I am just as guilty as the next person for putting off projects around the house. I use a myriad of excuses (I don’t have any money, it’s too cold to paint, we have plans on that one day the week before and I’ll still be tired) but the truth is, most of the time the one thing getting in the way of starting a project is me.
It’s just too easy to procrastinate. Doing DIY in our home always throws up other issues, little obstacles we didn’t see coming. Add to that fact, our house is relatively small. We don’t have a garage or a spare room to take on all the additional excess whether that’s furniture that has to be moved out of the way or a place where tools and supplies can sit and be picked up again the following day or weekend. So everything sort of explodes all over the house, there’s dust to contend with and feet (both our own and the animals’) dragging said dust all over the floors.
Now, here’s the thing. Yes, it’s easy to put it all off. It’s easy to just live with whatever thing is niggling you or that you know can be ‘fixed’ – but then, you want to live in a home that reflects you, right? How much better will you feel when you just finally GET OFF YOUR ASS AND START? So, so much better. You know it’s worth it, right? So here are a few things that might help you to do just that.
Set up a Budget
There is absolutely no point in torturing yourself with looking through those gorgeous super high-end furniture websites if you would have to sell a kidney to afford it. I’ve said it before but I truly believe that setting a limit on your spending makes you more creative. You are forced to think outside the box, you can consider pulling in vintage and second-hand items and you can get your hands a little dirty with upcycling or DIY. This is certainly no bad thing. More about this in a second but decide what you can afford, how you are going to fund the project for every aspect you are considering and stick to it. Allow yourself a small contingency (maybe 10%) just in case anything goes pear-shaped so you won’t be thrown off and have to delay something.
Set up a Schedule
Yes, when you work full time or have a family to take care of, it’s super easy to just say to yourself that you want to relax in an evening or on a weekend when you have some spare time. Totally understandable. But this is probably getting in the way of you, ya know, actually completing what you started. I create a calendar for myself every time we start a new project, allowing for work days as well as rest days. I make a date for myself that on a specific day and time we will start and finish work and then we stick to it. I also schedule any deliveries that need to take place or trips to the DIY store so that we actually have the supplies needed before we start. Of course, sometimes things go wrong or something takes longer than we anticipated in which case, I’ll move things around. The schedule is fluid in some respects but just the fact that we have one makes things go so much smoother.
Decide to Get Brave
Stop letting your fear of getting it wrong hold you back. Sometimes the best way to know if something is going to work is to just try it. So go ahead with that bright or dark paint colour, hang a big piece of statement art up, try using that big chest of drawers as a sideboard in the dining room. Take risks. And if you still aren’t 100% convinced, live with the change for a week or so and see how you feel afterwards. Pretty much anything can be ‘undone’ – walls can be repainted, furniture can be moved around, purchases can be returned (keep your receipts!) and yes, even wallpaper can be removed. The important thing to remember is to not let the fear of failure stand in your way of starting and just start. And if it does go wrong? Well, you’ll learn more from failure than you will from always getting it right or playing it safe. But if it goes right? There’s no greater satisfaction.
Brush Up on Your DIY Skills
Every time we tackle something we’ve never done before, we consult the great interwebs. There are a million You Tube videos and websites that will walk you through pretty much any task at hand. The best thing to do is to watch/read a bunch of different tutorials for a well-rounded view, fully understand the steps required and the tools you’ll need before you start. You can also look into local classes for everything from plastering to tiling to wallpapering. Once you are armed with knowledge, there’s no excuse not to try out your new found skills.
Consider Upcycling
So while you might not be able to afford your dream item, can you somehow create it? My desk makeover was probably one of my proudest accomplishments in the office remodel and it saved me over £1000 rather than buy the beautiful antique one I’d originally spied (so while you want to avoid making yourself depressed over things you can’t afford, it’s okay to strictly use these as inspiration as long as you understand that’s all it is!). Consider the lines of pieces that are in good condition and consider whether they can be improved refinishing the piece, reupholstering it or re-painting it. The nicest thing about this is that you’ll end up with a unique item, making your final space all the more special.
Know When to Let Go
If you know you are going to be facing re-wiring your electrics or moving a boiler or hell, if we are talking about building an extension, then these are the jobs best left to the experts even if you are a pretty dab hand at DIY.*
*Especially in these cases; you can’t do any gas work unless you are certified in the UK and electrics need to be tested to building regulations. These regulations will vary from country to country so do your research beforehand!
But even with the best of intentions, you still might not be able to do the jobs you feel like you should be able to do yourself. If there’s a chair you need to reupholster and you absolutely detest removing staples (that would be me) or you have never cut a tile in your life and you are breaking them left, right and centre, well, sometimes we just have to admit defeat. Don’t take on something that’s so wildly beyond your skill level or something you realise you hate doing (yes, that’s upholstery for me) that you end up discouraged to even continue. Get in the help you need and get that project moved on.
Start Now with Buying One Thing
This may seem like a silly thing but honestly, the most exciting motivation I have for a new room design is to just make a small purchase. It may be something like a pretty notebook for your new office, a small piece of art for the bedroom or a few pretty hooks for the bathroom. It doesn’t have to be a huge expense by any means but just purchasing one little thing can be enough impetus to get moving on your project. You’ll want to see this new thing in it’s beautiful setting so allowing yourself a tiny ahead-of-time splurge can be a great way to get started on your final vision.
And Finally… Accept the Inevitable
Things are going to get messy. It’s probably going to cost you some money. Things are going to frustrate you. You will have times when you want to throw in the towel. It’s just the way this stuff goes so be prepared for that inevitability. But I promise, if you keep your eyes firmly on the prize, all that blood, sweat and tears (literally) will be worth it in the end. So stop putting it off and just go ahead and START.
What do you do to motivate yourself to start a new project? Have you got anything in the pipeline that you keep putting off? If so, why? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Brilliant guidelines and a great motivator for procrastinators like me! I have a ton of projects I’d like to do but somehow the fear of failure don’t allow me. Thanks.
xo
Aww I hope my post has helped then Sueli! I know how easy it is to put things off because you aren’t 100% sure. I find it easier to just carve some time out (instead of thinking about it ‘on the fly’ when you are distracted) to make decisions and really create a plan of action that’s actually achievable. Best of luck hun! xxx
Fab tips Kimberly! I have so many ideas for updates but knowing where to actually start is the trouble – as you say, it’s so easy to procrastinate!! xx
Aww thanks Kate! I usually find it’s best to start with the big stuff (walls/floors/furniture) and work your way to the smaller stuff ;) xxx
Firstly that picture of Misha (?) ‘helping’ with the tiling made me lose some of my water on the screen of my laptop. That aside, really nice tips, thanks and I especially liked the one about buying yourself a little inspirational item at the beginning. That always works for me, but I didn’t really get what I was doing, I just did it. The other thing I did for my last few project, was to create a board on line with my room ideas. I love Pinterest but I have thousands of pins so often get distracted. I put together a board just for the room I’m doing and focus on that. I now need to plan when I’m going to get that hallway sorted…
Haha! It’s such a cute picture, isn’t it? My DIY guy and his little helper ;) (Well, at least she thinks she’s helping…) Buying a little thing was always something I did too and it was never planned but I realised how much it motivated me! Great idea to put together a mood board first – as you probably know, I always do this too! :D xxx
Love the title ;) and you are so good at these helpful posts lately.
Aww cheers and it’s only because it’s been so dark and dreary, I can’t shoot anything!! Ha! So going through post ideas I’ve had that don’t require new images – the secret is out!! Haha! xx
I love this post Kimberley, you are so right, we all make excuses not to do stuff, I am the queen of procrastinating! LOVE the desk makeover BTW xx
Oh I’m just as bad, believe me!! This was as much for me as it was for anyone else ;) And thank you so much, it’s still holding up great as well – yay! xxx
I feel like we are living the same life right now! And I love all of these tips and I’m pretty sure I have done all of them. I think my problem is I can be too eager to get going – once I’ve made up my mind that change needs to happen it has to happen immediately! Can’t wait to see your dining room xx
Oh my god I know, right?! Ha! #ChaosTwinsies And I’m the same – once I have a plan of action (ie I do all the other stuff on the list first), I am so impatient, I want it all done NOW :D xx
Ha, I am so glad I am not the only one with cats who consider themselves DIY experts! :-)
This is so true. We are in the middle of a massive renovation job on my home office and most of the upstairs, but I’d let that stop me finishing the spare room when all it needed was one wall painting. I finally got around to it this weekend and it feels so much better! Not ready to accessorise it fully yet as it is still playing host to the bath for our future new bathroom, but it’s a step in the right direction (and I hear you on stuff taking over the whole house – I have a sink in my dining room right now!).
Whilst we can’t start any room projects with this going on, there are so many other things I just need to get cracking on – my dining room chairs need the broken rush removing and webbing, padding and upholstering. I have all the stuff, I just need to get on with it! My Queen Anne wingback chair for the office is in need of some fabric to upholster it, I just need to finally click buy on that in my shopping cart! With so much going on at once though, it’s quite hard to keep up with what needs doing, but we’re getting there slowly! :-) x
Oh it sounds like you have plenty going on already!! It’s just crazy how it takes over everything doesn’t it? The stuff for our own remodel is already starting to take over other rooms too – let the chaos begin ;) Good luck with your own renovation Anna! xxx
Wise words and great advice! The helpful decorators assistant photo (aka the cat) really made me giggle.
Aww thanks Rachel! Yeah, she clearly thinks she is helping and can’t bear if something is going on and she’s not somehow involved ;) xxx
What a great post. Love it Kimberley and especially that fab pic of the man and the cat doing the DIY ! xx
Hahaha! Yeah Meisha can’t bear the thought of things happening around the house without her “help”! She does make me laugh ;) xxx
Great advice Kimberly. I’m also a procrastinator until I get started and then I can’t stop until it’s done. Or rather can’t stop nagging the BF until it’s done. Just wish I could stick to that darned budget. x
I’m the same but I find once I have a plan of action in place and everything is checked off the list, I’m raring to go and just want it all done NOW. Totally impatient ;) xxx
Chronic procrastinator here. I tend to work on the house in fits and starts – I’ll have motivation for a while and then it just disappears. I don’t think I accomplished ANYTHING in the month of January, so here’s hoping for a productive February!
Aww here’s to hoping that February is a productive month for you Arielle! Good luck!! xx
Hardcore tough love. Like it!
Good luck with starting the project this week. Am looking forward to seeing how this one progresses. Can’t wait to see the big shift from dark to light. Big tings a gwan!!xx
Some great tips and motivation! I’m currently waiting to move so am itching to get onto a new decoration project in a new place, I’m so bored with how my home looks now I can’t wait! x
Buying a little something lovely works really well for me too! These tips are great and I am a planner, although with life being busy, that’s the part which takes ages for me. Once I have a plan and budget in place though, I get very impatient to get done. But – and this is my main problem – before I reach the finish line, I start procrastinating, usually because I’ve got distracted planning the next project, haha!
Hope you’ve got to a good start with your dining room makeover! xxx
I know where you are coming from with this, i can always find excuses why we shouldnt start, but than regret it later on, because by the time you finally get around doing your jobs you could have done it twice over. Some good ideas there Kimberly xxx
I am so in love with this post! I do think this is one of the most motivational and best I have ever read. I totally get it xx my greatest fear is: what if it is not good afterwards? But quietly I want to change something so your blog is a master boost for encouraging me xx and btw the black table is honestly such a wonderful piece! I love it.
I wish you all the best and hope you have an amazing time xx
Aww your comment made me smile Franca! Thank you! xxx
I so need to take your advice here. I have quite a few home projects planned for this year and I just want to get on and do them. However I feel that being a perfectionist really holds me back. I’m so scared that my projects won’t turn out good enough that it stops me from even starting. I really need to get over this fear. Reading this really helped me realise how stupid I’m being. Fingers crossed this will be the year my projects actually see the light of day.
Aww thanks Stacey. Realise the only thing holding you back is your own fear. And yes, this is silly. No room starts off perfectly and part of the joy of creating a space is allowing the design to develop. Once you actually START, there’s no reason why you can’t make small changes if you feel you need to. Also, it might help to put together a moodboard for yourself (it doesn’t have to be fancy, I started off using Powerpoint for this!) just to gather your ideas to see how they all work together. Good luck!! xxx