Build a desk - Improving Productivity and Meaning

By Rene Santana on August 19, 2019

Building followings on Instagram and TikTok have become highlights for many millennials. But what about building something just as useful? Like, a desk? I know, it sounds like more work and you’re swamped as it is. But the return of investment is immeasurable.

Image by BUMIPUTRA from Pixabay 

What I’m suggesting is more than just putting together a piece of furniture from IKEA. It’s gathering the pieces, instructions, and bringing aboard a friend to create something bigger than the thing itself. You can bring it around to every room you rent, or give it to a friend in desperate need of one. You can even sell it and consider setting up an Etsy account. Whatever you do, you’ll gain valuable skills AND memories to hold onto for future projects.

Just so that you don’t forget it, you can easily record the experience, or just write a blog about it — kinda like what I’m doing. Again, this is all about making the thing from near-scratch, tackling a difficult build assembly, and even building something out of things you have no idea how to use. I think you can see what I’m getting at. I want to share this experience of building something out of nothing and for you to feel the power your hands are capable of.

During an awards night in late fall, I was just trying to survive my first few months of high school. Thankfully, for the first time, I didn’t have to join a sports team to have some friends. Instead, I joined the theater group and helped build the sets for the plays. Happy to have finished my first play, I saw the ripple effects of my work. I hadn’t built much outside of this group, but during the play, I was tasked with building a podium. It turned out much better than I had expected and lasted every night of the play. But when I saw that the school principal was using that same podium to give out awards, I realized something. That was my award. It was for building something more than what I had intended. (I didn’t get an award for that specifically.)

You’ll make many mistakes, and hopefully, you do. Every single one of those mistakes can be a lesson to learn from. Also, it doesn’t hurt to ask for a friend’s help either. This isn’t a test of know-how and independence.

While there are a million things you could build, a desk is the most practical thing. It’s where all amazing ideas flourish. Dreams come to life at a desk. Late nights are spent at a desk. And you start your work at a desk. If it breaks at any point, you have the experience to fix it, or just build another one! Did I mention that this is a total confidence builder, too? So many good things can come out of this, and I hope you at least attempt it so you can start to realize the potentially endless benefits.

As always, I want to provide a place for you to start. This Instructables post will help you build a simple enough desk to start planning, dreaming, and designing your next big idea. Have fun!

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