When to stop?

We have done a few things on how to keep going on how to push through. However, sometimes you should stop. You need to stop. Who is the ultimate arbiter on that? You of course, so here are some videos on burnout and healthy hobbying respectively.

But if you feel like packing it in let’s talk about it below and more importantly…

Gut instinct isn’t what people think it is. Gut instinct is the culmination of tens of thousands of years of instinct, many internal processes put into a single feeling instantly. You should listen to it, so if you feel in your gut okay, this project is too much time to give it away. Maybe you should listen.

So here are the reasons you should pack things in on a project and we will unpack each of them but just remember that you can come back to a project later.

1. Unachievable objectives

2. Lack of resources

3. Changed priorities

4. Poor performance

5. Unacceptable risk

Unachievable objectives

What is your goal?

Why are you doing this?

To what cause?

These are the three questions you must ask each time, so your goal is to… build a hobby hall? A place where all your friends come over and play games with you. Okay… sounds great, sounds grand. Quick question, are you renting? Because if you are… it’s not really viable. How is your relationship with your friend group? Rocky at best? What about…

This was taking an extreme example. The point is this goal achievable? Was it ever? Was it covering up something else? Don’t just drop it, examine why you went there in the first place.

Lack of resources

No mountain was ever conquered on an empty stomach.

One of the difficulties of being a hobbyist in Australia is the number of restrictions we have. 1. hobbying isn’t big here. Look at Japan or Europe, having a developed hobby is seen as a part of being an adult, having your own interests and exploring and expanding on them. In Australia it isn’t looked at so favourably, you watch sports, play sports, go to the beach and drink, outside of that, you're a bit of an odd duck.

As such, some of the time you are ordering direct from the source, and want to get some scale 75 paint, well you are probably better off ordering direct from them and waiting six weeks for it to get here. Ordering some “Green Stuff” well, be prepared for customs to cease it for 6 months because it is ‘clay’ (yes this literally happened to me).

In short, sometimes it’s not that you don’t have the cash, sometimes your area is just bad for hobbying. Seafoam, saltbush and so much more are options but just not for you. Sometimes it is just an issue of time, chill out and wait and maybe that product will be available soon.

But sometimes you just need to walk away and go okay, it was a great idea but I am at this point and because of X, Y and Z its not happening. That sucks and I have been there but it’s okay, it’s not a failing to assess your situation and make a realisation.

Changed priorities

I am not saying the classic of you have a, kid, girlfriend and wife now you have to grow up. Well perhaps if you have all three, at least have them met.

No, perhaps you moved, perhaps your friend who you played with moved, perhaps you realised that the friends you played with are dicks and now you want to stop playing D&D. There are a million valid reasons to stop a hobby project just because things have changed.

School and parents have taught us to stick at it, and get it done, and eat everything on your plate. Well, all that has gotten us one of the most overweight people in history in jobs that people are miserable at. You don’t have to finish just because you started. Even if you put a lot of work in, sometimes it’s healthy to move on to something else.

Poor performance

Just in case you missed it…

Sometimes poor performance is an indicator of something else. Sometimes you cannot salvage what has already been ruined. Sometimes you just don’t have it in you.

And on rarer occasions, this project is beyond your scope and beyond your abilities.

IF you truly love the idea of this project. You haven’t given up on it. No, you just put it on hold.

"Art is never finished, only abandoned." - Leonardo da Vinci

Unacceptable risk

No, I am not talking about the table saw…

“There are no solutions, there are only trade-offs; and you try to get the best trade-off you can get, that's all you can hope for.” Thomas Sowell

That’s your wife over there, your boyfriend or your kid, yeah you need your time, but can they afford that right now?

When was the last time you called your mum, your dad, your brother, your mate, you know what I am getting at.

Often we use hobbying as a way to get away from life, and that is fine. So long as the escape doesn’t continue forever. Hobbying is a great way of relaxing but are you not facing up to some things you should be? Yeah this one is a little heavy and there is a reason for it, you probably looked at it and had a laugh but now maybe you understand…

The man said it better than me, so let me say it again…

“There are no solutions, there are only trade-offs, and you try to get the best trade-off you can get, that's all you can hope for.” Thomas Sowell

Conclusion

Only you will know when it is time to put that one project to bed. After all, art is never finished. But…

Sometimes giving it away doesn’t mean giving up, it means facing up to reality, sometimes it is just what you need at least for now.

I will speak with you another time and perhaps just this once, you shouldn’t keep that brush wet.