Think of a big project you’re working on. (If you’ve been putting it off, even better.)

Is your project more like building a house or learning to drive?

You can’t break ground on a house until the plans are right. You don’t get a do-over on laying a foundation, and you don’t decide to add a couple extra bedrooms on the second floor once the framing is done. You get the plans right, just right, and then you begin. If you’re not quite happy with the plans, take a breather. Don’t begin.

In about three weeks, Sarah and I will be having our first kid! For posterity, I recorded two predictions about early parenthood in my last post, and here are two more. Some (hopefully not all) will be wrong, but that’s the fun of it, right?

3. We Have Enough Baby Equipment

Our friends and family have been extremely generous, and we’ve been showered with baby equipment, both used and new. Other than the odd clothing item we may have overlooked, I think we’ve got everything we need for the baby’s first few weeks of life. We’ve tried hard not to get anything that seems non-essential (like a bottle warmer, for instance).

Roughly three weeks from tomorrow, Sarah and I are going to have our first child. Hooray! It’s an understatement to say that our lives are about to change forever.

Human beings often experience memory distortion as a facet of hindsight bias. In other words, when something surprises us, we tend to weave the surprise into our current belief system, thinking “I knew this was going to happen.” It’s hard for us to remember past predictions and feelings, and it’s especially hard for me.

Home improvement is a $300 billion industry.

I enjoy a trip to Home Depot as much as the next person, but dang! It’s hard not to be surprised by a number like that.

Why do we start home improvement projects?

There are a number of reasons, like necessity (broken plumbing waits for no man), the desire to improve the value of one’s home (remodeling a grimy kitchen) or wanting a new toy (I keep reminding myself that as an avowed minimalist, I don’t need a leaf shredder).

The last few days, I’ve struggled mightily with a lack of motivation. The smallest task has felt like a huge undertaking, and I’ve been way less productive than usual. We all have days and even weeks like this, and it’s a topic worth addressing.

What do you do when you’re unmotivated?

Create Structure and Accountability

When we have 45 minutes to finish a 45 minute-task, we’re productive. When we have a whole afternoon open, we waste time.