NEW THREAD-Why we don't finish........

Peaks, valleys, high and low points, ebb and flow, wax and wane, excuses, we all have ‘em.
But what makes up these mental/physical roadblocks that stymie our best-laid plans? Well, I have more than a few, having dragged this project (The Duke) on for more than a quarter-century, the reasons for, which we’ll explore. I’m sure you readers have many, as well. I bring this up, not only to face my own giants, but also to bring this out in the open for those of you who are beginning, or thinking about beginning, your own projects. I will list them as I think of them……in no particular order……as they come to me, along with any suggestions I might have for combating the enemy. Feel free to chime in at any time, or add topics as we go; especially those of you who have completed your project, or are well along on it. You’ve gotten to the magic place we all wish to be; what are your secrets for success?

Chapter 1-MONEY

Of all the problems that have beset me over the years, as with the demise of so many good marriages, it is money that has leveraged the greatest effect. (or lack thereof!) You simply cannot get a project off the ground without Funding! A similar sidebar to this problem is his twin brother, Under Estimating! You can’t embark on a cross-country trip in your car with $20.00 in your pocket without at least expecting to encounter unbelievable setbacks and difficulties; the same goes for starting a ground-up on a project car. No problem, you say? I’ll just work until I run out of money, then put it on hold until I get some more? NO! You won’t. Trust me on this one. You’ll faithfully bag & tag your parts…..and ten years later stare at the bags with the clarity of an Alzheimer’s patient trying to work a crossword puzzle, trying to decipher your own hurried chicken-scratch! I relay this to you with complete confidence in my statement, as I have traveled that road more than once on my journey!
But, back to money; for those of you who are homeowners, compare it to some of your home projects. Who could forget the re-tiling of the bathroom you estimated would cost $200.00 and ended up costing $1000.00 or more? You didn’t know the sub-flooring was rotten. How could you know the plumbing would crumble in your hands? See where I’m going? All I’m saying is, what ever you plan on spending, TRIPLE it. You may still fall short, but at least you may not come to a screeching halt!
Now, planning a project like this (depending, of course, on the severity or depth of the project) requires some forethought, and a commitment on your parts to allot, say, $100.00 a month towards your project.
Those of you who are married, take heed! DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT attempt to fly this ship under the radar of your air traffic control center (your spouse, hereafter referred to as “ATC”) or I GUARANTEE you will crash and burn! If ATC is not on board with your project, or at least in agreement of your allotted funding, you have no hope, and no chance of succeeding, barring the eventuality of a divorce, which will set the project back another ten years at least! I am not speaking from personal experience here, but rather from careful observation of friends and acquaintances, who have, in effect, “crashed and burned”. NONE of them finished, nor own, their project cars, which started the whole firefight to begin with, by the way. They were part of the divorce carnage. Food for thought, no? On a personal basis, when ATC told me I was entering a “No Fly Zone”, I voluntarily grounded the aircraft until conditions improved, rather than to engage in unarmed combat. Clear enough?
Once you have clearance from ATC, you need to sit down with paper and pencil and draft out a rough estimate of what you think your project will cost. Do not attempt to do this in one sitting. More ideas and changes/additions will come along as you plan. Once you’ve decided on a rough figure, TRIPLE IT! No, I’m not kidding. Practical experience has shown more often than not, this is an accurate statement. While you’re at it, triple the amount of man-hours you think it will take to complete the project.