It’s always a joy for me to see someone learn a new skill. Some weeks back at the start of ‘stay at home’ Molly was dragging her feet about school work. When I saw her long face, I asked her if she wanted to install a fly screen. Her enthusiasm quickly returned.
Turns out she is a quick study, diligent and determined, careful and attentive, even with a razor knife. It was rewarding to mentor her, even if only for an hour. Of course her dad knew her skills and that’s why she builds all the family’s flatpack.
While learning new tasks is valuable, it’s important that people play to their strengths. Developing competency is esteeming and helps us feel like we matter. Learning with others also helps build a shared sense of accomplishment. And because we are all differently talented, we all need help with different tasks. That is precisely why I hire an accountant, a car mechanic and electricians. I reinforced that message recently when Graziella and I decided to upgrade our 2br townhouse. While our lounge room was serviceable, it didn’t make good use of the space and we were stumped about what needed to change.
Every time we tried to change something, we were overwhelmed with choice and frozen into inaction. Think Ikea. Some people love the maze and choices while others get a headache. That’s why we hired Jane Brown Interiors. In December, she joined us to plan a modest refresh. But like every home, everything is connected and soon mission creep gave into mission leap and by mid-March, we were tearing out the kitchen and replacing the poorly-tiled floors.
After eight weeks of working from home, cooking meals in the bathroom and crowding into two rooms, we emerged. Along the way Jane guided with simple choices. Because she really listened to both of us, she didn’t need to compromise to suit our divergent styles, instead holding to a vision that resulted in win/win.
Like any expert, she made things look easy. She shopped on-line and worked her deep contacts to find us just the right elements. She chose colours, textures and elements. It was amazing to watch it all come together.
Of course there were hiccups along the way. Like any renovation, things had to move and shift to accomodate changes. The plumber-of-choice was busy. The second had to quarantine. The kitchen installer got sick for a week. The painter had to fit us in around other commitments. Luckily, I was able to manage the trades and do some of the work myself. And with Graziella working from home, she was able to coordinate logistics and be on hand for the various deliveries.
In the end, we got there. Now we have a beautiful home that reflects our personalities and meets our needs. We enjoy entertaining and cooking and have the space to do that. Our bathrooms, well, we left them for another day but our disparate rooms are coordinated into a fully-functioning home. All we needed was some expert help. If you find yourself needing some expertise, feel free to reach out. I might know someone.
Turns out she is a quick study, diligent and determined, careful and attentive, even with a razor knife. It was rewarding to mentor her, even if only for an hour. Of course her dad knew her skills and that’s why she builds all the family’s flatpack.
While learning new tasks is valuable, it’s important that people play to their strengths. Developing competency is esteeming and helps us feel like we matter. Learning with others also helps build a shared sense of accomplishment. And because we are all differently talented, we all need help with different tasks. That is precisely why I hire an accountant, a car mechanic and electricians. I reinforced that message recently when Graziella and I decided to upgrade our 2br townhouse. While our lounge room was serviceable, it didn’t make good use of the space and we were stumped about what needed to change.
Every time we tried to change something, we were overwhelmed with choice and frozen into inaction. Think Ikea. Some people love the maze and choices while others get a headache. That’s why we hired Jane Brown Interiors. In December, she joined us to plan a modest refresh. But like every home, everything is connected and soon mission creep gave into mission leap and by mid-March, we were tearing out the kitchen and replacing the poorly-tiled floors.
After eight weeks of working from home, cooking meals in the bathroom and crowding into two rooms, we emerged. Along the way Jane guided with simple choices. Because she really listened to both of us, she didn’t need to compromise to suit our divergent styles, instead holding to a vision that resulted in win/win.
Like any expert, she made things look easy. She shopped on-line and worked her deep contacts to find us just the right elements. She chose colours, textures and elements. It was amazing to watch it all come together.
Of course there were hiccups along the way. Like any renovation, things had to move and shift to accomodate changes. The plumber-of-choice was busy. The second had to quarantine. The kitchen installer got sick for a week. The painter had to fit us in around other commitments. Luckily, I was able to manage the trades and do some of the work myself. And with Graziella working from home, she was able to coordinate logistics and be on hand for the various deliveries.
In the end, we got there. Now we have a beautiful home that reflects our personalities and meets our needs. We enjoy entertaining and cooking and have the space to do that. Our bathrooms, well, we left them for another day but our disparate rooms are coordinated into a fully-functioning home. All we needed was some expert help. If you find yourself needing some expertise, feel free to reach out. I might know someone.
