Saturday, June 19, 2010

What have I let myself in for?

Every big project seems to have that moment when reality sinks in, usually accompanied by some moments of panic and questions like "Am I really doing this?"

The moment usually revolves around some act of commitment, where the theory stops and action takes over. For indoor renovations, it's that first act of necessary destruction before you can start putting things back together again. For software development, it's when you start booking out code and editing.

Last weekend I cleared out the space where the pirate ship will go. Here it is with strings marking out the centre line and far side.

But that was not the moment of reality, because even that was easily reversible. So the corner of the yard is now tidy. Bonus.

For a standalone construction like the pirate ship, the turning point is when I go out and buy that first big load of materials. Like I did this week.

Up until now, it's all been designs on paper. Disposable. Can stop at any time and forget the whole thing. But now I've laid out hard cash. That is a corner turned. Not huge in practical terms, but psychological nonetheless.

Maybe I was coming across as a bit casual in my earlier post on this subject, but I don't mean to belittle or underestimate what I've taken on here. This is a big project. There's no denying it. But it is certainly achievable.

5 comments:

Stella Telleria said...

Go! Ian, go!!!!!

Jean Davis said...

I'm sure you can do it. I'm just glad it's you and not me. I have enough big projects of my own. :D

Keep us updated on the progress!

Botanist said...

Thanks! I've made good progress so far. Lot's of details still to figure out as I go but I'm quietly confident that it's all within reach. Just a matter of time & effort. Those fence posts are heavy.

I'll take more pics as I go, and post on progress.

David Batista said...

I was just about to request that you please photo update us on your progress! :)

Wow, Ian, this is HUGE! I'm impressed. Your kids might grow up to be real pirates someday, what with all the on-hand training they'll get in their very own backyard. Arrgh!

Botanist said...

Hey, David, you betcha. And thanks everyone for the moral support. There's nothing quite like publicizing a target for building up the self-motivation, eh?

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