Fix the Workspace First

February arrived and nothing on the 2025 list has moved. Project folders have not been opened, the Arduino kit is still boxed, and the Raspberry Pi gear is gathering dust. Meanwhile hours have been spent watching other people build things, which feels connected to making but results in nothing.

Time is not the issue

There has been plenty of free time, roughly thirty hours set aside this month for projects. It went to YouTube, Reddit, and rabbit holes. The result is the same every evening, feeling worse for having done nothing. Work focus is not the problem either. Deadlines are met and code gets written there. Turning that energy toward personal projects is the sticking point.

The workspace is part of the problem

The garage corner that passes as an office is a mess.

• Tools are scattered, simple tasks start with fifteen minutes of searching.
• It is cold in the evenings when there is time to work.
• Lighting swings from harsh to dim with nothing in between.
• The desk suits typing or tinkering, not both.
• Bare floor and walls make the room feel unfinished.
• There is no clear surface to put things down.

If the space is unpleasant to be in, progress will keep stalling.

First steps that are actually happening

Everything came out of the room in a burst of frustration. Seeing the empty space felt like relief and a reset. The next few weeks are for simple, concrete fixes:

1. Add targeted heat with a small electric heater for evening sessions.
2. Build practical storage so tools have a home.
3. Rework the desk so switching between keyboard and hands-on tasks is trivial.
4. Add paint for a more finished feel.

One priority

The goal is to fix the workspace first, before any other project. If the space works, the rest can follow. If not, the cycle of planning without action will continue. There is an empty room and a pile of gear to organise, so the next move is obvious.

Thanks for reading. If a small workspace change helped you get unstuck, share it so others can try it too.