There Is No Perfect Place

After shipping the latest workbench commission this week, I took stock of the mess in my shop caused by months of neglect. I can tell myself it's because my work days got shortened when we chose remote learning for our seven year old. Or maybe I bought a little too much thick cherry and walnut for leg vise chops and end caps the last time I ordered from Irion.

The real reason is that I'm afraid to decide. I'm afraid that the place I choose to put a tool or a piece of lumber won't be the right place.

So I leave it out.

In a pile next to the ripsaw. On the bandsaw table. On the wing of the table saw that's bigger than I need it to be.

After a while of not deciding, the shop is piled with offcuts and tools and manuals. I move this stuff again to use a tool and I still refuse to decide.

The solution, I'm finding, is to realize that there is no perfect place to put a thing. There are, however, several places to put it that are the wrong place. I just have to DECIDE to put it somewhere that is better than the wrong place.

It may turn out that I've discovered a new wrong place. Then I have to do the hard work of deciding to put it in a new place. Hopefully the right place. A place where I can leave it until I need it. Not a place where I have to move it when I need something else.