Hard Work and Slow Starts

So, this summer, my husband and I decided to get to work improving our backyard and adding a dog run for the newest addition to our family. Let me start by saying that we are the type of people that hire others to work on the projects around our house... we're not too handy. Not this time, though. Oh, no. We're going this one alone. Plenty of lessons have been learned along the way...

Organization is one of my strengths, but I've learned that this usually applies in an area where I've got some knowledge. In areas that are outside of my wheelhouse, well, that's a different story apparently. Just when I thought I had everything all settled, all of my ducks in a row, I found that there were details I had missed. Things were not off to a stellar start. Once we figured out what we needed and put things in place, we were off and running. Or so you'd think...

 Digging ditches, hauling gravel and replacing flagstones is legitimate physical labour. Who knew? My husband and I really enjoy change and new challenges, diving headfirst into the unknown. Some changes, however, take a lot longer and are a lot harder than others. This project has proven to be one of those.

 From the moment that I put my shovel in the ground for the first time, I realized that this was going to be an experience unlike any other. It wasn't that the work was physically difficult and made me use muscles that I don't normally use, it was more that things weren't progressing as quickly as I would have liked. I didn't see the results of our hard work immediately, and it was troubling. I mean, I was sweating, the hours were passing by and the kids were due back from camp at any moment. What the heck?!? Where was our beautiful new dog run and walkway? I was beginning to think that we would need to call for reinforcements.

 A few deep breaths later and I began to see the error in my thinking. Change that is meant to last and that is destined to bring improvements will take a while. The process is also an important aspect of change. Our slow start was going to result in a strong foundation, carefully planned out so that we wouldn't have to undo what we had already worked so hard to create. There were so many lessons that I learned in the process.

 Just when I thought I was the calm and level-headed one in the relationship, in walks my husband with sound advice and soothing words. Teamwork was definitely a necessity for this to happen. We couldn't physically do the work individually and it took two of us to see the big picture and plan out the details. We each have our strengths and we could put them to good use. In fact, we employed the strengths of two other people (aged 6 and 8) to make this job not only successful but something that our family could be proud of for years to come.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Standing Still

Image
 A sense of accomplishment. That's what I felt at the end of this run yesterday. A sense of closure, even. A big fat "phew!". This pas Fall, I began a workout program designed to get me to a 5km run. I spent at least an hour a day doing strength training followed by a 20 minute run with intervals. At the end of the program, I was to run a 5km. Oh, how I prepared! I was diligent in my training and pushing myself past my limits, proud of the progress I was making. I even downloaded music on my phone so that I would have a playlist for my big day (something I never, ever do). I took care to do the stretches and take my rest days so that my body would be able to do the distance easily. I mean, this wasn't my first rodeo. I've done plenty of 10km runs, two half-marathons and regular strength training for years. Hell, I even went so far as to start meditating and visualizing this run. This was going to be a no-brainer. The day was fast approaching and the weather in Cal...
Read more

What Are You Afraid Of?

Image
Spiders? Heights? Social situations? Death? Whatever it is you're afraid of, you can rest assured that you're not alone. Fear is a normal and natural reaction, and no matter what others may say, they've been scared, too. The question really becomes, what do I do with this fear? How do I handle being afraid, especially when it makes me feel so alone? And I think the answer is this: talk about it and do something about it. I know that when I feel fearful, I talk to someone I trust. I lay on the table what makes me scared and nervous, I give it a name, I declare it from the rooftops (ok, not the rooftops - I'm terrified of heights!). I feel as though giving voice to my uncertainty, my panic, my anxiety, I am diminishing its hold on me. Fear only has the power that we give it. Yes, it's there, it exists, but it doesn't have to cripple us. Fear is an important fact of life. It keeps us alive. Sure, we don't have to hunt for our survival anymore, but "s...
Read more

Walking a Tight Rope

Image
The courageous conversation, the difficult discussion, the hard talk... Whatever you want to call it, I hate it. Passionately. In public, in private, personally, professionally, the mere thought of confronting someone sends a tsunami raging through my brain and gets my stomach tied up in a swirling tornado. Ugh. Growing up, I did not learn how to stand up and say what needed to be said. Instead, I learned how to say what people wanted to hear and appease them for the time being. I discovered ways of getting around the issue or avoiding it altogether. I became adept at observing, keeping my opinions to myself and using words very, very carefully. Good qualities to have, sure, but not always the best way to go in every situation. While I was doing my graduate certificate through a local university, I discovered that this was a skill that I could learn. Perfect, since I love learning new things. The professor was just the right kind of encouraging, and my classmates were ultra support...
Read more