 sheet of plywood and there is less than a 4x4 piece left...it's gone. Less than a half a 2x4, gone. I'm making heat with it. No more tiny $1 pieces of **** will be impinging my space.

 

[dladcock]

So, How ya makin' out?

dla

 

[Steroblan]

I would concentrate on moving the trim wood. Is it really something you need or leftover from the house. Sell on CL. Build a shed for all the toys in the backyard on that nice slab or get a prefab shed.

 

[Chukster]

I'm there, I'm doing it, I haven't gotten the T-shirt yet.

GJ has been a great motivation for me to do this; as in "Man, I'd love to have a garage I could actually do things in!"

mdbeck1 beat me to the 3 box method; "Put away" "Give away/sell" "Storage"; the fourth box is TRASH.

Be realistic; and your garage didn't get this bad in a single day, and it's not going to get better in a single day, either. Recognize that, so you don't get into a funk when it's not done by the first weekend.

Sometimes helps to have a buddy who will call B*llsh*t on your decisions - really, if you haven't touched a project in a year, ask yourselves the hard question of whether you really intend to do it. If you still can't see yourself doing it, it's time for it to go.

I know for myself, I can get all excited about a project on first thought, then the details set in & paralyze me; but I can't give it up because I still see the potential. Ever heard of the monkey trap? Story is that if you put a hole into a coconut just big enough for a monkey's hand to go in, then put a treat inside, they'll reach in for it, grab it, but then the hole is too small to take out their fist while holding the treat. If he could let go of the treat, he could get away, but he can't, so he doesn't. One monkey, caught.

Good luck, we're all pulling for you.

 

[ket-tek]

I think you share a similar problem with 'most' of the guys here. So much useful stuff and not enough room. haha..

I have had the same problem for years, and it's a constant battle. In the last year or so I've gotten so feed up with loosing stuff in the randomness, tripping on ****, piles falling over, stuff spilling, pack ratting mounds of hardware, lumber, metal, car parts, etc..

I always thought I would organize it all one day and have storage for everything, but trying to work on projects and cars among the **** everywhere got so frustrating I made a decision that 'space' had much more 'value' to me and my sanity than the possible uses, money saved, or possible resale of the **** I was keeping. I got rid of any scrap lumber under 8ft, I used to keep stuff over like 3-4ft cause I'd use it here and there, but it just wasn't worth the space it takes.

I began taking trailer loads of stuff to the dump or goodwill, and had a local 'metal guy' just come over and take many loads of scrap metal, car parts, etc.

I ran into many instances where I would decide to not trash something and move it to the keep pile, and then the next week I would go through the previous keep pile and throw more of it away. The more I got rid of the happier I was the following day, even though at the time I had second thoughts of 'I may use this still', or 'this is for that project I'm gonna start one day', and considering I have like 20 current unfinished projects how many more years would I store/move the same stupid item around.

I realized I go to lowes/hd/ace/etc 2-3 times a week for the past 15 years for work anyway, so if I need a single 2x4 or a couple lag bolts I can just grab them for a few bucks when the project calls for it, instead of hoarding all that stuff forever. My dad and granddad were farmers and kept everything they ever acquired when it comes to lumber, hardware, electrical, plumbing, etc but in those days you did not have the options of quickly getting what you need. And on a farm with a dozen buildings having room for storage of loads of oddball **** was not a problem.

Purge and feel better! It's slowly starting to work for me, but I still got alot to go through.

 

[NEVERENOUGH]

I have to be honest between this site and my 21 year old son that is all the motivation a guy needs. I really like the what did you do in your garage thread keeps me motivated. My son usually calls a couple times a week wanting to know what I did today and shares what he is working on. Try to make it a habit at least 20 minutes a day do something.

 

[don long]

Here is my thoughts on getting motivated
#1 you need a less cluttered work space
so take a saturday morning go to home depot
pick up at least one better if you can get two day laborers
bring them home and empty out the garage
spread it all over the drive way

#2 build two piles, one for trash one for good stuff

#3 figure out what you can condense, stack or put up high

#4 while the garage is being emptied out build the brackets for the moldings
and electric cords etc. to give your helpers a place to start putting your
stuff back into the garage
#5 sweep the garage out good and put the stuff back in in some type of
order that will create room for you to start your next project

see if you don't feel better about getting to work again

GOOD LUCK
Don

 

[Omphaloskeptic]

"I am looking for some inspiration, motivation and wisdom."

I can definitely empathize with your situation; I have a real mess to deal with myself! I come here to GJ for a lot of reasons, but one of them is inspiration. Seeing so many great ideas implemented by 'average joe's' just like me gives me inspiration for what I'd like in my own shop.

As for wisdom, I can only say that the guys who have had a messy shop and have dealt with the mess successfully are the guys who's wisdom you should seek; I'm not one of them - yet!

In regards to motivation, I will offer you this idea. Motivation comes from within yourself, so I suggest you have a good long 'talk' with yourself and discover what 'turns your crank' in your life.

I don't see a man door coming out of your garage, but if you have one, cover the inside of the door with a long sheet of 'butcher paper' and hang a dedicated Sharpie on a string there for your very own 'Inspirational List'. At the top of the paper, list those important thoughts you came up with at the end of the 'conversation with yourself'. Below those thoughts, start writing a 'To-Do' list for yourself; not your wife, this list is for all the things that you need/want to do. This list is important in two ways: 1st - It will help you focus your priorities. 2nd - It will provide your own motivation as you leave the shop after a work session, you must review the list and cross off any items that have been completed.

This last action really works for me, because in the past I have not taken the time to savor my accomplishments! It was rush to get something finished (properly) and then rush off to begin the next thing without pausing to really enjoy a satisfying moment of completion; kind of like a 'self-administered at-a-boy pat-on-the-back'. lol

Good Luck and keep us posted on your progress, which by the way, will also provide ongoing motivation.

 

[jdsac]

If you have reached the point of having to go buy another tool because you can't find the ones you know you have, that should do it.
I'm in the same position, hopefully I can stay focused & do some space planning until the big Spring clean up. Good Luck!

 

[nit2wn]

The biggest thing I see is a pile of wood that your about to use for trim. The rest is hard to say if good or bad. Decide at just what you value your current space... meaning is the 50 cent part better in your garage or the local box store. All depends on how sure you are that you'll use it, if you can find it. I see something under a car cover. Would it kill it to be outside for a few weeks until you can create more room to actually sort stuff. If anything is outdated technology, chunk it instead of waiting for a purpose to reuse it. Like already stated, those bare wall can hold a lot of stuff. Not sure how much your overhead can support weight wise, but that wood needs a new home up high. I also see kids toys, fix those to hang on a hook somewhere or put them outside too under a lean too off the back of the shed. I usually will take a weekend here or there and literally go through out closets, storage buildings, etc. and chunk anything that hasn't been used for a year, gift it to someone else, or sell it. Walmart, Lowes, Sears or someone will stock it if I need another one that bad. I asked the wife what purpose her stuff serves and ask her to do the same for me. If you can't reasonably justify it to each other, it should go either for sale or donations. That's just our way of dealing with clutter. I was a child of two people who were hoarders, that makes me just the opposite. Where they were very sentimental, I have very little attachment to most things. If you need brutal motivation, who's going to be stuck cleaning that up if either one of you die tomorrow. I've told my wife how to handle ours and who to call for help on my tools and stuff she knows nothing about. I know that sounds harsh, but I was the kid that had to clean up behind both of my parents bad habits.

 

[bobemmerich]

So Hugo, hows it going?