Nobody likes change. Even when we know that change is for the better we are often reluctant to embrace it for fear of the unknown and fear of how it will affect our daily routine. I see this often with clients who are renovating, it is a stressful and messy process which often makes us wish we had never opened this Pandora’s box!
I am writing from home as a wonderful finish carpenter puts baseboards back into my bathroom, it has been two months of mess and dust and aggravation as I have completed a bathroom renovation. The metamorphosis has been wonderful and I am very pleased with the results but the process of change was not so pleasant and many times I wished that I had never begun. Many times I looked at the mess I had created and even though I could envision the finished results I yearned for the day before I started breaking tile – for that day before the mess started.
How many of us stay in a situation that isn’t amazing because we are afraid of change? From renovations to relationships I know the fear of striking out to make something better. Many times we yearn for those days just before we decided to renovate our homes, our careers or our lives. Just a few peaceful days when everything is normal and safe runs through our imagination as we look at the catastrophe all around us and we almost wish we could go back to the outdated and unfulfilling parts of our lives. It is a perfectly normal human reaction to change even if it doesn’t make any logical sense.
Over the past few years I have renovated homes, changed my last name, moved and now am embarking on a new career path after a big change hit me last week. My employer of 10 years had decided to release me from my cage and allow me to strike out on my own and even though the new possibilities are exciting and exhilarating I look back at those few days of security and long for peace even though the outcome going forward is going to be amazing.
Change is good! Change is necessary for stimulation of our brains and imaginations and I encourage ever one of you who are considering a big change to step out and bravely forage new territory. If you are considering changing the flooring in your home, tear out some of the old stuff to encourage you to continue the process. Stroke a vivid colour of paint on the wall of your living room to disrupt the sameness that envelops you from day to day. Take pictures off of your wall and visually shake things up so that you are aware of the possibilities every time you look at that blank space. The first step into the process is always the most difficult and often the thing that keeps us from fulfilling our dreams
If you are considering a renovation project and are paralysed by change, it might be a good idea to phone a friend. Get someone by your side who can look at the project without emotion and ask them to help you start the process. You know I am always here to help you with ideas and execution so I encourage you to jump in with both feet and enjoy the ride!
Kim Wyse is a local freelance designer. See her facebook page ‘Ask a Designer’.
