If you could teach your younger self ONE thing

[Bm101]

There's some very talented people on this site. Massively talented. Some of the work I've seen on here is quite simply amazing. Lifetimes worth of experience, most of who are willing to share.
There's also lots of people like me. Just starting to take an interest in woodworking 'properly' and have a huge learning curve in front of us.
And of course everyone inbetween.
So I thought it might be interesting to ask a question that might provide a bit of discussion and interest and what's more everyone can answer, from the most to the least experienced.
You only get one direct answer. Them's the rules. Discussions gotta be allowed of course but let's keep it on track... As little deviation and repetition as possible. Hesitation's fine. :roll:
And no arguing!


My beginners start: I wish I'd learned faster to mark not measure and I wish I'd have bought a decent combination square to start with to do so.

Release the hounds!

 

[NazNomad]

I wish I'd insured myself for £10 Million when I was forty. I only paid the premiums for a few months before I had to claim.

I'd own a Hegner now ... Oh, and a yacht. 8) :lol:

 

[JonnyW]

I wish I'd learned not to loan any of my damned tools to anyone.

Nah seriously though - good post and good question. If I could teach myself one thing when I started serving my time, it would be to "listen and pay attention" more. I now know that's one of the best things I could've learned.

I wish I'd listened to the guys nearing retirement age at that time - what a wasted opportunity to learn from centuries of experience. I remember an old guy that used to come up to the workshops to do tool maintenance and look after the machines. What a hand and what a wealth of experience; he tried once to learn me how to set saw teeth, how to sharpen them and how to look after them etc, but I wasn't interested - I'd just bought a disposable Sandvik saw and knew bloody everything.

Jonny

 

[artie]

I wouldn't waste my time trying to teach my younger self anything.

My younger self would be telling me how to do it.

 

[RogerP]

When I left school wish I'd gone onto engineering rather than banking. I was in my 50s before I had the sense to change ships.

 

[cusimar9]

I would have told myself to hold out for that garage space when I bought my first house, 9 years without a workshop was a real shame

 

[BearTricks]

Don't go to University.

Granted it was only eight or so years ago but everything I was good at at the time, and was still interested in, doesn't seem to benefit from a degree any more. I was in university when the world financial system and the housing market were going **** up, so by the time I emerged in to the real world I was one of thousands trying to get jobs that aren't there. Now I'm mid twenties and have just finished a three year stint in a job that I hated that gave me no transferable skills. I'm trying to start a career when I should be on the right track towards a mortgage.

Now that's what I'd tell myself personally. I'm aware that a lot of good jobs still need degrees. You're not going to fall sideways in to being a doctor or lawyer, but universities are businesses and I fell in to the trap of spending three years in a course that was only there to subsidise the expensive equipment that they needed for the future brain surgeons and cardiologists on the other side of the campus. That 97% employment rate they quote doesn't mention that most of those are in unrelated fields.

I feel like people who went to university are the rule now, rather than the exception. I regularly see entry level job advertisements that bar people with qualifications from even applying because they would rather see a good body of work and a good work ethic.

Going back a few years before that, I'd tell myself to figure out how to make what you enjoy in to a career early while you still have all the time in the world, before you're bogged down by bills and rent and all that rubbish.

Then again, maybe the slightly older me has a chip on his shoulder.

 

[Steve Maskery]

Excellent q and I have more empathy with BearTricks than I wish I had. I spent a lot of money and effort getting a Masters in my 40's. It's done me no good whatsoever, other than it was a fantastic experience of itself.

Apart from that I'd tell my younger self that I really don't need a wife in order to be happy. Sure, they look nice and the adverts offer all sorts of desirable activities, but the catalogue and the product delivery do not match. It's a bit like looking at the Festool site and buying Silverline.

However, we are here to discuss woodwork.

I wish I'd understood more the importance of the particular piece of wood. The grain, the colour, the balance.

Experience, eh?

 

[Zeddedhed]

I'd tell myself to stick to doing what you love, and don't chase the money or status.

I trained as joiner but ended up owning and running a large construction company doing very prestigious work.
I liked having a new Beemer every year but HATED being responsible for such a behemoth of a company.

Now fortunately it's all gone and I'm doing what i love and making a reasonable living. No Beemer but I do have this....

Woo Hoo!!

 

[Bm101]

lol i was thinking more of wood stuff but as King Canute found, don't stand in the way of the sea's ever changing mood.
In that case:
You're always better off than you think you are and some bast*rds worse nightmare is happening right now so enjoy it while you're healthy. Mistakes are fine, regrets are worthless in the end unless you learn. Mostly (see below).

I also wish I'd never fallen asleep that night when was 15. My mates 19 year old sister never talked to me again. Soooooo close lol.

 

[jamesevenlode]

Buy Apple stock.

 

[n0legs]

How to get angrier quicker.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

And know who to get angry with and who not to ...

 

[monkeybiter]

Don't be frightened of making mistakes, your going to make them anyway, so just add it to experience.
And just try it, anything.

 

[Mike.S]

When I left school wish I'd gone onto engineering rather than banking. I was in my 50s before I had the sense to change ships.

+1000 Not sure what ship I'll board but it'll be for enjoyment/lifestyle more than dosh.

 

[Racers]

You need a bench, chasing a workmate round the garage isn't the way forward.

Pete

 

[thick_mike]

Light hands on a saw. I spent ages wrestling saws, trying to make them start and cut...when I learned to lighten my grip and stop trying to force the saw through the wood, it all became much easier.

 

[Jacob]

Ear protection. I'm losing my hearing lately and am fairly pineappled off. I'd rather have lost a few fingers.

 

[Wildman]

stick with it and learn from your mistakes instead of constantly changing direction and only learning a little about a lot of things.
Jack of all trades and master of none does nothing to placate the pursuit of excellence.

 

[Penfold]

Hmmm apart from learning how to get the printer to get those fifty quid notes just right..........................
I always thank my old wood work teacher for learning me to " measure twice and cut once" although I don't always do it and end up using more wood than I should !!!! lol