For example, setting up a water treatment system or building a shed.

To combat that feeling, take at least a step daily.

Every. Single. Day.

Do one thing to move the project forward. Large or small. Just one thing. You might even get into the groove and do more.

Start with the big project and break it down into smaller and smaller steps. Work backwards from that.

If you're building a shed, you first have the foundation to do. There are many steps just for that, so it can be broken down further.

Marking location, digging, compacting, adding gravel, concrete form framing, rebar and finally pouring.

That might seem like a lot, but you don't do it all in a day.

One day you mark out the location. Then you start digging to the depth you need. Another day you add gravel and compact it all.

You obviously don't have to do only one of these a day. Some of these things only take minutes.

The point is that you do something to move forward on the project each and every day.

One thing that might help would be to write it down. All the parts that make up the whole project.

Just go down the list one by one, crossing off as you do them. It gives you a clear guide of the next step you need to take.

Twice now.

Went solo.

No camp or friends to use as an anchor.

Amazing experiences.

I didn't hole up at my camp for the week.

I went out and explored, riding nowhere and everywhere.

Pushed my boundaries.

Enjoyed visits with people in the neighborhood.

Experienced art all over the playa.

Danced until morning.

Can't wait to return.

In our pocket. On the screen we sit in front of all day. The even bigger screen nearby.

The common theme is the screen. It gives us access to everything. Useful, informational, mind melting things.

It can suck us into time warps where hours go by and you don't even realize it.

The dreams we have of success can't happen if we don't apply ourselves. We allow distractions to easily grasp us. Those damn screens!

Success as a content creator, product designer, artist and everything else we want to be can't work if we don't put in the work.

We'd rather watch someone make instead of make something ourselves. Maybe get lost in some new show or gripping news.

Apply yourself to make something. Focus on one thing. Chip away at it. Turn off distractions.

Reward yourself with those distractions, after you've put in the work for the day.

An outside push with consequences if it's not met.

One you set for yourself doesn't have those consequences. There are ways to make it hurt if you fail to meet them, like paying a buddy if you don't make it.

Creating a self-imposed deadline for a task can kick one into motion, but there are some things to note to have a better chance at success.

Don't set it too far off into the future. Instead of years or months. Try weeks and days.

The closer the deadline, the more sustained action you have to take to reach it. Urgency can get you to just start instead of making excuses.

Even if you think the project is too big, break it into smaller parts. As a whole it might take months, even years, but tackle smaller pieces with more reasonable deadlines.

I'm talking about the open-source program you can find at blender.org, not a Vitamix.

With an inexpensive printer ($200 or less) , $20 in filament and blender, you can make a lot of things.

Useful things. Not just nicknacks or whatever, but housings for electronics, display holders and press molds for ceramics to name a few.

There is a learning curve. For the software and printing itself, but as soon as your first successful print gets used, it's magical.

As I'm writing this, the printer is doing its thing. Running off my solar setup and using a few cents worth of filament.

When off-the-shelf just isn't good enough, 3D printing might be your answer.

Using the kitchen table, garage floor, rickety card table are all problems. There is no dedicated, solid space to do the work. Be it computer stuff, hands on work creating something or assembling anything.

Having dedicated areas to work in can do wonders for productivity. Everything setup and ready to go. No need to take things from cabinets and make space on a table each time you need to put in the work.

Make working on something as frictionless as possible. Less excuses as to why something can't be worked on right now. It's like putting your running shoes and clothing right at the foot of your bed so when you wake up, it's front and center.

Also sectioning off areas can help create a better workspace. Your computer has it's own space and your crafting area has it's own space. The tools you typically use at the ready. Less steps to get started on the thing, the better.

It also sets your frame of mind. If you try to do work in different spots, you might find it hard to focus on the task. By having a workspace that is actually for WORK, your mind's like oh yeah, I should be working and I have everything I need here to succeed.

I'm working on my workspace at the moment. Dedicated to making things, creating, using my skills and learning new ones. It's going to be great!

Anyway, main goal for 2022 is to earn $500 a month from my own products, services, art, whatever. I'm at zero. I've got work to do.

It started a decade ago and slowly built up. The biggest debt owed was to my parents. Approximately 8-10 grand. They didn't hound me for it so I kept putting it off and it kept building up. An old phone plan. Two or three cruises that they booked and I'd "pay them back". Things kept stacking. It nagged me, but I did nothing. They didn't put the pressure on me so I kept spending money on other things. Some were "tools" that I dreamed would pay for themselves and eventually the debt. Paid for with mostly zero interest credit, it could have been worse.

The year was 2020 and I finally got my act together. It was a great year for me. Honest, 2020 wasn't bad. Like many new years, I was determined to pay off everything I owed them and any tool payments I still had.

So I quit my job in March to work on making my own money. You know, instead of staying at the job to have money coming in. The timing was terrible obviously with everything shutting down for a "few weeks". I worked on stuff and didn't make any money. Just like normal. I have decent ideas, but no audience to pitch them too and execution is sus sometimes.

Quitting wasn't too stupid. I lived in a van and would work out of it while boondocking. That made my expenses super low. Since I didn't have rent, I could work on fringe projects. Exploring my creativity. But I wasn't really making money.

The months ticked by and I still didn't have a good plan as to how I was going to come up with the money. Things I tried fizzled out.

Finally I hit up a buddy who I hadn't seen for awhile and ended up working a few months at his farm.

It was July when the money started flowing in. That meant 6 months to get all the cash I needed to become debt free. For someone who typically made $15K a year, that's a huge hurdle.

Working on the farm was a great cash infusion that I used to pay off the last of the tools and finally start adding to the debt account I'd setup for paying back my parents. But I needed more.  I did have a seasonal gig lined up.

Sugar Beets

I left the farm and drove 1,500 miles to North Dakota. Worked there for two weeks, then onto the Michigan harvest for three. Same hiring company, different sugar companies. Interesting work and decent money. By the time I was done with those harvests it was almost mid-November. I'd banked everything; minus travel expenses, food and standard stuff. But there was a problem, I was short.

About $2K short. I didn't have anything lined up and as I drove back to California, started looking. A Christmas tree lot opportunity opened up. Applied, interviewed and got it.

I knew it would be hard work and the day rate/bonus for setup/teardown wasn't great, but it would help me get that last little bit of cash. So I did it. I missed Thanksgiving and Christmas with the family. It sucked, but making sacrifices to reach goals is what you have to do. If that means living in a van and taking work that doesn't excite you, do it.

It was New Year's Eve. I had finished my tree lot gig the previous day. A 5 hour drive back home was the plan. To visit family and present a "gift card" to my parents. A gift of their own money back, way late and without interest. They were surprised and appreciative. I was happy to be done.

Right at the close of 2020, I'd won. I'd conquered my debt. All of it. I don't owe anything to anyone. It felt great. It feels great. It always loomed over me. Nagged at me. Even with my super cool parents who didn't pressure me to pay them back, or charge interest, It just wasn't right. Not fair to them. Selfish of me and not the kind of thing I want to be known for.

Now that I'm truly debt free, I've got a little bit of cash in the bank. Not stressing on how to cover basic expenses, let alone debt. Also just bought some land and a micro tiny house is in my near future.

To wrap it up. I made over 10K in 6 months. It covered travel expenses for the harvest/tree gigs ($1,000+), food, tool payoffs and family payback. And for someone who makes very little, it's a huge deal for me.

The weight is gone. I've been relaxing for the last month or so and slowly designing out my tiny house.

Make sacrifices. Make the difficult choices to solve problems you have. Most are temporary and the mental clarity you'll get once it's done is amazing!

I'll be heading out to do more testing soon...

I predict it'll take me about a month to fix some things and get into a creative groove. For now, the experimentation continues.

So what? I come back, get another job making peanuts. Or it works. I make enough from my own things and continue to follow my own path.

Stay tuned...