When I was a young’un I used to listen to motivational speakers whenever I got the chance. One of my favorites was Zig Ziglar. Thinking back, I wonder why I don’t listen to that as much now. It was very helpful!
One of the many bits of advice I took from those, uh…tapes, was that it’s almost impossible to make a good decision when you have a bad attitude. The suggestion was that we make better decisions when we have a positive outlook on the future. I’ve learned that this involves much more than attitude. It can relate also to energy level, finances, and myriad other factors.
But the point remains that we don’t make the greatest decisions if we’re suffering from “stinkin’ thinkin’”. It’s true.
As a remodeling contractor I saw examples of this many times in the decisions my clients made. They would get downright tired of the process. They would reach points where they would give just about anything to just avoid having work going on for one more day! I’ve seen my share of meltdowns!
I see the same thing in life unrelated to remodeling. I was working on a project today that required doing the same thing, over and over and over again. The successful outcome of what I was doing depended on me doing the job right every time, yet I was tempted to cut corners. I just wanted to finish!
But if I had cut corners, would I have finished faster? Of course not, in fact I would have made my job much harder because I would have to fix my mistakes later.
The same thing applies to your remodeling projects around the house. You may reach a point where you know that what you want is that awesome new wallpaper you saw (wallpaper is on the way back) but it is just so much faster to simply paint the wall. Don’t give-in to that temptation!
Plan the work you want to do ahead of time and stick to it! If you have to break it up into multiple smaller projects, so be it. But don’t compromise on your plan. The goals you’re trying to accomplish by remodeling in the first place won’t be fully met if you cut corners!
Just take a breath, maybe take a walk, or even take a vacation… but stick to that plan!
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Great advice! It is so tempting to just do SOMETHING, but sometimes in the long run it just means more work. I get impatient and have trouble waiting for things! I’ve tried hard to apply this principle to new furniture purchases for our home, and it has really made a big difference. Now I just need to apply this to home projects too!
you are sooo right! thanks for putting this important info in such a gentle but assured way for all of us who might OTHERWISE become muddled. (don’t you hate getting muddled?) it is always better to stop and rest, and be ready to do the job properly. jane
heh. I had to laugh when I read this- we are SO CLOSE to finishing painting the main living area of our home. The last wall, that runs from the entry to the back, is beige, and I finished “cutting in” the new color (yellow) this afternoon. The accent wall (purple) needs 2 spots touched up. 1 window frame (glossy white) needs a spot touched up…and yet, here I sit. Not painting
(Yes- our walls are an icy yellow, basil green, and lilac. With glossy white trim. Oh, and the playroom in the back of the house is cut in with sky blue. Hooray for color! 
Your timing is perfect for such a reminder. I was “this close” to settling on fixtures for a bathroom remodel instead of continuing my search for an affordable version of what I really want. And the parallel to life analogy wasn’t bad either.
Great reminder!! I enjoy your blog so much, just wanted to let you know!! So many of the posts are bookmarked and/or forwarded to my husband for him to read
I just did a fun project for my boys using painters tape that I thought you might enjoy seeing – http://paulsbride.blogspot.com/2009/10/rainy-day-race-track.html