Motivation gone

Im in need of suggestions , hints and tricks on how some of you guys or gals get motivated again to work on your projects.

This past few months have been very difficult because I was being pushed so hard to get the Mustang off the frame Jig. I spent a lot of time on it , any extra time I could spare during a very busy time of year. I got a tremendous amount of work done. Its great I got so much done, but now I feel burnt out.

I had a couple days off this past week that I was planning on spending on it but I just couldn't bring myself to touch it. Its off the frame Jig and on the rotisseri so the push is over. I feel like I've hit a wall.

See my thread for more detailed info on the project

http://www.7173mustangs.com/thread-time-to-updated-3-1-2014-contribute-some-pics

Any ways you get yourself motivated would be appreciated.

Thanks

Dennis

Just read through the thread on what you've done so far. All I can say is "Wow!" You've accomplished a lot, so far.

Burn out happens on projects - been there, done that. I'd say take a month off, refresh, relight the fire, and then get back to it. I was getting so burned out on my truck, until I wound up with a deadline to get it to the body and paint guy, which lit a fire under me. Now it's been gone for a while, and I'm chomping at the bit to get it back so I can finish it up.

This isn't a TV show. The deadlines aren't carved in stone. Unless you are going to lose the rotisserie, take some time. Chill out for a while and then get back to work on it.

Good luck.

I am feeling the same right now too. I have just kept hitting walls with trying to get my motor running and then getting it to run right. A couple of days away from the project and you'll feel better and be ready to tackle it again. Just keep thinking what it will be like when you get it in the road again.

-jbojo

Go and look a car like yours that is complete...touch it, sit in it...drive it if you can.

Your mojo will magically return to you.

Go and look a car like yours that is complete...touch it, sit in it...drive it if you can.

Your mojo will magically return to you.

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+1 - What Kit said!

What Kit said for sure.

Hyena429 has some wild sounding white coffee if the ride don't work.

I don't know how I keep motivated. When I did my Jeep build I took almost an entire month of off work but I wanted it to be ready for a trip to Ouray Colorado. Deadlines are great motivators.

You might go to a local car show. Doesn't even have to be a 'mustang' show.

Thank you for your suggestions and your replies they are appreciated.

I have the same problem and probably worse than most. Work and medical issues slow me down more than I expected. But I know in the end she will get done as long as I keep taking little steps. Today I blasted and painted some brackets and dash trim. I needed to finish fitting the drivers side floor but did not have the energy.

Thank you for your suggestions and your replies they are appreciated.

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I know sometimes I get a little side-tracked and seem to not focus on the Mustang as much as I used to.

I bought a new motorcycle in '11, and that has taken a lot of my time and interest. Did a 200+ mile ride today with the wife to Daytona for the last day of "Bike Week", and did a little biker's pub-crawl on the way home. We don't actually get to hang out much together anymore...you know, kids, work, the usual bullshit.

My "Starsky & Hutch" Torino project is moving along nicely but demands a lot of attention too. And it seems like I'm always finding new doo-dads and gee-gaws to add to my truck.

I met Mike of "mike429cj" on this forum and have spent a lot if time communicating with him about his new-to-him, pristine 71 429 mach as well as my had-it-forever, not-so-pristine 71 429 mach...as well as a bunch of other stuff.

He's a nice guy and his gleeful enthusiasm for his new 7-liter beast has reawakened my Mustang-mojo. I'm into it full-time again now...bought about $3000 in new parts for it the last few weeks. On my next 3-day weekend I'm taking it to one of my shops and tear into it. Its fun anticipating a new project!

I have been off my mojo for a bit as well, seems all my spare time is spent with the family, it might be a winter thing or something! What gets me going is getting on this forum and checking out google pics of our cars and seeing what is out there on eBay for sale. Anyway, maybe just go out and sit in it and imagine what she will be when finished.

I hit this same wall myself a few days ago. Honestly what did it for me was going out to the car and just looking at the lines, firing the engine up, and sitting in that seat imagining it going down the highway. Also for me was the fact that my dad has spent more time working on the car with me than I think I spent with him all my years growing up. I just can't sell something like that or give up on it! I have to finish it.

I think like others have said, step away from it a bit, give some attention to other hobbies and other things and come back to it when it feels fun again and not like work.

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I think like others have said, step away from it a bit, give some attention to other hobbies and other things and come back to it when it feels fun again and not like work.

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Great advice.

Jim

Well said gentlemen!

You have done so much to your car so far and your work looks great from the photos. I believe it is okay to step away for a little while-but set a limit for your off time and stick to it. That means a start back date along with a series of specific goals to be reaching towards. Sometimes life is more important, and if you evber want to drive the car . . . don't but a motorcycle or a boat-they'll kill your progress. ( I own 3 motorcycles and a boat, but I've learned to ignore their pleas for attention mostly.)

Seriously, you are almost done with the really nasty part and the future work is where you see results. When that happens, motivation is supplied by those results.

Thanks again for the suggestions, I think I may see if I can find a car show locally soon and see if that helps

The restoration on my F-100 took me 20 months. Deployments, finances and other distractions were a constant issue. As money and time allowed I worked on the truck, even if it was only for an hour. I kept telling myself that it would then be one more hour closer to being back on the road. One hour would often turn into several and things gradually started getting finished. Its all about constant little victories that maintain motivation. Often you need to work on parts that will give you a bit more satisfaction of completion such as a steering column, or a seat. Then go back to the big projects and keep plugging away. An hour at a time...

Thank you for your suggestions and your replies they are appreciated.

Click to expand...

I know sometimes I get a little side-tracked and seem to not focus on the Mustang as much as I used to.

I bought a new motorcycle in '11, and that has taken a lot of my time and interest. Did a 200+ mile ride today with the wife to Daytona for the last day of "Bike Week", and did a little biker's pub-crawl on the way home. We don't actually get to hang out much together anymore...you know, kids, work, the usual bullshit.

My "Starsky & Hutch" Torino project is moving along nicely but demands a lot of attention too. And it seems like I'm always finding new doo-dads and gee-gaws to add to my truck.

I met Mike of "mike429cj" on this forum and have spent a lot if time communicating with him about his new-to-him, pristine 71 429 mach as well as my had-it-forever, not-so-pristine 71 429 mach...as well as a bunch of other stuff.

He's a nice guy and his gleeful enthusiasm for his new 7-liter beast has reawakened my Mustang-mojo. I'm into it full-time again now...bought about $3000 in new parts for it the last few weeks. On my next 3-day weekend I'm taking it to one of my shops and tear into it. Its fun anticipating a new project!

Click to expand...

Glad you are re-inspired Kit. My car gave ME a much need new interest after 39 years of just focusing on work. I use to not want to retire but now I am looking forward to it. I don't have near the work or skills to do what most on this site can do. So, you bought 3k worth of stuff. You need to start another thread on what you are doing to "old boots"!

Glad you are re-inspired Kit. My car gave ME a much need new interest after 39 years of just focusing on work. I use to not want to retire but now I am looking forward to it. I don't have near the work or skills to do what most on this site can do. So, you bought 3k worth of stuff. You need to start another thread on what you are doing to "old boots"!

Click to expand...

Well, let's see:

New tires

New dash covers

new shifter handle & cover plate

front end rebuild kit

freshly built 3.50 "N" case lim-slip unit

dual blade elec fan

2 cases beer (12 oz bottles)

1 bag cheetos (8 oz)

Go Time - you've been going a thousand miles per hour since you started, and then had all the extra stuff you've been dealing with piled on along the way. Deadlines, medical issues, normal family stuff... it all adds up and chips away at morale.

It sounds to me like you might need a little bit of down time. I was "All Mustang, All The Time," for awhile myself (at least on weekends, that is), and I'm kind of still there... but ever since mine went to the painter, I'm pretty much sittin' on my hands on the weekends until I get it back. Sure, I get a couple of small things done here and there (working on restoring/reupholstering the seats right now), but it's nowhere near the same pace as when I had the car in front of me doing rust repair or mechanical restoration. It's easy to get 'stuck' on a particular task, though - which will suck the life out of you if you let it. It's usually better to reach a pausing point and move onto a different task (if possible), then pick it back up later.

All of the other ideas are good ideas as well... and a lot of them involve time away from the project (which supports the 'take a break' perspective). You're fortunate that your family is so involved with the car, so you'll need to gauge their morale as well. Taking off a weekend or two to hit a car show, go to some ball tournaments, or even just playing XBox is still valued time with the family and something different - so the Mustang doesn't become a chore.

You know what's best for you and your family, and old car restoration projects are typically "marathons," not "sprints." Good luck - and glad to hear things are going well with the kids. ::thumb::