I need a project

[Purplefrock]

I'm at a bit of a turning point in life. Finding I have more time than usual on my hands, but I'm also a terrible procrastinator. there's plenty of jobs I could be doing but I spend the time on my phone, which isn't doing me any good at all.

I'm feeling inspired by a friend who's just bought an old van to convert into a camper, to keep him busy following his marriage breakdown. He has lots of skills, but hasn't done this before and is enjoying researching what needs doing and finding out what he'll need to learn.

Now, I don't have any of those skills and it will need to be much less ambitious, but I'm up for learning something new. The key is it needs to feel really worthwhile, not just something to fill the time iyswim. His van has a clear and exciting purpose.

Any ideas?

What are the plenty of jobs that you could be doing?

Ideas.

Train for something physical.
Make a vegetable garden or allotment.

Ordinary housework/decluttering, sorting out the garden and the whole house could do with decorating, but I've never enjoyed that and these days find I don't care much about it either.

I am currently marathon training. I feel the need for some brain work.

You can get pallets for free from most industrial sights. Select clean ones and there are man different projects for the garden you can make with them.

If you don't sew, you can also learn to sew to make soft furnishings for your projects if they need them.

If you want to engage your brain the open university have hundreds, maybe thousands, of free short courses you could do.

Learn a musical instrument

I was going to say upholstery. It is so rewarding to renew worn old chairs. But if you want a brain workout... Learn a language of a major power - Egyptian Arabic, Russian, Mandarin Chinese.

Move home to somewhere you are more excited about?

Learn sign language the aim of volunteering with a deaf charity?

@Purplefrock

I understand what you're saying, but hear me out.

you want something 'worthwhile' not just 'to fill in time'

I had been renovating my small place, I got in a bit of a rut with it & had stalled. Then I had an accident & I've lost a lot of use of one arm, got (low, but annoying level) vertigo & very bad knees. It's making continuing to renovate it myself impossible & im going to have to pay trades to do it now.

I so WISH I had cracked on before my accident & got it finished.

Could you motivate yourself (one room at a time) with a mood board/samples etc and make each room an enjoyable project??

you could learn to do things you haven't done before (make a roman blind/lay the carpet yourself/make quilt/make a glass lampshade?!?!)

I also don't have a garden here (intention was to flip it, but life conspired against me & im now stuck here!). No bloody garden! You could make yours beautiful. If it's too big to contemplate just do mini projects (somewhere lovely to sit with a coffee). A (raised!!) vegetable/salad garden etc etc. I day dream about a garden.

Advice re declutter & motivation. Listen to Dana K White's podcasts (or watch her videos on YouTube) She's very real & very motivating. No mess decluttering. Progress & only progress.

Write a book.

I used to love the garden and the house and feel pride in keeping them nice, but SH died, adult DC that the place like a hotel and I just don't care anymore. I wish I did.

Research your family tree? I’ve been doing it for about 6 months, on and off. It started with just gathering names, dates and trying to see how many generations back I could go. But you start finding really interesting information about their lives, from the jobs they listed on the censuses, to newspaper articles, criminal records, hospital admissions, obituaries, military records etc.

I took 6months off work due to a mental health illness - I still had the family and house to look after but also spent time

• Learning to quilt by hand and made a lovely little quilt
• do some decorating - I redecorated three rooms in the house
• learnt to play the recorder to approx grade 4 level (done age 5-7 but not since!) recorders are very cheap
• I went through all our books, gave loads to charity we won’t read/need again
• did various other crafts like rock painting
• Tried to cook themed meals at weekends - eg particular cuisine or ingredients- to expand food/meal range

I feel the same way (despite not having any time!). I've just signed up to do PG Cert in a subject I'm interested in. I just needed a project too.

Do you have a pet?

I'm thinking dog.

If not for long term. Guide dog training are advertising for people to take pups and socialise them. I do it, fantastic short terms rewards.

Other one that springs to mind linking with running and dogs. Bagging. See the trend popping up to bag as many hills, trig points, in your area.

Learn a language - I was listening to a podcast the other day that said learning a language - intense learning where you have to push yourself and really exercise your brain not just basics- can help stave off dementia, so something that fills time and is beneficial.

I found having a different target with excercise has given me a new interested in it. So I tired orienteering and loved it, you can do running orienteering races and the skills needed in map reading got me so into it it felt like a whole new skill and definately used my brain without it being something so different I was starting from scratch.

I'm also someone that needs whatever I'm doing to have a purpose - I couldn't just 'tinker' with an engine or anything like that I need to be working towards something so I totally get what you mean.

I also absolutely overhauled that garden and enjoyed researching layouts and planting schemes and it's been lovely watching it develop over the last three years and is always an ongoing project.

You sound a little flat also?

I think I might have a go at making a memory bear. I can only sew buttons on really, so skills to learn and I've been putting off going through DH's wardrobe.

I wonder if young adult sons would want one?

Learn A level Maths.

I already have Alevel maths 🤣

A level Physics?

I sometimes wonder if I could still do it 30 years on.🤦‍♀️

I suggest teaching yourself a craft with a view to selling your makes on Etsy or Ebay. It will engage your brain, give you satisfaction and feel wonderful when someone pays for something you have made. There are so many written and videos online, covering everything you could think of. Are you interested in jewellery, clothing and accessories, stationery......? You could buy some sought after plants and nurture cuttings to sell. Check out Pintrest for crafting ideas.

I did that too 🤣 But you're right, I wouldn't rate my chances today

Do you know it costs c. £1000 to study for and sit an Alevel as a private student? I did look at doing Psychology.