3 Tips for DIY-ers

I love a good DIY project. For a guy that spends more time doing email than virtually anything else, some manual labor (especially if it's a creative outlet) is a welcome project. Here are 3 oft overlooked tips for folks who enjoy the occasional project and the stuff that comes with it.

Time it. Juuuust right. 

DIY projects are like homemade cinnamon buns: you've gotta let 'em bake before unveiling the goodness. OK, ok...horrible analogy. I agree. The literal explanation is even worse.

What I mean is: don't just jump right into the project! You've gotta let the buns bake for a few. It's about managing expectations. Be forewarned: should you make short work of the first project, you're only accelerating the second project (and third and ...) and increasing future complexity.

So how long should you wait before kicking-off the project? Here's my tried and true methodology. First, conservatively estimate the number of hours required to complete the project. Better to over estimate. Second, delay for that many weeks. Third, ta-daah.

Get it in Writing

David's first law of DIY states, "as project commencement nears, the value of verbal commitments to assist decline towards absolute zero." I'll even go one step further and identify a "verbal" for what it is: a bargaining tactic. These are high-pressure negotiation tactics used to pressure you into doing the project.

Verbals are like a 4-legged stool. Each leg of the stool represents a good reason to accept the project. When one of the legs is removed, the stool will still stand. Be prepared to identify and react to these (and other) dirty negotiation tactics.

Keep 'em Coming

DIY projects are an important part of one's identity. And it's important to do a project each quarter so that folks identify you as a DIY-er. This is a key to workshop bliss! Why? Because there are opportunities throughout the year when someone might be inclined to give you a gift. It's at these times that you should refer them to your wishlist of awesome-but-less-than-essential tools. Laser level? Electric sander? Portable jump-starter? Yes, YEs and YES!

I refinished a shelf over the weekend. The piece looks great and I had a good time doing it. Onto the next one! ...but not until Q3, of course.