Talking down your DIY job - Anyone else?

[Monsoon]

Just to set the scene, you've almost finished a job, it looks FANTASTIC. You are aware of a couple of snags but it's 99% perfect and your friends/family are itching to see the results of all that drilling, sawing, painting.

You usher them in and they are AMAZED.

Now at this point I should just bask in the glory, modestly down play what I secretly feel is great achievement. BUT what I always do, I cant help myself, ..... is systematically pull the job to bits, pointing out the minutest snag. Assuring them that I'll clean up that spec of paint or fill that pin head I missed 1st time round.

Does anyone else have this affliction?

They never even notice the small snags yet I manage to change the initial WOW conversation round to talking about the insignificant.

Please help lol

 

[Symptoms]

Mons - does this affliction affect you at other times? ...... "darling, I tried my best but I know you find me wanting, I promise not to finish so quickly next time .... there will be a next time, won't here?" Or does it only happen when doing it yourself?

 

[WoodYouLike]

Depends on if you're hoping to land all the DIY jobs your friends want done

If not, let them know how long every task took, you were at it for ages!

 

[Space cat]

I have the opposite problem. When a builder covers the kitchen with black filth or a scaffolder takes a lump out of our porch windowsill it's accepted as 'one of those things', grudgingly perhaps but accepted nonetheless. If I get so much as a scattering of sawdust on the floor I get an ear bashing about mess!

 

[ColJack]

don't fret, you're not alone in this awfull affliction..

It's called perfectionism..

I have it.. as do lots of other people..

I constantly pick faults with my own work and point out flaws in other peoples too..

for this reason I get asked to view lots of cars when my friends are buying a new one as I point out things like the paint on the wing doesn't match, it might have been in a crash etc...

also for this reason I don't get invited round to many friends houses when they've had work done....

it's a double edged sword...

I even correct people at work when they say something not quite correct.. I can't help myself..

 

[gcol]

I even correct people at work when they say something not quite correct.. I can't help myself..

I even correct people at work when they say something incorrectly.

I do that too.

 

[ColJack]

not incorrectly.. they say it right, but the information is not totally correct..

they might say something like " did you see that documentary on the aztec pyramind on discovery last night.." and I'll correct them and say "they were Myan, not Aztec.. " etc..

 

[Steve]

Attention to detail. I am terrible for it. Sometimes a good thing, sometimes not.

 

[Ricky2]

Monsoon

The World is full of different types; some good at some things, some at others.

You are obviously a "Completer Finisher". You want to make sure everything is done and done properly! Maybe you are not so good at starting a project though?

Others are great at starting off a job and apply boundless energy to "Getting it going". They then get completely bored at the "Completing/Finishing" stage and want to move on to the next job.

Bet you know lots of people that fall in to one camp, but very few who are good at both!

 

[Shutpa]

Does anyone else have this affliction?

Yes I do but until I read your post I wasn't aware of it! From now on they can wait until the job is TOTALLY finished ie when I can no longer pick holes in my own work.

 

[Richardp]

Do you know how to make mayonnaise by hand? you have to very slowly blend oil and vinegar to egg yolk, very gradually it'll build up into mayonnaise but too much too fast and it'll suddenly separate.
I've been working on my home for the last 25yrs, I've stood back many times to admire my handy work, patted myself on the back and bored my family with tales of DIY, then suddenly the other day I did a job, stood back to admire my work and suddenly realised that it was all cra-p and now every thing I look at looks terrible

 

[Shutpa]

now every thing I look at looks terrible

just wait until the posts with the dolly birds come in!

 

[Thermo]

dont forget youve been working up close to the work, often a few inches away so you see the flaws. most people walk in quick look around, oh how lovely, what a difference and off they go. they will never see many of the flaws in a lifetime

 

[megawatt]

My wife is always quick to point this out to me when I'm spotting every little imperfection in my work no matter how slight or invisible ... Good point, I need to stop being so anal

 

[Monsoon]

Interesting replies guys ... nice to know I'm not alone

I've certainly been through the 'It's good enough' stage. Of course it never is, and it ends up bugging you til you find the excuse to rip it down and do it properly.

Finishing is major PITA for me, the other 4 letter word is PREP. My tactic now if I'm getting fed up prepping a job is to leave it til the next day rather than moving on to the sexy stuff like painting.

You always come back with a new sense of determination to get it perfect after you have slept on it, commonsense I suppose.