When I was in my teens, my Dad decided to build his own hot tub in the back garden. He completed the design; dug a 1m hole in the ground and installed a round slab of concrete to form the rim of the tub. And then, he stopped. The forever-unfinished hot tub became a running joke in our family. So much so that my Dad eventually moved our (equally dormant) childhood trampoline over the hole, forever hiding it from view. Now, most of us probably will never take on such heavy-duty DIY work, but isn’t leaving a passion project unfinished something we all have in common?
Now, you could say it was a case of my Dad biting off more than he could chew. But, I don’t see it that way. My Dad built the house we grew up in, so he most certainly wasn’t lacking the skill; he just fell out of love with the project. Or rather, he fell out of love with the process. It was clear from the beginning that the outcome of his project held great appeal, but the reality of the actual process involved did not. And that’s probably the reality of most big projects: lots of little, potentially boring or fiddly, processes to reach the end result.
My intention here is not to shame having ambition (or my Dad!); it’s to remind us to think carefully about our motivations for doing something. And more importantly, to consider ways to find value within the process, not just the product. It’s a call to move away from placing so much importance on the outcome of an endeavour and towards an appreciation of what goes into it. Where the joy of making or creating something is the main act, instead of having something to show for ourselves.
So what does that mean for each of us? It could mean reflecting on how each of the words applies to our own lives and how we find a balance between them. It could also mean asking ourselves the hard questions like, how strongly do we feel the need to constantly produce? If so, where does this need come from? Or even something broader like, is my worth ultimately based on what I am or what I do?
Nonetheless, an easier question to finish with is this: so, what came of the hot tub? I can tell you that it was never actually completed; it became part of another project. Working together, my parents covered the area with a wooden patio, creating an alternative setting to enjoy their bubbles from. Itself an important reminder to never shy away from asking for help, even if stuck in a hole you very much dug yourself.