Idea for getting shop time

[Ray Schafer]

After several years of hearing my wife say "when are you going to make ..." and my saying "When I get some time in the shop!" we took action.

We realized that most of the personal/free time that my wife gets is "scheduled." She has this event or that get-together ... book club, bunco, etc. So what we did is schedule my shop time!

We both use Outlook Calendar, so we put it on the calendar as and official scheduled event. I get the first Saturday of each month, and one full weekend each quarter -- the third weekend of that month. We marked it as a recurring appointment. If it has to be changed for some reason, we sit down at the computer and move it from one time to another.

Now that it is on the calendar, we treat it more formally. I still get some evening time, and time when she and the kids are busy doing other things, for some tinkering time.

Since we have taken this approach, I went from producing nothing in a year to building shop cabinets, an outfeed table, a bed, garage cabinets and lots of jigs and fixtures -- in 6 months.

Ray

[lamar bailey]

That's not a bad idea. I have a hard time making it to the shop too. Of course it the wife and two little girls that so I don't complain too much.

I have the problem of thinking that I need X hours at a time. If I would go down for my free 1-2 hrs from time to time it would add up.

[Don Bullock]

Good idea Ray. I'll have to remember that once my shop is built and I've moved into it.

[David DeCristoforo]

Funny thing about time.... you cannot "make" time. You will never "find" time. The only way to "get" time is to "take" time.

[Von Bickley]

Funny thing about time.... you cannot "make" time. You will never "find" time. The only way to "get" time is to "take" time.

Well said.......:D

[Dave Verstraete]

Ray
I had to "schedule" it in my mind also! On Monday evening, one of my sons comes over for dinner and "shop time". On Wednesday evening, two of my sons come for dinner and "shop time". It has really made woodworking enjoyable to be able to help them make their own furniture. On other nights, I'm usually figuring out the next project or making Christmas gifts.

[Robert Chapman]

When you are able to retire I suggest that you try and do it before your wife retires [if she is working] then you can set your routine which will include as much shop time as you want. Your routine is then established when your wife retires and she will adapt her new routine to yours. Of course your increased shop time will need to produce items that she finds useful and pleasing.

By the way - my wife hasn't retired yet.

[Dave Lehnert]

Or you could be like me, As a single man.

Monday- Friday. Go to work, come home, Check SMC.SHOP TIME

Saturday- Sleep in, Shop time. Opps Saturday Need to take a bath LOL!!!!

Sunday- Church, Shoptime.

Vacation- Take a trip to Hartville hardware then hit the antique shop for hand planes on the drive back to Cincinnati.

Life is good!!! LOL!!!!

[Wilbur Pan]

We realized that most of the personal/free time that my wife gets is "scheduled." She has this event or that get-together ... book club, bunco, etc. So what we did [read: I had to get this idea from my wife, and not from any woodworking forum or magazine] is schedule my shop time!

With no disrespect to the women on this forum, this is another example of how they are just smarter than and way ahead of us guys. I bet this tip was published in Redbook, Glamour, Women's Day, Elle, or some such magazine decades ago. And even though the secret's out, my bet is less than 5% of SMC readers will adopt this tip. ;)

[Kelly C. Hanna]

Great idea....my wife is constantly scheduling things via her desk calendar....thanks for posting this one!