I heard something the other day that really got me to thinking: difficult transitions in any part of life are like remodeling your home. Let me explain. . .

Inconvenience
Remodeling your home is no picnic, especially if you are doing extensive work, like adding on a room or redoing the kitchen (very popular choices). There is the inevitable issue of dust all over every inch of the house – dust you can’t get rid of until the job is done no matter how many times you vacuum and wipe the place down. Not to mention having to navigate through tools, furniture stocked piled in one room to get it out of the way of the work being done, hired help (if you’re not doing it by yourself). A down right pain.

Difficult transitions in life are an inconvenience as well. Take, for example, moving to a new town, which includes searching for a new place to live, selling the house you’re currently in, packing and unpacking, finding a new job, on and on. Or, what about transitioning your business from a one man operation out of your home to a five person operation located downtown. There’s nothing convenient about that either.

The Cost
And lots of it. Remodeling is no cheap endeavor, though it can be less expensive when we do it ourselves. And, even when we have a budget, there are unexpected extras that creep up on us. And lets not forget the cost of our time and energy. Remodeling our home, whether a small or large job, takes time away from our personal lives, including family.

Difficult transitions cost us as well. Yes, the transition to that five person operation will cost money to do, since you have to hire staff, buy equipment and supplies, advertise the new location, etc. But it, like the home remodel, takes the sacrifice of time away from family, friends and sometimes even work in order to get the transition accomplished.

Onlookers
No one wants to have someone over to their house for dinner when they’re in the middle of a remodel, even if it’s just the bathroom. You don’t even like the fact that your family has to weed through the mess, let alone someone else. You don’t want anyone to see the process, just the before and after (so they can ooh and ahh).

And, back to the example of the business transition, you don’t want anyone to see the process that could take you months to get done, such as interviews for your staff, looking for the location, etc. No one wants their clients to tag along while they look at prospective vacant rentals. And you surely don’t want your clients seeing your stress level and frustration at the process. You just want them to come into your new location when all is said and done and say, “Wow.”

Which brings me to my last comparison . . .

The Outcome
The purpose of a home remodeling is to take what you have and make it better. This goes for any and all difficult transitions in your life. When things are difficult, fraught with inconvenience, cost and unwanted observation, that can only mean that the turmoil is more than worth it in the end. The house will look great . . . the new neighborhood will suit you . . . and your business will be more successful. That’s what we hope and strive for.