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propertyhold · 7 years ago

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Small Projects: Huge Fabulous Antique Armoire Edition

You know what I have to learn and then re-learn and re-learn over and over again? The joy of a small project. That’s what.

Quick. Immediately satisfying. Simple. Cheap. Those kinds of projects. I love them! Specifically, I love to over-think them, then get quickly overwhelmed by them, and then abandon them before I’ve even begun because I haven’t mentally worked out all the kinks. See? What’s not to enjoy?

This used to be easier before I bought my house. The whole house is one enormous project, composed of many different big, expensive, time-consuming, difficult projects. This will continue to be the case for the foreseeable future, which is OK. I bought the thing. I asked for it! I even had some notion of what I was getting into, and I did it anyway. But that doesn’t mean it’s not at times exhausting and frustrating, I think in part because you end up spending so much time and money and energy on things that at least feel much more in service to the house than to yourself living in the house. Something like that?

To illustrate, let’s consider my windows. As with the rest of the house, they are very old. All of them need work, and the work is time-consuming and a pain in the ass, and when it’s all over…there’s a window. The same window that there once was, just in better condition and hopefully better prepared to stay in one piece for the next century. It still goes up and down as before, and still provides light as before. Congrats, house! You have a restored window. Boy do I feel…like I just spent a ton of effort on something that has not made a notable difference in how I live in this house. Awesome, let’s do it 36 more times, and we’ll spread it out over many years to prolong the fun!

My house has a lot of windows, literally and figuratively. It’s part of what I love about it. It’s part of what I hate about it.

SO ANYWAY, as much as I love my home, sometimes part of me might just long for the days when I lived in places owned by other people. Then, my projects were so much more about making myself more comfy and satisfied in my living space—which is, actually, fun and exciting and ultimately the goal of this whole entire endeavor, I recognize. But for me, those smaller projects will never feel like a priority when compared to the mountain of house-things I should be working on at any given time, so I have to be extra-conscious to make time for them every now and then. Turns out enjoying living in your house instead of just working on it all the time can, actually, make the work feel more worthwhile. Huh. It’s almost like…enjoyment…feels good? And…working on something you enjoy is…fun? Big revelations here today, folks.

So let’s think back to the summer, when I bought this big armoire and then we never spoke of it again.

Here’s what I did. I bought the big thing. Then I brought it home. Then I moved all my clothes out of the chest of drawers that had been occupying that wall, put them in a smaller set of drawers, and crammed that smaller set of drawers into my closet and moved the other one to another room to collect dust. Then I moved the big thing into place, wiped it off, took a couple pictures of it for my internet friends, and…

There is no “and” because that’s the whole story. It sat empty for the next six months while I occasionally thought about all these elaborate things I would do to build out the interior without compromising the integrity of the piece (it is, after all, an antique and I don’t want to fuck it up!). I wanted it to hold a TV, but also have storage for…something…which might involve drawers and cubbies and shelves and maybe some fancy twee labels. I’d have to construct a thing out of plywood to the exact dimensions of the interior so that it could nestle right inside, which obviously I’d have to plan, build, dry fit, remove, patch, paint, install, secure…it would have to be attractive and sturdy and hold all the things I needed it to, once I figured out what those things were, which really was the first project…

Enough. End the madness. The goal was not to have an enormous empty armoire in my room indefinitely, no matter how good-looking it is. The goal was to bring this thing into my life and, in turn, see my life improved by its presence. Sometimes (all the time) I need to stop and really think about how to simplify something, because my impulse is often to over-complicate it to the point that it becomes some big thing when all I really wanted was a goddamn TV in my bedroom because TV is my favorite thing and bed is my favorite place and the two in combination just feels so right.

Here is what I did. Try to keep up.

I went to Lowe’s and bought four of these little super-simple shelving verticals. Next to them, there are little packs of shelving clips, so I bought one of those. Then I went to a different aisle and picked up 3 pine stair treads, because they were long enough, a full inch thick, and had a nice bullnose edge.

You’ve seen this kind of shelving, btw. I didn’t, like, discover anything. They’re in every old person’s house in America. For a long time I’ve considered them kind of flimsy and crappy and, I don’t know, something everyone in the 1960s decided was a good idea, like cigarettes.

You know what? IT WAS A GOOD IDEA. Not cigarettes, the other thing. I submit that this shelving is actually rather beautifully designed in its simplicity of use and install, and clearly stands the test of time given how many I have un-installed from closets and stuff over the years. Ain’t a damn thing wrong with it.

(I could have probably scrounged up the wood for the shelves from the basement or the garage, but then again maybe I couldn’t have, and I’d have to break out the router for the bullnose edge, and there is something nice about the shelves all matching and not being some weird cobbled-together solution to save myself $30, and omg why am I even still thinking about this IT DOES NOT MATTER.)

Then I went home and I did something else. I installed all that shit. It took maybe an hour. I wiped down the inside of the armoire. I took out the existing clothing rod. I screwed in the verticals, like three screws per strip because the side panels are thin and flimsy so you can only screw into the thicker stiles and rails. I snapped in the clips. I cut my shelves to size (which, FYI, they would have done at the store for me if I asked/had the patience to find an employee). I drilled a hole in the back for cords to come through because we can only be so precious about stuff and nobody will ever see it.

Want to know something kind of funny? When I went to install the shelving tracks, there were already little holes on the inside of the cabinet that lined up perfectly with my screw holes! Because somebody ALREADY FIGURED THIS OUT. And screwed into the armoire, and not only did I buy it despite its compromised-by-modern-conveniences condition, it took me 6 months to notice and I don’t care even a little bit about it and anyone who’s worth a damn in the future won’t either, because it so doesn’t matter.

I’m getting worked up.

I put the shelves in. They fit.

Then I put the TV in. It’s a 40″ Insignia. It came from Best Buy. It was $200. It’s not the most amazing TV but it’s 100% sufficient and fuck if I’m gonna repack it and take it back to the store because it’s not amazing. It’s FINE and that is the attitude I’m trying to insert more into my life. IT’S. FINE. A great many things are fine being just fine. My mediocre TV is one of those things.

After the TV went in, I put in linens. I love linens. I do. I love sheets and blankets and duvet covers and seeing them neatly stacked in here makes me feel all kinds of domestic and adult about my shit. It’s that subtle difference between hoarding and collecting. Collectors store their shit well. Put it on a t-shirt.

The next day, high on my victory, I felt motivated to make the few little repairs that this piece needed. There were a few little pieces of trim that had broken off but been thoughtfully stored away in that bottom drawer, so I broke out the wood glue and the brad nailer and put them back.

I replaced the knobs on the drawer—one had snapped off in transit, and I was holding out until I found the perfect set of replacements (the original style of knob isn’t especially hard to find, except of course when you’re looking for them), but decided on this day to just replace them with the next best thing I had around. Amazingly, now I can use the drawer AND the gorgeous-even-though-they-aren’t-really-correct knobs look cute and who cares if I never replace them.

Then I wiped down the whole thing with the dregs of a can of Restore-a-Finish, which ran out before I got to the least-visible side and this, too, does not matter.

Someday I’ll have a little more Restore-a-Finish, and a couple of hours to stain and poly the shelves, and maybe the right set of knobs or even a better TV. But I’m kind of not worried about it.

Otherwise, I guess some other things have changed since last time I took photos of the bedroom? Nothing major. I move stuff around a lot. But I finally got a queen mattress for my queen bed! After spending a ton of time researching and comparing all the newfangled mattress companies, I had a nice night’s sleep at an Airbnb and found the mattress they were using for $200 on Amazon. It’s cheap and it’s firm. You can fill in that joke.

The big black and white art used to hang in the house I grew up in! It’s actually 1/2 of a diptych, but I only have a couple of walls big enough to accommodate the whole thing so in the meantime I just hung up one side here. Some people love it and some people hate it and that makes me sort of happy. It’s signed “Reizner 1975.” This is the wall I’d like to eventually add a mantel back to, since it appears one was removed at some point.

I dunno, I moved my lounge chair to another room and moved in my cutie little rocker. Nobody sits in bedroom chairs; they exist exclusively to collect laundry and fill awkward corners.

Mekko is still the cutest. Naked man is still naked.

Small Projects: Huge Fabulous Antique Armoire Edition syndicated from findqueenslandelectricians.wordpress.com

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creativesage · 8 years ago

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Post by Elizabeth Wellington

Years ago, leading up to the holiday rush, I used to gift-wrap presents at the independent bookshop in my hometown.

I’d put on holiday music and get in the zone. Although the task may have seemed menial and repetitive, I got into a flow state that carried me through the day. Paper cuts aside, I loved the work.

This state of flow is characterized by a few key components: a sense of meaning, depth of focus, effortlessness, and suspended perception of time. Together, these ingredients create an optimal work environment.

Research suggests that if you can cultivate the flow in your daily life, the benefits don’t just stop at job performance — the flow state of mind also contributes to health and well-being. But as soon as we try to bottle up the feeling and carry it into less appealing tasks, it seems to elude us. Rather than gettting in the flow, we end up disengaged and working harder than ever on work we just don’t appreciate.

Thankfully, cutting-edge psychological research can help us cultivate flow when we’re elbow-deep in work we don’t want to do. When facing difficult tasks, we can experience meaning, move through challenges, and embrace productivity while easing stress.

Quite simply, flow psychology offers an alternative to the daily grind: a way of working that is easier, more effective, and more enjoyable.

What Is the ‘Flow’ State?

At the bookshop, I got lost in my work — in a good way. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, who pioneered the psychology of flow, describes these kinds of tasks as autotelic activities. Autotelic activities are subjective — they depend on the mindset and the preferences of the individual.

I’ve always loved gift wrapping, so it’s not a surprise that I eased into the flow state in my job. Some people feel that same sense of immersion when they’re in a yoga class or cooking a meal at the end of the day.

Csikszentmihalyi says:

“An autotelic activity is one we do for its own sake because to experience it is the main goal.”

The Science of Getting in ‘Flow’

Getting into an autotelic state has the power to transform your work — and your life. Not only does it allow you to derive a strong sense of meaning and pleasure from your work, it heightens your abilities to “superhero” levels.

Steven Kotler, who wrote the book “The Rise of Superman: Decoding the Science of Ultimate Human Performance,” credits increased performance to a mix of five neurochemicals the brain releases during this state: norepinephrine, dopamine, endorphins, anandamide, and serotonin.

Kotler summarizes their impact in Harvard Business Review:

“Motivationally, these five chemicals are the biggest rewards the brain can produce, and flow is one of the only times the brain produces all five simultaneously. This makes the state one of the most pleasurable, meaningful and — literally — addictive experiences available.”

In the flow state, you exhibit increased brain function. It’s easier for you to process data and it leads to deeper thinking, which is vital in the midst of information overload.

A study by McKinsey & Company points to the practical effects of these changes in the workplace. Executives in a state of flow are five times more productive than their counterparts. On a smaller scale, their research suggests that if you increase your time in the flow by 15 to 20 percent, you can double productivity.

Kotler’s work also suggests that the flow state of mind has enormous health benefits. Specifically, this mindset amplifies the immune system, flushing out stress-causing hormones and promoting personal well-being. Csikszentmihalyi traces the flow back to Taoism — like many Eastern spiritual practices, this approach nurtures deep engagement, contentment, and joy.

6 Steps to Getting in the ‘Flow’ State

There’s no magic bullet for amazing work, but the flow state is every person’s best chance of reaching peak levels of performance and fulfillment. Although it may seem as elusive as enlightenment, you can get into the flow by developing a new perspective on work. We broke it down into six simple steps.

1. Debunk Myths about Work

Beyond the measurable impact on health and productivity, there’s one thing that’s really amazing about being in the flow: it’s enjoyable. Working in the flow feels very different than working out of the flow:

In the flow, you feel a sense of ease, relaxed focus, immersion, a suspension of time, a keen sense of purpose, and joy.

Out of the flow, you feel stressed, disjointed, forced, scattered, strapped for time, unfocused, and disempowered.

Csikszentmihalyi’s research shows that people are most likely to experience flow characteristics when a task or project hits a sweet spot — what he calls a “challenge/skills balance.” These challenging circumstances stretch people to grow without completely overbearing them.

But even if people created the perfect challenge/skills balance, they’re not necessarily going to enjoy their work. There’s a simple reason why:

A lot of employees think work is supposed to suck.

They equate effort and discomfort with productivity. They believe that grueling, unpleasant, and unyielding toil creates a higher-quality end result. The flow state feels too peaceful and enjoyable to be efficient.

The good news is that the opposite is true. When people get caught up in the struggle and the distractions of the modern workplace, their time evaporates into busy work and procrastination — and they still go home exhausted.

So, before you try to dive into the flow, make sure you’re debunking any outdated assumptions about work. Devoting yourself to a task can and should be challenging, fulfilling, and filled with ease.

2. Connect to a Clear Purpose

One absolute requirement for the flow state of mind is a clear sense of purpose. You need to feel an authentic connection to the meaning behind your work to devote yourself to fulfilling it in the moment.

When I worked at the bookshop, I felt intrinsically connected to the joy people felt when they opened the gifts I wrapped. That joy permeated my work. Even less-than-jolly activities can still bring a deep sense of meaning to the participants.

A 2003 study cited by Fast Company found that janitors at a hospital (who emptied bedpans and cleaned up vomit) felt that they were part of a team that healed people. Their perspective brought an immense sense of purpose. What’s more powerful than helping patients to heal?

Dan Pontefract, who is an expert on purpose and the workplace, differentiates this kind of “purpose mindset” from a job or career mindset in the Harvard Business Review. Rather than working for the paycheck or advancement, people’s actions are driven by both their personal and professional sense of purpose. You can tell because they’re passionate, committed, and innovative.

Pontefract recommends that people cultivate meaning by crafting a personal declaration of purpose that ties their current role to their personal mission:

“The declaration is a simple statement about how you decide to live each and every day. Make it succinct, specific, jargon-free, and expressive. Your statement ought to be personal, and it should integrate your strengths, interests, and core ambitions.

When I became a writer, I created my own declaration: “To see clearly and with compassion.” If you’re struggling to connect the dots, consider the “why” behind the most fulfilling part of your job. You can also use this template from Pontefract to help you take a job description and whittle it down to a simple statement.

3. Develop a ‘Flow Mindset’

The flow state is elusive. We experience it for a few minutes only to lose it just as quickly. Autotelic personalities — people wired to embrace the flow mindset — give us a blueprint for learning how to transform the flow state from an exceptional experience into the modus operandi of our work lives.

Autotelic personalities play to a combination of complementary (and seemingly oppositional traits) that give them a unique approach to work. Nicola Baumann summarizes the characteristics that create a balance present in autotelic personalities:

[View the following as a chart by clicking on the title link above. -C.H.]:

Pure curiosity / The need to achieve

Enjoyment / Persistence

Openness to novelty / Narrow concentration

Integration / Differentiation

Independence / Cooperation

Playfulness / Determination

Focused on mastery / Fail-first

Receptivity / Biased toward action

Of all these complementary characteristics, one key trait is a positive, “fail first” mindset. Autotelic people are biased toward action, leaning into new experiences rather than doubting their abilities.

Despite their similarity to all high-achievers, autotelic individuals stand out because of their intrinsic motivation. They’re not performing for anyone; they’re mastering the unique task for the joy of it. Because these individuals are not attached to a specific outcome, they’re freer to get into the flow. Csikszentmihalyi calls this unique mindset “disinterested interest” — these individuals are more attached to the inherent fulfillment in the task than its reception.

Although this description may seem like a far cry from the average employee, there are ways to cultivate autotelic characteristics. Start by focusing on the specific task in front of you. If you find yourself thinking about other topics — or any external repercussions for the work — bring your attention back to the task, and focus on mastery of the task itself.

You can also incorporate positive imagery into your day-to-day routine. One study of runners in Qatar found that working with powerful imagery helped amplify the runners’ experience of the flow. Before you start a new task, imagine moving through the task seamlessly. Even a few seconds of imagination can help get you into a state of flow.

4. Limit External Distractions

“Flow follows focus” is a simple phrase from Steven Kotler to keep in your back pocket. To get in the flow, you need deep focus. That’s why distractions are also the biggest hurdles to creating the flow state in the modern workplace.

Whether your primary responsibility is project based or customer facing, you are going to get pings, beeps, taps, and texts pulling you away from the present moment. One expert estimated that these accumulated distractions cost the average worker six hours of lost time per day. Ultimately, they limit productivity because they deter the flow state — every time you sink into a new task, you’re pulled into another action.

But every job, no matter what it is, requires sustained periods of focus to fulfill a primary responsibility. As Wharton professor Adam Grant says, “To produce at your peak level you need to work for extended periods with full concentration on a single task free from distraction.”

At one point last year, I found myself working on my laptop and my phone while watching the news in the same room. From that day on, I created a one-screen rule. When I’m working, I put my phone in in a file cabinet for a couple of hours. I close all unnecessary browsers, and I put on headphones.

To the extent you can, severely limit digital distractions. Only keep browsers or tools open that are crucial to your job performance and directly contribute to the task in front of you. Be ruthless about shutting down unnecessary technology.

5. Drop Multitasking and Batch Tasks

Instead of peppering your work day with one-off administrative or reactive tasks, batch responsibilities together by topic. When you’re responding to emails, just respond to emails. When you’re talking to a customer, really talk to the customer.

Batching tasks takes more effort — you have to plan out your day in advance and create transparency with coworkers and bosses. Plus, you’re always going to be tempted away from the state of flow by emails, calls, and even coworkers showing up at your desk. But the benefits are unparalleled.

Cal Newport, a Georgetown professor and the author of “Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World,” describes the effect of batching on the flow state of mind and his workflow:

“...The percentage of time spent in a flow state was as large as I’ve experienced in recent memory. I ended up spending 2.5 hours focused on my writing project and 3.5 hours focused on my research paper. That’s six hours, in one day, of focused work with zero interruptions; not even one quick glance at email.”

Imagine the benefits you would reap from six hours of uninterrupted time!

To test it out, set aside chunks of time to do a group of tasks at once. When you’re done completing a batch of tasks, write them down on a have-done list. By acknowledging small wins, you give yourself momentum and ensure you’re getting real work done.

That said, sometimes it’s really difficult for a professional to step away from reactive work because it’s at the heart of their purpose.

If your boss doesn’t think it’s a good idea for you to step away from emails for hours at a time, try to get creative. Show up to work early for an hour of uninterrupted time, or carve out “meeting times” three times a week when you can immerse yourself in the flow state. Even the most harried employees can come up with a way to boost their focus.

6. Practice Mindfulness

“Mindfulness” is a buzzword in both personal and professional spheres. As easy as it is to brush off this approach as a fad, its underlying purpose can help you to implement flow psychology. Without mindfulness, any rogue thought or immediate demand can pull you away from the most important tasks on your desk.

Related: How Practicing Mindfulness Can Lead to Better Decisions

Being present — with your emotions, thoughts, projects, and other people — is a verified shortcut to getting in the flow. To benefit from mindfulness (and step into the flow) incorporate some regular practices into your day-to-day. Anna Black, author of “Mindfulness @ Work,” suggests introducing mindful behaviors when things are going well. That way, when you hit a rough patch, you have already practiced the tools that can help you stay in the flow state.

Here are a few go-to mindfulness techniques from Black’s book:

Feet on the Floor

Bring your attention to your feet. Feel the contact between the soles of your feet and your socks and shoes. Push your feet slightly into the floor, and recognize how firm the ground is under your feet — from your toes to your heels. By bringing your attention to your feet, you keep yourself grounded.

The Mindful Minute

Set a timer for one minute. Count your breath until the timer goes off. Do this a few times to calculate your average breaths per minute. Now you know how many breaths you take per minute. A few times a day, set aside a minute to breathe until you reach that number.

The Breathing Space

Notice how you feel in the moment — your thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations. As Black summarizes, “We can only move forward when we know from where we are starting.” So, recognizing your experiences is key. Focus your awareness on your breath. Feel it flowing in and out of your abdomen, and eventually widen your awareness to your body, to your feet, and eventually the room. If you’re experiencing a difficult moment, you can self-soothe by silently repeating the phrase, “It’s OK. It’s OK,” as you move through this process.

This mindful approach to work can help you stay in the flow when you’re about to snap out of it because of a stress response. Let’s say you make a big mistake or read a dismissive email from a colleague — that doesn’t need to stir up a dramatic reaction. By remaining mindful, you can handle the issue and return to the flow state.

Mindfulness can be so impactful in the workplace that Arianna Huffington even makes the case that it creates a competitive advantage, not only for individuals, but for the companies that support the practice.

Meaningful Productivity

Getting in the flow is a lifelong skill that will serve you in every challenge, every environment, and every job. By taking you deeper into the present moment, flow psychology moves you effortlessly forward, both personally and professionally. Unlike other productivity tactics, it promises meaning — something that should never be underrated.

[Entire post — click on the title link to read it at Help Scout, and to view all of the illustrations.]

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