How Do You Deal With Burnout?

[Julie Moriarty]

Maybe I tried to do too much, learn too many new skills, or just think it could be done more quickly. Whatever the reason, the kitchen refacing & remodeling project burned me out. The love is gone and I'm not done. And there is so little to do to finish.

I've pretty much taken the summer off from woodworking and I barely miss it. That's unusual for me. So I must be burned out.

I'm trying to find the motivation to finish the little that needs to be done but I just don't care. I go down to the workshop, clean up some things, take out the wood I need, then the mind battle begins. And before long, I've talked myself out of it and I turn off the lights and leave.

Has anyone dealt with this before? How do you deal with it?

[Adam Diethrich]

You need a break, so take it - and quit fighting it...

You'll come back to it when you want to and are ready to. Then and only then will you do your best work - that you can be proud of.

Oh, and have a good day Julie :)
A.W.D.

[Richard Coers]

It happens to everyone. I've been woodworking for over 40 years, professionaly for 26. I've switched to turning at home, so I guess woodworking is my profession and my hobby. When I hit a wall, I try not to walk away from it, but just nibble away at it with smaller goals in mind. I struggle at the beginning more than the end, because I am looking at the entire job at the start. I've had to do the estimates and material purchases at the start, so the entire scope had to be looked at. If I continue to focus at that entire project too long, it can get to me. So I just make smaller goals, so that I get the satisfaction of goal completion quicker. Might even be as small as making a new table saw sled, or fixture, but I see something completed and get the reward. For me, I get the best recharge when I visit a place where I can see woodworking inspiration. I go to a Frank Lloyd Wright site, Oak Park or Springfield for us. Even a nice retail outlet like Sawbridge Studio in Winnetka, IL http://www.sawbridge.com/ can get my batteries recharged. A high end art fair is also fun. There you can visit with another artist in your medium, and find out how their work is going. When I do that, I am very mindful of paying customers and step back quickly if they get a chance to sell. Don't dwell on the thought of the burn out, get your mind busy with something else. It might even be a goal to make something small for yourself when you get that kitchen project done. It's anything to break the cycle that you are in. Good luck!

[Prashun Patel]

Julie-
I think it's worth it to analyze what's burning you out. Is there a task you're dreading? I hate the sanding part of any job, and my work tends to slow down there (I have about 60 bowls that are in my basement, crying for me to sand and finish them...). If that's the case, I wouldn't hesitate to outsource it or get some help. Is it that you did a few cabinets, and now the rest are just boring and mundane with no challenge? Get someone to help you. There are plenty of closeted neighbors and their kids around me that would love to help just to be able to learn. A great resource there is the local boy scouts...

Repetitive, large projects like cabinets are always fun for me - for the FIRST unit. Then it gets tedious and slow. Building jigs to speed assembly/production might be in order. I hate panel glueups, and keep telling myself that one day I need to build a dedicated station for this before I go crazy.

Good luck! Keep on truckin'.

Last, I'd encourage you to talk it out here. Perhaps verbalizing it is enough kick in the rear to get in gear.

[Phil Thien]

It happens to everyone. I've been woodworking for over 40 years, professionaly for 26. I've switched to turning at home, so I guess woodworking is my profession and my hobby. When I hit a wall, I try not to walk away from it, but just nibble away at it with smaller goals in mind...

Pretty much how I feel, too. No need to power through it. Slow the pace down a bit, start a little later and finish a little earlier. Take longer breaks, enjoy a nice meal. If there are any tools that would speed a process up, go buy them.

So I just keep at it, but change it up a little bit.

[Larry Browning]

Man, Julie, I think you are describing me. I recently finished a very challenging project that came out well in the end. But now I am really having trouble getting motivated to do anything in the shop. I have been thinking that what I need to do is take on a shop project, like maybe do some dust collection improvement projects, or maybe work on a new and improved lumber storage rack/bin sort of thing. Just a thought. I am not ready to give up on this hobby, but rather a change of pace kind of thing. I have even thought about doing some turning!

[Prashun Patel]

"I have even thought about doing some turning!"

Be very careful. There's passion and there's addiction. They don't call it the "vortex" for nothing.

[Mike Cutler]

Maybe I tried to do too much, learn too many new skills, or just think it could be done more quickly. Whatever the reason, the kitchen refacing & remodeling project burned me out. The love is gone and I'm not done. And there is so little to do to finish.

I've pretty much taken the summer off from woodworking and I barely miss it. That's unusual for me. So I must be burned out.

I'm trying to find the motivation to finish the little that needs to be done but I just don't care. I go down to the workshop, clean up some things, take out the wood I need, then the mind battle begins. And before long, I've talked myself out of it and I turn off the lights and leave.

Has anyone dealt with this before? How do you deal with it?

Julie
I'm dealing with it now, a kitchen remodel is also too blame.
My advice, to myself, is that I am going to build something solely for me after I'm done. Not a need to do project, or a joint project. Simply something I want to do for no other reason than I want too.
Every now and then we have to be selfish and just do something for ourselves.

[HANK METZ]

You’ve climbed the mountain, now your problem is: where do I go from up?
Like as said already, give it a rest, you’ll be back better than before.

[Michael W. Clark]

Julie,
I get the same feeling and also divide it into smaller steps. Where Prashun's dreads sanding, I dread finishing. It seems I am always doing a finish that I have not done before, so I dread it because I don't want to mess up. Also, all the clean-up and multiple coats are a pain.

I was just in your situation on a doll armoir that my daughter and I built. It only took about 5 months to finish it! I was dreading the hardware portion of it because the nails and screws for the small hardware had to be modified. Also, had a newborn in that 5 month span so that caused some delay too.

Like Larry said, shop projects also help. The best ones for me are the ones that deal with improving organization or workflow. They require a creative thought that gets your mind focused on something else. At the end, the organization is better and you look forward to using it.

[John TenEyck]

I guess many of us who did our own kitchen remodels had the same issue, Julie. I took me just about a year to complete mine, but it seemed like forever. Nights, weekends, it never ended. The things I loved to do I ended up hating having to do. But I finished it, every last bit of it. I wish I had some great advise for you, but I don't. It took me nearly 2 years afterwards before I really got interested in taking on another serious woodworking related project. I think it was a project that involved something new, vacuum bag curved laminations, now that I think about it, that actually got me motivated again. But that's of no help to you finishing your current project. You just have to suck it up and finish, or be happy with where it's at and let it be until the motivation comes back.

John

[Larry Browning]

Be very careful. There's passion and there's addiction. They don't call it the "vortex" for nothing.

I tried turning early on in my woodworking journey. It may sound crazy to some, but it simply scared me! I was always afraid of the work catching the chisel and throwing it across the room, or hitting me in the head. Also, the final cut off was scary too. The whole process just seems like an accident waiting to happen.
I know for others it's just really fun, but for me it's just scary!
I don't ride motorcycles for the same reason.

Another new skill I have been considering is veneering. It seems like you could do some really amazing things with veneering. Plus, making my own vacuum press would be loads of fun.

[Jim Rimmer]

I tried turning early on in my woodworking journey. It may sound crazy to some, but it simply scared me! I was always afraid of the work catching the chisel and throwing it across the room, or hitting me in the head. Also, the final cut off was scary too. The whole process just seems like an accident waiting to happen.
I know for others it's just really fun, but for me it's just scary! .

Don't want to hijack the thread but I have the same feeling about turning. I did some truning a long time ago but never got the bug. I read the scary stories of accidents and it just scares me. Don't know why saw accident stories don't have the same effect.

[Mike Wilkins]

We have all been there and dealt with that. For me, seeing a gallery of fine woodworking, makers websites, and photos is usually enough to get my creative juices flowing and eager to get into the shop. And the list of future projects just keeps getting longer and longer. Or lately I have been enjoying another distraction: a recently purchased Ducati Monster 796. Fine Italian beauty.

[Lornie McCullough]

Buy Yourself a New Woodworking Tool!!! Something you have been putting off getting for yourself, but something that will make you smile when you walk into your shop.

Instant gratification.

Lornie

[Bruce Page]

I deal with it on almost every big project I do. They start out as great fun, usually with the benefit of buying a new tool or two, but I have difficulty keeping the mojo going during the last ¼ stretch. My solution is to walk away from it for a while and look for a couple of “fun” 1-day or weekend projects to do, usually something for the shop, where I only have to please myself. This method gets me “interested” again. That last ¼ stretch is still not as much fun as when I started the project but I’m able to see it through.

[James Baker SD]

It seems that a kitchen remodel is the big culprit. I have hit burn out as well at about 95% done on a 2 year kitchen remodel. Unfortunately for me, even a big new tool, euro slider, has not snapped me out of it. Just no motivation to continue the kitchen (it is functional again), but feel I cannot start any of the fun projects (like my benchcrafted Roubo) on my list until I wrap the kitchen.

[Mark Bolton]

I think some of the best advice you are getting is to break the project up into very small tasks which can be accomplished in the windows of time you have available to work. If on average you have one hour three nights a week, if at all possible avoid planning to do anything which cant be completed in that hour and be realistic in arranging your list. Of course some tasks are larger and cant be broken down, but most can be broken up into smaller and smaller facets of the main task. List them that way on paper or on a chalk board, and just go to the shop or the kitchen and knock off one or two.

This is no different for 99 percent of us and I would say closer to 100 percent of us who work in the business full time. I call it "the slog". I can honestly say that on many jobs, the instant I get out of the truck, clip on my belt, and take my first breath, I want to go back home LOL. As sad as it sounds, often times there becomes very few, if any, things you look forward to doing. They are all just a grind. The trick becomes, how long can you persevere without loosing your cool? Its a giant mind game and I find with most all facets of work/business the only thing that gets me through is making a game out of it. My definition of losing your cool is collapse, throwing a tantrum, quitting, or the absolute worst, compromising your quality. Being at this most of my adult life I have gotten to a point where I virtually never do any of them but when I feel the twitch of that last item on the list I know its time to get square again.

We are at the tail end of a 5100 square foot home for a customer where we have done the vast majority of the project with only a few subs. When I read your post I chuckle because nearly every facet of the project I feel the way you feel. So this means multiple times on the same job! :D I remember our paint supplier showing up with the delivery. 140 gallons of primer and paint come off the truck. It feels like it will never end. Drudgery beyond drudgery. Then were in the shop running trim, making cab's, on and on. You just have to make a game out of it. By the end of the project were have several page punch lists arranged room by room because its the only way you keep going other wise you just wander around aimlessly for a while, do a couple things, and go home.

Like others are saying, I have a feeling most people who chunk of a kitchen remodel "in their spare time", by the end realize it really wasnt much of a savings. Not being a nay sayer but in the end you "may have" saved some bucks, have the reward of a project you did yourself, but you lost a tremendous amount of time, still likely worked a day job, and have the wonderful reward of looking at all the little detials you should have, could have, would have, done better/different. It's an easy perspective to have doing it for a living but....

[Vince Shriver]

I have a friend who's been a cabinetmaker ever since he got out of the Navy after WWII. Makes tall clocks, boxes and custom furniture. He is the most skilled woodworker I've every met. Recently Ed was showing me his latest project, which I could see he was quite excited about; he told me, "I'm having fun with this." It was a model kit: very intricate wooden World War Two PT boat, the boat on which he served as a young man. I suggest you look to something that might "float your boat" - whatever that might be. No time deadline, work on it when you want to, put it down when you want to, or simply take a class to learn a new skill. One other suggestion: make something for some disabled, challenged or otherwise incapacitated person (maybe a kid, or old person). It's amazing what we get back for such pro-buno work

[Frederick Skelly]

Julie, Ive gone through it twice. Im in the middle of the second time right now. In my case, they both started after I completed a project on which Id had a tough time.

The first time, I just stepped away and didnt touch my tools for a good couple years. Didnt even cover them. Had to clean up the rust later but it was worth it - I cleared my head.

This time started after I had a very hard time getting a finish on a table I made as a donation. Long story. But since then I just havent been motivated to start a new piece. So Ive been reading/studying various WW books and mags and only puttering in the shop - made a plane rack, a new clamp rack, practiced my sharpening, reorganized my nuts/bolts/washers/nails, restored an old plane, etc. Im also starting to explore hand planes to see where I can use those to my advantage. (The SMC Neanders have been great teachers.) Im not doing anything tough or taxing, but enough to feel Im accomplishing something. As a result, Im nearly "back" and Im starting to plan out a simple chair.

Hope this helps in some small way. Good luck!
Fred

[Sam Murdoch]

I have been reading your posts, watching and "listening" to you talking about your work and your project ambitions and I have thought to myself - "man, that is one driven woman". I work every day in the shop Julie and I would not want to try too keep up with your work load - maybe 20 years ago but now I stay steady and focused and ease off on the throttle. There are many aspects of woodworking that can be boring or at least repetitive and mind numbing. They are just part of the gig. I do it for a living so I have learned to pace myself and balance the drudgery with the creative joy. I think you do it for more personal reasons than "for a living".

My point being that if I was awe struck by your work load you were more than likely thunder struck by it. You deserve a break. Don't beat yourself up. As others have written let the muse come through in its own time and (my words here) don't be such an American! Geez we work too hard and still don't cut ourselves any slack. Read a book. Sip some wine. Close your eyes and breath the air. Listen to the chickadees. You'll be good to go in a bit. Of this I am quite certain.

[Tony Haukap]

fun usually with the benefit of buying a new tool or twoI think I've finally come to the conclusion that I enjoy collecting tools more than actually using them! :) I also seems I like to work on 'shop projects' than an actually project. Sometimes making jigs/fixtures with no real intention of ever using them. Keep in mind for me woodworking is just a hobby... I'm for whatever gets you through the day.
small tasks which can be accomplished in the windows of time you have available to workIt's very rewarding to be able to complete a project in a day, start-to-finish. Small things like bookends and napkin holders are also a great way to clear out the small pieces from the scrap pile. Things like these Kokopelis are also fun to make occasionally... http://img18.imageshack.us/img18/9113/pdys.jpg

[Chris Parks]

It has most probably taken you too long, longer than you thought it would. Another problem can be if help has been promised but it did not eventuate which can be a real downer.

[Myk Rian]

I started restoring vintage machines, and have done almost no WWing. Just finished building a cherry stand for a scroll saw, ( http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?207222-From-quot-Save-me-quot-to-quot-Saved-quot&highlight= ) and am now working on a slab redwood table.
Maybe it was the long lay-off from WWing that helped get me back to wanting to make something.

[Prashun Patel]

These fears disappear with experience. Its a beautiful world. Joining a local club is a good way to learn the ropes.

[Peter Quinn]

I had a whole first career in professional cooking, high end French mostly, saw lots of burnout. Long hours, unmet expectations, whole process becomes unrewarding. I watched kids spend $80k on cooking school only to realize they hate cooking for a living. I saw people leave remunurative careers to follow their "passion" only to be kicked in the face by the harsh reality of the situation. There is no balance available in that field, its almost all consuming, I left burned out, I scarcely enjoy eating anymore let alone cooking.

Now I work wood for a living, and I'm knee deep in a garage build that had me wearing many hats, from archetect to carpenter, roofer, painter, electrician, and occasionally even wood worker. It's consumed the past 1 1/2 years worth of nights and weekends. I started to feel burnt, so I backed off on the throttle, lowered the expectations, carved out time to do some fun things with the family. I make lists, take small bites. It keeps moving forward as fast as I can push it.

So maybe you can analyze your situation and seek a balance. Be realistic in terms of goals, define small parts of the project you can accomplish in a half day, give your self recreation time and space.

[Larry Fox]

Julie - I have also been there. I am a hobby guy with a day job and a family and I have done two kitchens and they both burnt me out in exactly the way that you described. I have found that, for me, burnout (with anything) comes when I grossly underestimate the amount of work involved in doing something (as I did with both kitchens). I get my head oriented around the effort involved in a project based on my original estimate and when I reach the "end of my estimate" and I realize that I am nowhere close it really gets to me. I then estimate the amount of time I have left and then the logic kicks in and says - well, you were off on the original estimate by a LOT, what makes you think you are anywhere in the ballpark of being right in your estimate of the remaining effort. Add to that the pressures of family and my wife's very reasonable question of "when do you think you will be done" and I get really bummed out and demotivated. The way I have overcome it is to try and visualize the end product, how worth it the effort will be, and the sense of accomplishment you will feel. I also promise myself that after every big project I will work on something I want to work on and small enough to where all the parts will fit on the bench at the same time. Its tough though when you have a mountain of doors in the shop waiting to be finished but you really want to go on an outing with the family.

Hang in there, you want to get this done just so you can stop stressing about it. Do be aware of your mental state and the degree to which you are distracted when you are operating the sharp spinning things though so you don't have an accident.

[Steve Peterson]

I go through phases like that as well. By the time I get home from my day job and spend some time with the family, there is not much time left to get much done in the shop. Sometimes I go out there and move stuff around without really accomplishing much. I usually feel best if I make something for the shop, like drawers under the lathe or building a jig that I will use later. Small projects work well also. Pens or spinning tops are great simple projects that can be finished in an hour or less (if they have already been glued).

Steve

[David Weaver]

This is going to sound idiotic, but I set up a mental metronome. Every time I stop moving or pause due to indifference, I take a step or do something, and if I am really sluggish, I'll set up the mental metronome to go as slow as it needs to go until I at least keep moving. And then I detach myself from what it is I have to finish or it seems like you're always looking 3 steps ahead and screwing up the one you're on. I count my success as my ability to keep up with (as moe normal called it) the robot in my head and measure success by activity rather than finishing. That way, I don't have to deal with cobbed job later that reminds me that I got in a rush. The job gets finished sooner than later usually, and I don't get swept up mentally in the details that are causing me to procrastinate.

[Mel Fulks]

Not idiotic at all,a good system. Almost any SYSTEM is good to keep going. In war it can be "being shot at and not hit" that overcomes inertia and brings exhilaration. And just moving makes you a more difficult target.

[Julie Moriarty]

You know, I actually wondered if anyone would be able to relate and then I read all these replies. WOW! I'd come hear and read what everyone is doing and think, "No one here ever quits! They just keep going. What's wrong with me?" I thought i was alone. Now I know I'm not. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Just knowing my "affliction" isn't uncommon gives me motivation.

I'm still needing that break but when I get back to it, I'll imagine everyone here being my cheerleader team. :D

(If I told you what I'm doing for a break, you'd all think I'm nuts,)

[Sam Murdoch]

(If I told you what I'm doing for a break, you'd all think I'm nuts,)

Remodeling a boat :rolleyes:?

[William Payer]

I've had the same feelings at times. When I feel overwhelmed, I find (if I can) remove myself from the project for a few days and then when returning, make a punch list of the things I have to do. Put even the smallest tasks on it. Then only plan to accomplish a small number of these tasks each day, crossing them out on paper. This serves as a mental acknowledgment of having gotten something done, i.e. progress towards the goal. Don't pile on too high of daily expectations, you want this to be an exercise in success, not enter into "overwhelm world" again. As others have said, small steps, (and small self expectations) will help get you back on the right track.
I took on an 840 sq ft addition to our house ( extra room in the garage as well as an attached shop) I had cardiomyopathy at the time, and felt this was literally a "do or die" project. I was either going to get my dream shop, or succumb to it! I did everything except the footings, block work, cement, and bricking. Took me 1.5 years working every night after work and eating dinner on the site. If I hadn't made my daily list and had the pleasure of crossing out items done, I would have been more overwhelmed. ( there were times.....)
Don't be afraid to walk away from a project for a while. thats what other interests are for, helping you manage. I don't think I did any woodworking for about 2 years after the project, I just needed some time away.

Best of luck. Kitchen remodels are especially taxing, since its a space you simply cannot live without and the pressure to get it completed is on from day one. :)

[Will Blick]

Lots of VERY honest people on this forum :)

Some great feedback for sure.... I will introduce another variable... age / health state. Good health (mental and physical) IMO is greatly responsible for motivation, OTOH, sometimes poor health is a motivation killer. Poor health doesn't have to be Stage 4 cancer...it can be very mild health problems such as being slightly anemic (seems I can't get off the couch feeling), body aches n pains, emotional turmoil in your life (can't get focused on trivial hobbies, at least for the hobbyist ww), CFS can creep in your life without you knowing it, a real motivation killer.

Then, there is distractions, such as, other pressing issues in your life, , booze time increasing, other new interests that have surfaced...just to name a few.

I have found that aging seems to slowly kill motivation & enthusiasm... seems to be a chemical balance shift "for most", but not all, heck, look at Sam Maloofs life.

Also, sometimes solo shop work can be lonely, u feel isolated. OTOH, working with others who are unsafe, sloppy, loud, or whatever annoying habit can be just as annoying...so this issue should be considered as a possible motivation killer, or motivation generator :p
Some people truly enjoy he solace of solo shop time, as they are either loners, or maybe surrounded by too many people when outside the shop.

And, lastly, as you mentioned... seems no one talked about quitting... well, prob. because the ones that quit, are no longer on this forum, so they did not weigh in :(

Everything in life runs its course, it's rare that someone is dedicated to a given craft their entire life, specially a very physical one like ww.

One thing u might want to ask yourself...are you motivated towards other things right now, or is this a period of total lack of motivation, for anything? If so, the issue might not be about this hobby in particular.

Anyway, I too come n go in many of my hobbies, sometimes for years. ww is no exception. I have considered many times to STOP the madness already. But I know when I do stop, there is no coming back, and I am not ready for that, just yet... we shall see what age and health brings in the coming years...

[Julie Moriarty]

After reading the replies here I started thinking of exactly what it was that caused the loss in interest. I've concluded it's a lot of things, like monotony, working alone, working in the basement when it's bright and sunny outside. But I think what really stops me in my tracks is finishing.

Some firsts with this project have involved finishing.

First time using dye - which involved a lot of mixing, testing, finishing, repeat over and over.
First time using waterborne finishes.
First time using furniture quality spray equipment.


The wood wasn't cheap either. Mahogany here is over $13 per bd/ft. Sapele is close to $10. Never worked with sapele before this either.

Another first was resawing 8/4 lumber into 1/2" thick pieces. I've done little stuff before but had never taken on a task this large. And a 9' long x 13" wide slab of 8/4 lumber isn't light! That wore me out.

But definitely I have been thinking it's just age creeping in and stealing my enthusiasm. I visited my mom over the weekend. She's 86. She told me getting old isn't for sissies. But she just keeps going. My dad was like that too. So I feel I have no reason to complain. You just gotta keep going.

Looking at the little I have left on the kitchen project, if any of those things didn't have the history behind them, the history that contributed to the burnout, I'd have them done in a few days, no problem. But for now I'm choosing to work outside, even if it is doing the prep work for stone veneer. (No, I'm hiring someone to do the stone work, I'm just doing the paper and lath install.) Sam, I WISH it was the boat! Maybe next year...:rolleyes:

[Michael W. Clark]

Julie,
I went through your same experience when I built our basement wetbar, a lot of the same finishing firsts you have listed. I was usuing hard maple (blotch prone, but less expensive). I found the dye stain to be very, very forgiving. If you have some uneven areas, you can dial down the spray gun and almost airbrush it to even it out. I sealed the dye in with shellac (Zinser Seal Coat), then used a WB stain wiped on over it. It all blended well. I can tell there are some uneven areas, but I think when it comes to our own work, we are our own worse critics. Look at some of the store-bought furniture and mass produced big box store cabinets at the same level of detail that you are evaluating your work. Most likely, you will feel much better about what you have done and confidence in what you can do.

Mike

[Adam Diethrich]

...but I think when it comes to our own work, we are our own worse critics. Look at some of the store-bought furniture and mass produced big box store cabinets at the same level of detail that you are evaluating your work. Most likely, you will feel much better about what you have done and confidence in what you can do.

Mike


This is a very good way to look at it.

A.W.D.