zakqwyAs with any other curious [/somewhat reckless] taker-aparter-of-stuff, I have a pretty solid list of unfinished projects going:
- The house. It's 90 years old. It needs bathrooms, and a [better] kitchen, and a million other things. I guess this isn't really in the graveyard, but it sure can feel like it when my wife and I go for 6-month stretches without lifting a screwdriver. Prime example of the zombie nature of this project: I started restoring a set of double-hung windows over the summer of 2013. Fall hit, and I boarded them up. They're about to see a third winter with no light transmission capability (beyond unsealed gaps around the plywood panels).
- The car. It's not quite as old as the house ('88), and it's a lot louder/faster/redder, but all I've really accomplished to date is (a) drive it for a few years, (b) break down a few times, (c) move it to a rented shop, and (d) tear it down into a million pieces. In that time I've gotten a few proactive (but non-DIY) things done--rust repair, machine work on the block, limited parts acquisition--but it's a lot further away from driving than it's ever been at this point. Hint: if you can drive your project to the workshop, maybe you should leave it in one piece.
- #GimbalBot. I got the power supply sorted out and suddenly it's six months later. My basement hasn't been filled with the whine of brushless motors since. I sulked a bit about not getting very far in THP2k14, then found a tiny bit more energy and did a bit of work, then... hung it on the wall. Ironically, it's hung from the extra bumper of the project car.
- Lots of other small projects. Things I want to reverse-engineer (like my stash of digital copier brushless motors), things I want to improve (like my Hubsan X4, which is still in pieces after the last #Hubsan X4 Replacement Frame crash), things I want to use (like the sweet radio controlled joystick belt pack I was given at work), and things I just need to re-assemble (like my spare Xbox360 controller). Or the bundle of old copper pipes from my house that I've been planning to scrap for half a decade.
I'll bet you, the unlucky HaD.io lurker that happened to find this rant, have a similar list. And you know what? That kicks ass.
Seriously, the best thing to do is to keep moving and not look back. Okay, you can look back occasionally--check to see if you've been re-inspired and want to get working again. And by all means, it's important to get rid of stuff when that's truly not going to happen--free up some cash for new projects and clear out your workspace. They're your projects; you should salvage parts whenever possible to make cool new stuff.
But don't feel bad about it, and don't let a laundry list of unfinished work put a damper on your excitement for the new and the different. The biggest letdown happens when you've finally finished something, and it works, and you absolutely are out of I/O channels or chassis capacity to add any new ridiculous features, and it's finally time to put it on the shelf or take it apart or sell it or crash it or whatever. Unfinished projects? Those are just paused journeys, waiting for you to rediscover the original inspiration that pushed you to start them in the first place.
Okay, I should really get back to work. That is all.
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I also have the same "workload & hobbyload" at home, I even created a project database I try to use to keep track of it all. I just recently had some hobby dollars put away and low and behold I was reminded of a tankless water heater that needed to be installed. It's an ebay buy so had to get it hooked up just to make sure it works. It does but I wound up blowing my hobby money on stuff I needed for the change over, I did not expect that headache or the hookup costing so much. For the most part my fear isn't so much the failure of the project itself, it's the lost of materials due to screwing up a cut or frying something. I can often afford the cheap parts to a project but the expensive ones .... well I usually can barely afford the first one let alone a replacement or a spare. Course I also find myself watching and reading what others are doing instead of just getting my own nose to my own work/hobbies.
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Man that hits close to home. I installed a tankless heater a few years ago and it was definitely more expensive than I'd originally planned... probably ate into my project fund a bit too. Totally worth it for the long showers though.
I try to go after projects that are cheap enough to not worry about--while I'd love to build a thermal imaging camera (or a myriad of other things that include really expensive parts), focusing on stuff I can afford to by ten of really helps the anxiety factor.
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Dozen of new, unfinished projects, here I go :-)
On the other hand, the few contests I seriously attended really forced me to actually finish the projects that became are my personal "showcase" for anyone wondering what the heck I'm doing in my laboratory for all that years.
Most of the time, I'm very enthusiastic about some idea, then I jump into laboratory, fiddle with soldering iron and keyboard until I get first sign of result, then my interest fades out and that's it. You know, once your opponent goes belly up, don't beat him more. It may seem like making it basically working is 90% of project, but that's wrong... there is still another 90% of work to make it usable :-) The community pressure (seen as followers of projects) is motivation for me to put a more work into it which results in good thing, IMHO - it shouldn't give headache to anyone, rather than bring a bit of motivation.
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It's definitely a balance. Agreed on the community motivation--that can really tip the scale towards getting things done. But I think it's also okay to leave things unfinished, for now or forever... especially if you're facing a frustrating 90% climb towards usability.
If you missed it, @AKA gave a talk at the Superconference where he talked about finding the "next dopamine hit"--as in, always think about the next 'win' in a project that will keep you motivated. Really good stuff.
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I was just thinking about all the new projects and ideas in my head and I think you're right about that. It's not work, it's your hobby - so do what you want and work on what you want :)
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Totally. Totally totally totally. IMHO, one of the biggest hangups the OSH/OSS/maker community faces is the fear of personal failure. Or perceived personal failure. And the fact that if you don't finish something, it'll probably collect dust on the shelf and stare at you every time you go to store another unfinished project. I say embrace it and move on!
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