TIME FIRST:
I know I am super guilty of this. I tell myself I am going to paint all the time. But it doesn't happen as often as I like. I tell myself I didn't have the time. But I probably would have had I not watched that repeat of Top Gear (at least I picked a really good show instead of murder she wrote or golden girls) or played Mass Effect 2. I am a slow painter, I know this, but I always set unrealistic goals and never reach them. Why? Because I never utilize my free time properly to do so. Or you just get bored of painting certain things (Jump Packs for me) and stop making time to paint as a result, just to avoid something. Or you have a million unpainted minis lying around (who doesn't) and the scope of that is just discouraging.
I know alot of us are legitimately busy. From college students to full time jobs and kids, days get eaten up. BUT I know I can find time. I just need to force myself to do it. So to start, I am going to take baby steps of commitment. By the end of this week I will paint 2 marines. I am a slow painter. Like really slow. I spend too long on my guys (hours) and I know this. So accounting for my speed and schoolwork (academics first mind you!) 2 marines is a small, but attainable goal I believe. Especially since I have 1 half done. I want you guys to hold me to it and yell at me if I don't get pics up sometime Sunday. I already feel the pressure.
Those of you who suffer from this as well, I challenge you to do the same. Set a goal. Email me or post it in the comments. On Sunday, photograph any progress you made (before and after shots would be best) and email the pics to me (sepulchreofheroes@gmail.com). I will post everyone's results (so please give me something to post). It doesn't have to be painting either. It can be building, making terrain, basing, building, cleaning up your workspace so you can start painting again. Whatever. Just set a small goal, small being the keyword here, and go from there. Baby steps is the name of the game. Don't think of the fact you have tons of other minis and how time consuming the army will be, just focus on getting a little chunk done.
Who knows with my new found goal setting drive I may try it again, but I won't get ahead of myself here. Baby steps.
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| If you haven't seen Office Space, watch it. That is, watch it while you paint... |
I am slightly guilty of this, but I also think this is a far more common and uncontrollable factor. We can make more time, but not neccessarily more money. Not all of us are making bank, and alot of us have bills to pay and mouths to feed. So ultimately this one is more understandable and definately a more long term thing.
The problem I have is I never have the money to do the conversions I want to do. Its why I haven't posted on this in forever. I still have it in my mind and on the back burner. But it just hasn't ever happened because I bought some warmachine or went out to eat too much or saw too many movies, etc. etc.. The issue with the latter things is friends and I always want to go do things with them. So if I can afford it, just barely, I go and blow the little spending money I had. This though stops me from affording the really cool things I really want to do (i.e. Terminator Assault Squad made with Sanguinary Guard bitz)
So here is where I set myself another challenge. I am going to save up $50-75 (not sure what yet) for a conversion (not sure which one yet) by November. That is a month and a half, which seems like a good amount of time I guess. At that time I will select which one to do and get the stuff to do it. Hold me to this as well please.
If you want to join in on this one, just price out something you want to do and post it. Update on progress via email again and work towards doing it.
So I know I have these issues and it is a matter of motivating myself past them. I planned on painting this evening. Now to make sure I get home and do that. Setting a little and immediate goal like this should help instead of FINISH 3 SQUADS THIS SUMMER. I never do because it is too many to notice over to long a time frame to really puch myself.