How do you guys get motivated?

Well, fellas, my ol' chevy's been sittin for WAY too long in the garage and I just haven't got much done with her, I'd say in the past year or 2. It's hard to stay focused what with her being 70 miles away in storage. Takes me a whole day just to drive up there and put fluid in the radiator. I also just haven't been making those extra trips in the winter, especially after finding out I have gout (I'm only 27, dammit!) I just don't feel like sitting in a car for an hour there and back when I could be resting. Plus I feel I get discouraged when I think about all the work that needs to be done. You know how it is. You go to the garage thinkin' you got a 5 minute project and the next thing you know everything is taken apart and waiting for you to put it back together and it's almost dark. I was just kinda curious as to how you guys get yourselves up to take time and do what needs to be done. In my case it's driving up to my parent's and de-winter-storage-izing her. Change of fluids, check the brakes and batteries, etc... shake the cobwebs off. Just any tips on how you guys stay focused and turn out such bitchin' rides. Thanks, guys!

 

first, get that thing closer. as in put it in your garage or driveway. that'll make things easier. then just work on 1 thing at a time. finish it before yah start elsewhere. good luck man.

 

Hi hotrod54chevy. I'm 52, and I know that if your body is hurtin', it'll definitely slow ya down. I feel for ya, on that count...and you're only 27...shoot. Couple of thoughts. You're too far away from your car...or maybe your car is too far away from you. You know that's the main problem. If there's just no way to bring your car home to work on, or put it someplace at least closer, try this. Stay at your folks house for the weekend. That's where your car's at, right? Use it for a reason to visit with them a little...and work on your car. Take a couple of aspirin and ibuprofin, the night before you go over there. Take a couple more the following evening for the following day. That's really all I've got for you, other than maybe really really try to find someplace way closer to keep your car. Look around. Ask around. You might luck out...at least for the rest of the winter. Good luck, pal. - Rick

 

Someone makes a post like this EVERY year at this time. Depressing livin' around here in the winter ain't it?
Getting the car closer to ya would be a great start though.

 

How do I stay motivated? Every day I walk past the black beauty sitting on stands in the garage and hop in the boring brown truck to drive to work. Each time I listen to that techno-sewing machine motor beating down the highway I get motivated.

I work 7 days a week, 60-70 hours. I have zero time, and money is never as ample as I'd like but I make it work. Most of the time I have to work on the car an hour or two at a time. It took me 2 days to put the exhaust manifolds on. One manifold each night. I could bitch about it, but all that time bitching could have been spent turning wrenches. You do what you can and you get 'er done.

Move the car closer to home and set a realistic goal. I decided that the Edsel will be at Billitproof this summer. Come hell or high water she's gonna be there.

 

I feel for you, and you give me motivation.. being that I'm able bodied ('cept for a torn rotor cuff) I'm watching my Dad slow down after his Prostate Cancer. The muscle atrophy after the surgery, on top of his Thyroid gland which now requires medicine that has him absent minded! So that inspires me, also! I'm sayin'.. do what you can, while you can. Think about your spirit, more than your physical. Cos our spirits love, Ol' American Cars.

 

I understand 100%,im disabled with very bad back plus need 2 hip and knee replacements.If you cant get it closer,bring something back with ya,try do one thing to it everyday,reguardless of how small.Even if its looking for parts you cant buy,keep your mind excited about it,and your body will follow.The HAMB has lifted me up alot,with all the tex,and fab threads.When i save up some extra money im going to be a Alliance member.It has woke up a sleeping dog to want to work on my panel,and im very gratefull to the HAMB and members for it.Keep your mind busy and dont let the Devil come to your pitty party,that we all have at times,im guilty also.Look up threads of your ride and the dream will come true,its up to you.Im slowed down realy bad but now,i dont care,slow is better than nothing.PM me if you ever need to talk,id be happy totalk with ya.......YG

 

I have a degenerative type of arthritis that can be very painful and be very limiting to joint movement. For me, I had to except the issue and learn how to manage it the best way for me. Part of that is a good diet and exercise program. Look online to find ways to limit your flare ups with gout. Use what works for you and stay with it. Get closer to the car either moving it to you or you to it. Set dates (goals) for the project and work towards those goals. Do as much as you can when you can. Focus on what you want the car to be and you can make it happen.

 

That's sad to hear he depressed you so. You gonna be OK?

 

(How do you guys get motivated) ? I personally get motivated by logging on to here and seeing all the projects and competed project that some of the most intelligent/creative people from around the world have and it makes me think why not me/you, Well it can be weather its a few minutes a day or day a week it all adds up to the completion of your dream ride SO grab a friend and a six pack of your favourite beverage. And get out to your shop/lane way, or storage unit and get to it


- Thanx H.a.m.b -

 

LOL Thanks, guys. But I wasn't trying to make this a "cheer me up, please!" post! I've got my crap and I have to live with it. In the matter of moving it closer; It ain't gonna happen. I live in an apartment with no garage, no car port, and really only one allotted parking space per apartment. Plus there are a few snotty kids around here that like to mess with cars (caught one messin' with my old Cadillac and I scared the shit outta him) and I'd rather not leave it here while I'm at work. Plus I barely have the funds to stay in my place, much less keep my car anywhere other than somewhere free, which is why it's with my mom right now. I'd rather it not be there because she's let a shady repair guy in there before, causing scratches and stuff on my hood and I know she has mice, but the last winter I tried to keep it here, it got snowed over and that broke my heart. I was just really looking for you guys to tell me about how you organize your time off and set your priorities to get the job done. I've seen some great work come off the guys on this board, and I'd like to get a little bit of that back into my OWN life. Thanks!

 

I hear ya. Best advice I can give you is to work out a game plan and stick to it. Establish priorities and finish one thing at a time. Sooner or later you'll get there. Good friend told me once, even if you only turn one bolt a day you're one bolt closer to being finished.

 

Hang in there. It will come back. I haven't done anything on my rods for a couple of months either. It's a hobby. You'll get what I call "inspiration" soon. Good advice though strive to get it closer to you. Sometimes I tell myself I'll just go out to the garage to look at something on the old car and stay out there for hours tinkering.

 

my current inspiration is seeing my bank account getting smaller and bills mounting up. might have to get project running to sell just to pay bills. This sucks. Always glad to read cool stuff on this site and get more ideas to do more myself.

 

All you gimped up guys should join the hamb Gimp Squad.
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/group.php?groupid=445

I started the same kind of thread a couple of weeks ago about how to stay motivated when you're hurting and can't work on your car. A lot of good advice in that one that could apply to being snowed in, too far away or whatever...
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=434337

Like everyone else said, you've got to find a way to get your car closer to you so it's not such a negative experience every time you work on it. When I want to work but can't, I do research. I figure out my next move and plan it out. I read kick ass build threads on the hamb. I read the factory shop manual to get familiarized with how to do stuff on my to do list. I daydream about things way down the line like paint or the money no object ultimate engine, stuff like that. It keeps me excited.

Out of all that, it's mostly reading others' threads here that keeps me motivated. There is some awesome work being turned out here. Whether it's someone's brand new project or a build I've been following forever, I always get inspired.



***EDITED TO ADD***
I just saw in your sig line you're in a club. Surely you and your fellow club members could put your heads together to come up with something closer? Or maybe they can go with you and help? You could get more done in less time that way.

 

Oh!...You wanna hear how we do it! Not tell you how to do it! Hahahahaha! OK. I'm 52. I have a few cool old cars, but still haven't fullfilled my dream of building a real hot rod from a pile of parts. I wanted to do this as a younger man, but for various reasons, I didn't. The last 10 years went by fast. I know the next ten are gonna go by even faster. So...the truth is, I keep that in mind. I like one guy's name here. I think it's Williemakeit. That should be my name! Hahahahaha! Some think it's depressing, but I don't. Kinda like a race. It's still fun. Wouldn't have another hobby for anything. Just gotta kick-ass! My pile of parts for the '29 roadster is to the point that I'm about ready to do the mock-up. In a year or so, I'll have it on the road. Want it bad?...hell yes. I've always had just one item on my bucket-list. This is it. So I guess the key is to stay focused, and remember that time waits for no man. And...enjoy yourself along the way.

 

i see other cars like 4 doors pretending to be more than grandma cars with red rims, then i usually get a starbucks quad or an energy drink and then get to work. start working, then i cuss up a storm, then calm down, then get more work done. currently building a "non traditional hotrod status non hamb friendly car"...aka my second ratty 55 chevy 2 door, this one is a belair hard top though. with that i gotta go get a coffee and change out some a arm bushings. on a good note, like the others have chimed in, it's a whole lot easier if the car is right outside your house.

 

Here , go look around on this thread and you'll feel better
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=4796152#post4796152

Sometimes I forget that I should enjoy the privilege of pain...

 

I feel your pain. Mine is only 25 away but it is wicked hard to get there. There isn't much to do but keep your foot up and drink no beer and eat no delicious food. get rid of the gout. they have pills for that. My back is torn up and it is hard to want to make the drive when you hurt like hell...

 

First, get a couple gallons of Cherry Juice! Thats how you can flush the gout out of your feet. (drink it, dont soak your foot in it) lay off the beer and rich food.

Get the car closer.
Concentrate on one thing at a time and before you know it, you will be done.

my 2 cents

 

torchmann...now you're talkin'!!! Didn't want to be condecending to hotrod54chevy, but so true. When feelin' low, find somebody or just think of somebody worse off than myself. Works every time. Thanks for reminding us. "Sometimes I forget that I should enjoy the privilege of pain." I'm gonna remember that one.

 

While your resting on the couch, watch "The World fastest Indian" then aspire to do 1/1000 of what he did. Once you start to see some progress being made, you'll just want to keep going.

 

Cherry Juice...I'm going to try that.
If I procrastinate long enough my alcoholic side will be pleased

I saw a skeleton once, the anthropologist could tell how hard the peron had worked in their life by the shape of the bones where ligaments attatch.

I was little guy(like Mc lovin) and I worked my way up to 5'11 and 275lbs doing HARD work for 20 years. That's probably why I hurt now...
I hope no-one starts playing that crappy R.E.M song...

A preacher man told me life is work and work is pain and there are those who try to live their lives by putting their pain on someone else. I can't remember the rest of what he said but it's something about not heeding the flesh and that pain is a good thing.
I'm pretty sure my days of feeling smooth as butter are over.
My pains tell me not to do things but my experience tells me get up and work it out.
You'll feel better after getting a sweat on and working the poison out of your system that build up from inactivity.
I still hurt but it numbs away in the face of good steady work.
At the end of one of those days of kicking your own ass it feels soooo good to lie down and nothing else will ever make you feel that good.
Your liver breaks alcohol down into uric acid. It also breaks down into a chemical that is the craving signal your stomach sends when it's empty.
Alcohol makes you crave alcohol.
The more you drink the stronger the crave.
Alcoholism is not being able to ignore the crave. It's like you just ate and your still in the fridge cribbing.
Feelings are not intelligence.
They are information that's all.
following feelings doesn't cause addiction, it is addiction.
your mind is in control.
As you develop into adulthood, internally you will become more and more multifaceted and experience more and more internal conflict. You might start to feel like a fart in the wind or that your going crazy.
Your okay. your mind is like a gem, the multitude of facets are your ability to model different thought... To sit on the other side of the table and see something from someone else's perspective.
Some people from drugs or stress get broken and parts of their mind they fear to face slip away and grow new identities.
It's why the simplest way to remain sane is to be honest on the outside or you won't be honest with yourself.
The mind that alters anything, alters all.
Psychologists and Occultists refer to it as "the splitting of the gem".
It's how people get multiple personalities.
You have to stake your claim over your life over all the conflict in your head and be the leader and that comes only from planned action.
You have to know who you are, what you want to do with your life, what your plan is, and still be able to change it all as your life,desires, and circumstance changes.
Where is your rock of Gibraltar? Where is your unshakeable ground where you stand undefeatable.
It's in faith in things higher and better than yourself, in truth and in knowing yourself.

I'm glad you brought it up, I knew it but needed to hear myself say it again. Hope it gives you some strength and determination

Think of this:
Mental initiative
make a plan to act
sense of urgency
follow your plan

and it sounds so stupid but...
....baby steps Bob baby steps...

Baby steps away from the keyboard...

 

i come here and look at the killer rides you guys have.
that gets me frothing at the mouth to finish mine!

 

I'm 54 have aches and pains, when I sit down at night my bones lock up and it is hard to get up, probably all garage related. When I think about the pain and if I would have stayed out of the garage to keep from getting it the answer is NO. It's my sanity, my release from the hectic life I have, I get in the garage and nothing else matters. Get it closer to home or move closer to it. Here is what I do when I have a tedious job or a job on the car I don't like. I think if I finish this one thing I am one step closer to getting done. I think about what to do in my free time, get on here , talk to car friends and the last thing at night is the car when I go to bed and wake up early thinking about it. Sick huh or just my way of coping with day to day problems. One last thing, I have a very talanted friend that went blind, he told me once what is worse, loosing your hands or going blind. If you could see what he has crafted blind I have nothing to complain about except that I am doing nothing. Get your ass in gear, I say that nicely.

 

gout should not be a reason not to work on your car. i have gout , but haven't had a attack in years , watch your diet

if that is the worst physical problem you have in your life you are a very lucky

 

Visual aids ....

 

Well I don't have gout but I have been in pretty bad shape for a very long time. I can't give you any answers for that. I just do when I'm up to it and when I'm not I don't.

As for getting motivated me and one of the fellas have started something newish here. We do garage night twice a month. One night at his place and the other at mine. It kind of gives you accountablity. Of course if you don't have any buddies that are roddiers than I guess you are just going to have to decide to do something.

I've got to guess that if you car needs to be winterized and de-winterized that it can't be as far off as anything that I own.

 

This is the key. Go to the car, bring back a few small parts. Sit at your kitchen table and polish parts. Work on your gauges. Take a bare steel rim and sand it in your place with sandpaper and your bare hands.... Vacuum the floor when you're done. Do whatever you can in your apartment. Before you know it, you've got a pile of fresh sanded and polished parts ready to go on your rod in the Spring.

This will keep your car parts around your place, even though your car isn't there. This keeps your motivaton up. Do a little each night, instead of watching tv. If you have a spare half-hour before bed, sand some parts. Polish up an intake manifold.

I had a small cottage I used to rent. I had parts on the porch all winter long. I don't think the landlady cared for it, but it got me through.

Good luck
Pete

 

1. Place project where you live
2. Make a list of what needs to be accomplished every day you work on it
3. Accomplish items on list-even small tasks-transfer what doesn't get done to new list
4. Read the HAMB members projects/accomplishments for inspiration
5. Get your head right-can do attitude thing
6. Don't dwell on the negative, appreciate the positive
7. No one knows better then you-what truely motivates/inspires you-you already have the answer-you just need to take the initiative

Go for it!