Q: Plywood or MDF are the most economic choices for the wood, but you can use any type of wood you want. Use a solid wood instead if you want to give the chest a natural finish.  Use boards that are 1⁄2 in (1.3 cm) thick. A toy chest that is 29 in × 18 in (74 cm × 46 cm) and 13 in (33 cm) high is a good size if you aren’t sure. You can get different types of solid wood, plywood, or MDF at a lumber yard or home improvement center. MDF stands for medium-density fibreboard. It is a bit denser than plywood and has a smoother surface, but is not as strong as plywood and can sag under heavy weight. Plywood is slightly more expensive, but is stronger than MDF. Lay out the pieces on a flat work surface in the shape of the box. Place the bottom in the middle with the front, back, and sides laid beside it where they will go. Put the lid off to the side for now.  Use 2 29 in × 13 in (74 cm × 33 cm) pieces for the front and back and 2 18 in × 13 in (46 cm × 33 cm) pieces for the sides. Use 1 29 in × 17 in (74 cm × 43 cm) pieces for the bottom and 1 30 in × 18 in (76 cm × 46 cm) piece for the top. You can adjust the measurements if you want to make the chest larger or smaller. Sand the edges of the boards by hand or with an electric sander so that there are no splinters or sharp edges. Sand the surfaces of the boards if there are any rough spots. Slowly squeeze out a bead of carpenter’s glue along the lower edges of the sides, front, and back where they will sit against the bottom piece. Squeeze a line of the wood glue along the left and right edges of the sides where they will overlap the front and back pieces. Don’t worry if you accidentally squeeze out a bit too much glue. You’ll be able to wipe away the excess when you put the pieces together. Start by lifting the front and back pieces and holding them in place against the front and back edges of the bottom. Lift the side pieces up next so they rest against the bottom as well as overlap the ends of the front and back pieces. Clamp everything in place with bar clamps.  This will be easiest if you have someone help you hold the pieces in place while you clamp them. You can use a moist rag to wipe away any excess glue that comes out of the cracks after you clamp everything together. Use 1.5–2 in (3.8–5.1 cm) finish nails. Hammer them all along the bottom edges into the bottom board, as well as up the sides where the sides overlap the ends of the front and back pieces. Try to hammer the nails as flush with the surface of the wood as possible so you will have a smooth finish when you paint over them.
A: Plan how big you want to make the chest and buy the right amount of wood. Lay out 6 pieces of 1⁄2 in (1.3 cm) wood for the chest. Sand the pieces with 120-grit sandpaper to remove any splinters. Put a thin line of wood glue along the edges of the pieces where they will touch. Stand up the pieces around the bottom and clamp them in place with bar clamps. Nail the pieces together with finish nails every 3–4 in (7.6–10.2 cm).

Q: Setting small daily goals helps you stay on task, work more efficiently, and gain energy as you go through your working day.  Getting little tasks out of the way, like grocery shopping or running errands, can help you focus on larger tasks that need to be accomplished later in the day. If you have long-term objectives or big projects, break them down into smaller goals that you can make progress on and tackle in a series of small steps or stages. This will help you feel like you're getting work done, which will encourage you to keep going. Prioritizing tasks is not quite the same as making a to-do list. Rather, you are categorizing to-do items and prioritizing those that are small and manageable or most pressing and important.  Set up a chronological list of when things need to be accomplished by and start with the most pressing items first. Once these are off your plate, you can take a breather and focus on the one's that are due later. After you’ve mastered the daily short-term plan, you can start creating long-term plans to organize your future work and tasks.  Knowing what you need to accomplish ahead of time -- whether it's a big term paper at the end of the semester, or an international conference trip -- can help you stay on top of your preparations.  Make a monthly calendar for yourself, or create a calendar for your entire school semester term. Note any big deadlines or due dates and pencil in some reminders a week or so before the actual deadline.  This will help you work more efficiently and get your big tasks done in easier increments. This type of advanced planning will also help you schedule leisure actives, breaks, and vacations. If you know when things are going to be due, you can more easily plan around them and make sure you have enough time to get things done as well as thoroughly enjoy your break time. Many of us procrastinate or put things off (especially things we don't like) which can negatively impact our productivity as well as overall work quality.  Don't fall into the faulty misconception that "one does their best work under pressure."  Psychological studies have shown this to largely be untrue!  Procrastinators who wait until the last minute often get less done and produce work with more errors. Give yourself a carrot at the end of the stick: plan a celebration or treat for yourself when you complete your task on time or even early. If you have something fun to look forward to you'll give yourself extra motivation to get your work done.
A:
Set small goals. Prioritize tasks. Plan ahead. Put an end to procrastination.