In June, the project was going to take 8 weeks. By August, clearly it would be 12. Now, we’re hoping we can wrap everything up before we go past 5 months.
“Everyone” knows the remodeling projects go over budget and behind schedule, so I built a healthy 15% margin into our budget – should be plenty! But I forgot my dangerous tendency toward optimism.
Looking at the results of my SEI assessment (Six Seconds’ emotional intelligence test), there’s a telling passage in the “snapshot” of a leader with optimism scores like mine…
Sometimes pessimistic people complain these leaders are “always wearing rose colored glasses.” In a sense that is true, and it can lead to unrealistically minimizing risks and overstating reward.
I definitely minimized the perceived risks — fortunately the results are not dire, just rather challenging, but in other circumstances could have been a really serious financial issue. Not to mention the stress! Back in May & June making those plans, even though I recognized some risk, I focused much more on the excitement of the project and the potential (the “up side”) and so made decisions with inadequate caution. I don’t regret the whole project, but there are certainly days where I say, “if I’d known it was going to be this difficult and expensive, I never would have started.”
Perhaps this is one reason those who prefer a pessimistic style don’t really trust those of us who tend toward an optimistic view. They see that we “bite off more than we can chew” and sometimes break our teeth on the rocks of unexpected challenge. “I could have told you,” they delight to say, “but you don’t listen. I’m just trying to be realistic.”
Because we’re not realistic, of course. We live in a fantasy where almost anything is possible, and a great deal is probable.
On the other hand, the curmudgeon who loves pessimism is also living in a fantasy. One where high walls and a careful defense is required at all times. Where few things are possible, and little (good) is probable.
In which fantasy would you rather live?
Most of you would say, I suspect, “neither! I want to live in reality….” but just for a moment, suppose that isn’t an option — that the universe’s optometrist has run our of clear glasses so you can either wear “rose colored glasses” or “gloom colored glasses.”
I suspect that if I wore the gloom glasses, I would have no cause chorus the “if I’d only known” lament. On the other hand, I’d never have taken on this challenge. I suppose that in 15 years we can all look back and evaluate the merits of this decision with some balanced perspective, the data of hindsight, but in the present it’s a mystery. Except, that while I’m poorer in cash, my life is very rich. Yes, this continues to be an incredibly challenging process (especially since we’re leaving for 6 weeks in Asia in 10 days!!!), yet I’m feeling vibrantly alive, stretched to grow, awake to learn, engaged with my family in this endeavor, and going to bed exhausted by long days ripe with full effort.
And the house is looking amazing!