Western Bulldogs captain Marcus Bontempelli’s tips on kicking those DIY goals

Western Bulldogs captain Marcus Bontempelli has a lot on his to-do list as he prepares for round one of the AFL season this week while juggling a renovation project with his father.

Western Bulldogs captain Marcus Bontempelli shares what he has learned about juggling work and your home to-do lists.

Western Bulldogs captain Marcus Bontempelli has a lot on his mind as he prepares for round one of the AFL season this week while juggling a renovation project with his father.

The star footballer has been on the tools transforming a commercial space into a cafe on his days off from the footy club, but with matches about to start, Bontempelli is becoming accustomed to a growing to-do list.

Marcus Bontempelli holed the Premiership Cup during the 2023 AFL Captains Day at Marvel Stadium. Picture: Michael Willson/Getty

He says while his Bulldogs obligations and training must be his priority, the cafe is his passion project and it gives him a great sense of achievement as he ticks off tasks such as pulling back the floorboards to their original state with his dad Carlo.

“When I find I’ve got quite a bit on my reno to-do list, setting a goal for the day and co-ordinating a plan of attack helps me kick off the day with some much-needed direction.” Bontempelli says.

“Instead of feeling in over my head with a massive list of things I need to address, I know what I want to achieve for the day and can get to work on completing it.

“The important thing here is to make sure your goal is achievable and realistic, we want to set ourselves up for success, and there’s nothing like that sense of accomplishment when you meet your goals, whether that’s taking a stellar mark on the footy field or surprising yourself with a particularly good paint job.”

DON’T OVERSHOOT

Bontempelli will continue to fund the project and dedicate the first half of his two days off a week to call or meet with his dad and tradies but knows his input must be limited.

Psychologist Ellen Jackson says putting off your to-do list and seeing it grow can add to your mental load.

“There’s nothing worse than overshooting how much you’ll be able to do in your free time, particularly when work’s a bit hectic, and the guilt that comes with not getting to everything you had planned is never productive,” he says.

Working with his dad has been a bonus on the project and he urges others to do the same.

“Call on your friends and family to help out where they can. Use it as a chance to catch up with mates while doing something productive, and it’s a win-win when you repay the favour later down the track.”

PUTTING THINGS OFF

Recent research from Bunnings has revealed the average Aussie has 10 maintenance or repair tasks on their home to-do list, with just half (54 per cent) planning to get to these within the next three months, and one third (33 per cent) only plan to get to half of their to-do list at all.

Top of the tasks highest on our lists are: weeding (65 per cent), interior and exterior painting
(45 per cent and 41 per cent), bathroom grouting (38 per cent) and paving (30 per cent) are the most common things in need of fixing around the home.

Lack of time is the No. 1 reason we put DIY on the backburner. However, psychologist Ellen Jackson says putting off your to-do list and seeing it grow can add to your mental load.

She says the list itself helps us handle the “chaotic nature of our busy multifaceted lives”, but the trick to managing it is to continuously whittle it down.

“When we are able to tick items off that list, it feels like we’ve got some sort of control. We get a little dopamine hit and it’s the motivational force that keeps us going.”

Originally published as Western Bulldogs captain Marcus Bontempelli’s tips on kicking those DIY goals