Do you have to be in the right mood?

[Pats]

In responding to the haircut thread, I said I have to be in the right mood. But anything I do - in order to do it well, I have to be in the right mood to do it. It's not limited to cutting hair. I can draw really well, but only if I'm in the mood to draw. The other day I was in the right mood and wanted to paint a cactus on this thing I built to sit over my portable air conditioner/heater, because it's big, bulky and sits away from the wall and is ugly and I wanted to hide it. Right mood - built a little cabinet over it. So I wanted to paint a cactus on it because it was so plain - and in the mood to paint something. My daughter in law asked where I found a decal that big. I told her I did it.

Some things - like drawing - the mood doesn't strike very often. And when I try to do these things just because it needs done and just make myself, it turns out crappy. Any craft, sewing, drawing, cutting hair, making clay pottery, cooking, putting together flower arrangements, hanging wall paper - you name it. Things I never do but in the mood to try it - turns out well. Make myself do something - should've waited.

Was curious if anyone else is like that.

 

[Mary Terry]

Yep, I'm exactly like that.

 

[tlc]

Yes me too. Hence why I have so many unfinished things. When I get in the right mood I can do a much better job, as well as get other ideas how to do it. Rather than just throw it back together.

 

[Progster]

I'm like that too, and I'm never in the mood for household chores. I have to force myself to do them. It can apply to other supposedly pleasurable things too, such as reading or going for a walk.

 

[Peter Morrison]

I can recognize when I am not in the mood to do something, but I don't know where it comes from. I know that the mood will strike me to act when I sense it. It's easy to understand that a lack of motivation can cause you to do nothing, so, you do nothing. To combat this, I have learned to "jump start" a project or task because I know that once I begin, I will continue. The result? - completed task. Being totally unprepared to do something will also stall me. Bad planning or no planning will not get any project off the round. I feel tied to doing things without being interrupted by nonsense. When interrupted, I lose my interest and my attention starts to wander. That's guaranteed failure. I think that "in the mood" represents a sense of urgency and the existence of the organization and materials to do the chore. The "jump start" is needed when I am arguing with myself about being too lazy to act. Things don't get finished if you don't start. The start takes the greatest amount of effort. I can't wait for the "mood" to kick in, but moments of depression can make it a tug of war. The truth is that you feel better if you override the mood and win the battle. Nobody ever regrets effort. Achievement is the real motivator - one less thing to contend with.

 

[Tom]

Yes, I am very mood driven. But through necessity have learned to do most things on a schedule (ie. this is time to take dogs for walk, do dishes, etc). It holds most sway in my hobbies, disgressional activities. I wonder if disgressional is a real word or one I just constructed?

 

[Pats]

Yes, there are things I need to do that I do - cleaning, laundry, taking care of the dogs, etc - but things that are not a have to - like drawing and so on - is more what would require me to be in a certain mood. I remember when I was much younger I was really in the mood to draw and I drew all the Beatles from the "Let It Be" album and did it perfectly. I tried later, not really being in the mood to draw but trying to get myself to anyway and it looked like a child drew it. But again, later, I wanted to draw the Beatles on a baby bib and was in the mood and it came out perfect. So there ya go. Even if I'm crocheting - if I'm not in the mood but just doing it because I need to have it done by a certain time - end up having to undo the whole thing. lol

 

[Fino]

Same! For the hair thing, my hair gets much too long sometimes because the mood and the time can take a while to coincide.

 

[Tony Ramirez]

Yes exactly I have to be a mood to do something and I hate when I am forced to something like "fix this" or "make a photocopy" I say "I will do it when I am ready".