Project or Punishment

Photo by Marianne M. Smith

We always have lots of projects going on around the farm, and I’m starting to wonder if more discernment is in order.  While I love to take a project from concept to completion, sometimes it seems to make more sense to pick and choose your battles.

Recently I attended a farm and auto auction with my husband.  He was interested in a 1947 Fleetmaster, and even wondered if it might have been the one he sold many years ago.  His infatuation with this particular car puzzled me.  It also frightened me beyond belief when we saw the car in person!

I was greatly relieved when he told me he wasn’t bidding.  It wasn’t that I minded another project (I certainly keep him busy with mine, and fair is fair..), but it would be easier to build this car from air than it would be to restore it.

Photo by Marianne M. Smith

Sometimes, no matter how emotional you get, the best response is to walk away.

These cars got me thinking about how to define what is truly project-worthy.  And even though I just said the best response is sometimes to walk away no matter how emotional you get, emotions certainly factor in.

But I knew there were other, more easily restorable, 1947 Fleetmasters out there.  (At least, I think there are.)  It helped that Dwayne was able to verify that this was not his old vehicle.

I’ve made a list of things I think about when deciding if I want to take a project on:

*How important is this project in the big picture?  Is it something I can’t live without?  Will I tire of the energy required to complete the project, or will my unbridled enthusiasm carry me?

*Is there a simpler way to get the same result?  Sometimes projects take on a life of their own, and we start building something bigger, grander, or more costly than we originally planned.  (Our chicken coop comes to mind.  Stay tuned for a future blog piece on that little project.)

*Are there obvious signs that maybe the project is too much to tackle?  Are they signs from God? J

Photo by Marianne M. Smith

I suppose another way to get around the enormity of a project is to separate the tasks into stages and tackle them in small groups.  But that's only if I've already given the above questions a go and come up with reasonable responses.

What was your latest project?  Was it fun or punishment?  Would you do it again?  I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Marianne M. Smith
Writer At The Ranch
Making You Look Brilliant One Word At A Time

http://writerattheranch.com
wordsmith@writerattheranch.com