Voice of Reason
I need a voice of reason in my life.
I sometimes end up creating more work than I need to because I want every little detail to be perfect. I spend a lot of time and sometimes money on things that might not really make that much of an impact on the “Big Picture”.
For instance, 2 houses ago, I retextured the entire house because I hated the orange peel that was on the walls. I hand troweled 3800 sq. ft. (a good part of that was 18′ in the air) of walls. Then I sanded and primed and painted the whole thing. I gave my elbow bursitis! After weeks of work, I had new texture and color. It looked good! But, was it worth the work? Was it a good “Bang for your Buck” project. In this case, “Bang for your Bursitis”? Was it worth the time it took away from doing other projects that definitely would make a big impact? In hind site, I can answer that with a resounding, “Nope”! My time would have been better spent on other things.
It’s not that I’m addicted to Doing Everything Myself! It’s just … I want what I want, and doing it myself is usually the only way to go about getting it.
So, here I am, trying to get past the couple “minor” things that drive me crazy and just make this house work! I’m trying hard to overlook that 6 feet of wasted wall space in my Master bathroom because the door to the closet swings in instead of out. I’m trying not to notice that pocket doors in a few choice places would abate the annoying completely useless pockets of space all over the house.
I’m trying hard to ignore my burning desire to “think about” moving doors, putting in pocket doors, ripping out the kitchen wall, replacing all the flooring, completely redoing the Master bathroom and the kitchen! Because I’m just not sure that would be the best use of my time and resources. But I have a problem with wanting everything “just so”!
I know perfection is impossible — but I still want it! Is that so wrong?
Here’s a thought… What do you want Maddie to learn from watching you… How do you want her to roll forward in life? I always hate that question.
I’m exactly like you on this. Only I don’t have the time (or a cooperative husband) to do all that I want to. I don’t have to do it all my self either, but the few times I’ve decided to spend the money on highly recommended experts I’ve been let down and felt that I could have done it better myself if I had the time and/or tools. Anyway, I’m going to stop because I’d be way more of a co-conspirator than a voice of reason!
I can relate, we just moved into a “newer” house and I thought we wouldn’t have anything to do to it but here I am two months later with a list so long it’s ridiculous. Does it “need” anything done to it? Nope. So where do I find the balance between making my house “ours” and making it function for us and spending too much time and money on things that won’t matter in the end anyways. Great post.
We have just recenlty bought a new house as well and I am SO RELATING to what you are going through. Thank goodness my husband is the voice of reason in our household that keeps me grounded. But I am starting to realize the more I become a slave to having everything “PERFECT” the less content I am with everything. Happiness truly isn’t having every room in my house picture perfect–it is enjoying the people and the things I have in my life NOW. Now, if I could only take my own advice!
A wise person once said, “Perfection(ism) is the enemy of production.” But I think perfectionism is the enemy of contentment as well. Sometimes things are “good enough” to enjoy.
I make lists of things that bug me…and then I note which things are functional and changing them would make life better. Case in point – having a pull out trash cabinet was definitely worth it.
Some of the things that bug you could be solved by a less than perfectionistic solution – instead of moving doorways in your closet hang a curtain to use the swing space.