It’s late, I’ve spent the day running errands and visiting with my parents which was long overdue.

As I’m getting ready to turn in for the night, I realize with a start that my deadline for this article has long passed and that I haven’t yet submitted an article.

Tiredness temporarily jolted out of my system, I rush down to the office to pound out some (hopefully) inspiring and brilliant insights for my cherished readers.

We all have that project, that wish list and that item that takes more time than it should.

I have yet to meet a client who has experienced a perfectly on-time building, buying or renovation project and they all seem to have the same story to tell.

My best friend is embarking on a kitchen renovation and we have spent many days talking, sharing ideas and photos as she lives far away in Newfoundland.

She is doing it the smart way and taking off on a holiday while her kitchen is being demolished as she knows she won’t want to be around for the mess that will ensue.

In a perfect world she will leave on her vacation and return to a freshly finished kitchen but in reality, what will probably happen is delays, items not fitting, ordering delays and a partially finished project due to things beyond the contractors’ control.

She has already experienced two changes in the start date which no longer line up with her departure and return.

Another friend of mine is working on a basement renovation and has discovered that the budget-friendly rubber backed carpet she installed 20 years ago is an absolute nightmare to remove.

What looked like a weekend of floor laying has turned into a two-week labour of scraping and sanding as the beautiful new floor sits in boxes waiting to be installed.

Oh, and she has had a few appliances die on her and cannot seem to find a 30” stove to go into her existing cabinet opening so add that to the timeline.

It is always frustrating, and time can slip away so fast, you can feel like you are quickly losing ground.

What I have discovered with any project is there is that tipping point where you feel nothing is going right and nothing is happening and that you will NEVER see the light of day.

Then, overnight things begin to take shape and your project magically starts to knit itself together. This is the day when I would see or hear from happier clients and people who have seen their first glimpse of hope in weeks.

We all lose track of time, me sitting here late at night is proof of that but it’s OK to not have everything fall together perfectly.

There will be those times that make you want to tear your hair out and have you regretting ever embarking on a project and then the light will change, and you find yourself facing something that you are very proud of.

We can all give ourselves a pat on the back and afford ourselves a little grace when timelines don’t deliver on our expectations. Breathe, stretch, have a coffee and realize that all will happen in time, maybe not our ideal time, but in time. Goodnight all, I am putting this article and myself to bed.

Kim Wyse is a Central Alberta freelance designer. Find her on facebook at ‘Kim Wyse Associate Royal Lepage Tamarack Trail Realty’.