D. I. Y. - Start with a Vision
As we continue to make home renovations, I notice the lessons I learn can be applied to other areas of my life. For example, it is always important to start with the big picture first...whether this is your vision for your career, your personal goals in life, or helping your team connect to the 'why' behind their purpose within an organization. Having a clear vision at the start is essential to determining goals and keeping others aligned and on track of those accomplishments.
When we first moved into our house, we filled it with the essential things - table, chairs, couch, dishwasher, TV, etc. However, we didn't take a step back to envision what we wanted the whole space to look like. We didn't think about how we wanted to feel when we came home or had guests visits. We didn't consider what adjectives we wanted to use to describe our "home." So, when it came time for us to start to update our old house, we realized this was essential. My husband and I needed to align on what we wanted our space to look like, feel like, and what impact we wanted it to have. Really we should have done this when we first moved in...but late was better than never.
So, we talked about what we wanted in a living space and what adjectives we wanted to use to describe our place. We shared what made us feel at 'home' and how we could incorporate our personalities into our place and the need to have a similar theme throughout the house, rather than each room feel like it belonged in a different place. Through this conversation we were able to align on the overall look and feel for our home. We wanted to incorporate earthy elements where possible because we both like the outdoors and the rustic look. Every time we make decisions regarding a new update or the next renovation, we always go back to our vision and consider if the change we're considering will be aligned to the look and feel we want or if it will be out of place.
It's easy to lose track of a vision or a goal
I think this is important in all areas of life. It's easy to lose track of a vision or a goal; it's easy to forget the big picture and why we're doing something and instead get stuck in the day-to-day or get wrapped up in the newest fad. However, if you can keep a pulse check on your vision, consider how your short-term goals fit in with the long-term plan, then you will be able to keep an aligned approach and make continued progress in reaching success.
I also learned that it is far better to focus on what's important to you, rather than what may be important to others. Our home is turning into a very unique place; one that I truly enjoy spending my time in (which is great during these days of COVID-19!). However, others may not enjoy the same look and feel and may have tried to talk us into going into a more modern direction. But we needed to focus on what is important to us and what makes us feel at home.