What Painting My Garage Taught Me About Leadership
After 4 years in our new house I decided to put a few finishing touches on the garage. Specifically, paint the floor and take the rough "construction look" out of a small set of steps.
I move stuff from one side of the garage to the other, paint and then reverse the process for the other side. I think I handled everything in the garage 6 times !
Most of the materials were leftover from the original construction. The only items purchased were a can of paint, a tube of caulking and 8 feet of nosing for the stair treads.
It took me about 7 hours over the span of a week. I could have hired someone to do the work but I’m glad I didn’t. The project reminded of a few timeless principles:
doing work is therapeutic. My mind became immersed in the work and I completely lost track of time. It wasn’t work. It was a joy.
there is an enormous sense of satisfaction achieving the various milestones along the way and especially at the end as the final piece of nosing is installed.
seek help. I am far from a master craftsman, but with some support from the hardware folks, a video tutorial on YouTube, I’m able accomplish more than I give myself credit for.
excuses are a form of procrastination. I procrastinated on this for years thinking I didn’t have enough time. Guess what ? I had plenty of time, I just needed to see the work in smaller chunks. Looking at the whole job made it seem unsurmountable.
be grateful for the journey and not just the result because the process is often more rewarding than the outcome—in fact, being immersed in the process fosters a deeper appreciation for the outcome.
So for you, what project at work or at home looks too big for you ? Break it down, figure out the first step, find the necessary folks to support you and get going !
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