I've sort of lost my way.

[John Courte]

For a while there, I was blasting along, I got the engine hung and a good chunk of the wiring done, and now I'm circling aimlessly again. I'm working on control sticks, AHRS sensor mount, FWF wiring, and antenna mounting. I'm also making mistakes, and even though I can correct them easily enough, they're time-consuming and disappointing. Looking at all this stuff unfinished and half finished is giving me that "I'll never get all this done" feeling, and it seems downright impossible at the moment.

I'm sure this is the result of a failure to plan, somehow, but as the instructions get thinner, the more personalized and unique configurations get rearranged, and the domino effect, at least for me, is significant.

What do you guys do to clear your heads and reboot the process, get your motivation back and get some order back into the chaos?

[AltonD]

1. Take a break and going flying with a friend in his RV
2. Make a short list, no more than a dozen, of things to do.
3. Work off the list.
4. Make a new list.
5. repeat all of the above.

Seriously, the "to do" list really helps to keep you focused. Like the tag line says, take a huge task and break it up into many smaller task. You will get there.

[MJarreau]

DON'T GIVE UP! I use AltonD's approach all the time and IT DOES WORK. DON'T GIVE UP!

[N8RV]

John, I feel your pain. Like Alton said, make lists and follow them. I have ADD, according to my teacher daughter, and I got lost quite often. Still do.

Also, find a mentor who knows more than you do, to lend a hand. Were it not for Danny King, I never would have finished. Sometimes, you just need a friend to jump in and keep you focused, helping you through the challenging parts.

[apkp777]

It's a finite amount of work. Anything you do is one thing less to be done. We all have gone through or will go through what you are experiencing. At least you are doing something, much better than nothing. Keep it up! It's worth it.

[tommylewis]

When I built my RV7a and got to the point in the project where you are, I got together with my tech counselor and discussed the order that I should proceed on my project. As we came up with a plan for the various sub assemblies, I put together a to do list and went to work. That is what worked for me. Suggest you find a tech counselor or another experienced builder to talk to and put together a plan.

[Sam Buchanan]

Originally Posted by AltonD

1. Take a break and going flying with a friend in his RV
2. Make a short list, no more than a dozen, of things to do.
3. Work off the list.
4. Make a new list.
5. repeat all of the above.

Seriously, the "to do" list really helps to keep you focused. Like the tag line says, take a huge task and break it up into many smaller task. You will get there.

To expand on that idea, I flipped the big three-view in the plans package over and tacked it to the wall. I divided it into columns (panel, engine electrical, fuel system, etc...) and started listing every remaining task I could think of. At the bottom of the sheet was a box where I listed every item that needed ordering as I made the individual lists.

This gave my mind a "big picture" of where I was and what needed to be done. It also gave me a way to manage parts inventory so I would have needed items on hand. And...it felt good when I crossed completed tasks off the list.

Everybody will have a variation on this theme but I think flow charting your remaining tasks will be a huge help. It will also assist in scheduling the DAR when you see yourself getting close.

Stay with it, and in case you haven't seen this little blurb maybe it will help you stay focused. There will come a time when everything on your flow chart has been done...except "Fly the Plane".

[rv9av8tr]

Alton is completely right and I did the same thing to keep focused.
A work list is vital as you approach the end. The last several months you won't even need the plans because it becomes very task specific. In engineering construction projects we call these "punch lists".
Make the list, check it twice... 8-)
This is the period where the saying comes that the last 10% takes 90% of the time. Suddenly you'll find you're done!
Keep at it, sort your tasks. Soon enough it'll be "Miller time" and you'll wonder what all the fuss was about.

[alcladrv]

Originally Posted by apkp777

It's a finite amount of work. Anything you do is one thing less to be done. We all have gone through or will go through what you are experiencing. At least you are doing something, much better than nothing. Keep it up! It's worth it.

During every work session, my philosophy was "Just Do Something". Lists are good for some people. I had several and just thought of them as workflow sequence charts.

The "Just Do Something" philosophy kept things moving when I found I didn't have a tool I needed that I'd carried home and forgot to bring back like a marking pen, cleco pliers, etc. That way I didn't spend any time chastising myself for screwing up. I accepted it as part of the process.

Let's face it. Sometimes you don't feel like sitting on the floor, working on brakes or the pounding of the rivet gun makes your headache worse or it's colder than you expected so the fibreglas is taking forever to cure.. So, just do something else and build on.

Learn to take pleasure and encouragement from the small accomplishments like the latch that closes properly or the switch that operates correctly.

Keep at it. It's worth it!!!

Mike

[flion]

One thing I found helpful near the end of the -6A build was to put together the Condition Inspection Checklist. This did a few things for me. First, it gave me something to work on when I didn't feel like actually working on the plane. Then, when I had it all together, it became the punch list for ensuring that the aircraft was ready for inspection. When I got bogged down on something, waiting for parts or simply brain-locked on how to solve a problem, I could always work on the checklist, going back over stuff that had been long since done and checking them off. That made for some low-impact work and the unchecked stuff grew visibly shorter, which really helped my morale. Best of all, when I was done I was confident that all the important stuff had been checked and the DAR would find little to critique. I'd say you're about at the stage to start preparing your checklist; don't forget to add the one-time first flight stuff such as the paperwork, W&B, POH, test plans, etc. They also make good filler for the days when you would prefer to use your head rather than your hands.