Running Uphill: The ‘CHANGE' is in the CHAlleNGE

Let's explore the 3-Step Process I use to harness the power of challenges and achieve consistent design business growth.

THE 3-STEP PROCESS I USE TO ACHIEVE CONSISTENT BUSINESS GROWTH

They say hindsight is 20/20. It is super easy (and even encouraged) to regularly, briefly look backward to check the progress in our endeavors. How can we create an engine in our business that consistently generates the growth we are looking for in our businesses?

In order to stay relevant - or even better - stay ahead of the trends in the ever-evolving residential design industry, we must remain vigilant. Adaptability, innovation, and a keen ability to turn problems into possibilities are critical characteristics of a successful design professional.

​In this blog post, I’m sharing the 3-step process I use to harness the power of challenges to propel my design business forward on a continual upward trajectory.

RUNNING UPHILL - MY STORY

I have never been a great runner.

To be fair, no one really teaches running techniques to children. Maybe we all just are born with the innate ability to run as a species. I can perform the motion of running. I’m just not a very EFFECTIVE, EFFICIENT, or FAST runner.

I get side aches easily. It feels like I can never get enough oxygen. My thoughts around running are typically on the negative side. There was a time when even running one mile would result in terrific knee pain.

I even trained for a sprint triathlon one year (which includes a 5K run) and raced with my sister who did no training whatsoever. She smoked me. I had terrible knee pain, could hardly breathe, and had to walk most of the 5K distance.

But, because I enjoy staying active and trying to remain in good physical condition, and running is an easy sport requiring very little specialized equipment, I decided to learn all I could about HOW to run more efficiently and effectively so as to avoid any overuse or sport-related injuries.

I embraced the challenge of becoming a ‘runner.’

First it was slow, but consistent one-mile runs - without knee pain and without gasping for air the entire time.

Then, I tried to improve my speed a little at a time.

Then it grew to two miles in one session. Then three and more miles - getting into a good breathing rhythm, and without any major pain.

While I improved in the different basics of running, I still LOATHED uphill running. Whenever the treadmill program included uphill running, I would slow the pace down to a brisk walk.

Finally, I realized I needed to tackle this next level head-on. I had to confront my weaknesses in this new area by doing exactly the thing I DIDN’T want to do - run uphill.

I’m not perfect (I still drop the pace to a walk here and there) and I am not winning any races with my pace. And if I think about it too hard, my brain reminds me that running uphill is hard!

But one thing is certain, the more I run uphill, the better I become. My stamina is increasing, my legs are growing stronger, and my mindset is shifting from, “This is the worst ever! I hate this!” to “I am getting better! I can do this!”

Embracing the challenge of running uphill is not only transforming me physically, but also mentally. It is instilling in me a sense of resilience, determination, and confidence in my abilities.

I have learned the value of stepping outside of my comfort zone - of doing hard things, and specifically, things I don’t think I’m naturally capable of.

Running uphill has become a metaphor for other areas of my life, including my residential design business and training programs. The 3-step process I use for finding the ‘CHANGE’ in the CHAlleNGE is outlined below.

STEP ONE: 'OWN IT'

The first step toward improvement is to accept that nothing is ever perfect - especially not with the first attempt. Don’t take it personally.

We’re all human.

Whether it’s an outright error, an oversight, limitations (real or perceived), or poor judgment, accepting the fact that our work (and ourselves) will always need to be refined is a critical step toward being able to identify the challenges and embrace them as opportunities for growth.

​Just knowing there will be edits and revisions to the floor plan concepts I present to clients helps me avoid ever feeling frustrated at the feedback I receive (and I never have to be offended either because I know it isn’t personal).

STEP TWO: 'WIN OR LEARN'

There is power in recognizing we have full control over how we handle the problems and imperfections. We can be perpetual victims or we can be our own agents of change.

Whether we are struggling to keep up with ever-changing trends, learning new software, or continually trying to streamline our processes, we should be diligent in seeking solutions rather than obsessing and fretting and worrying about the problem(s).

Inviting collaboration and being open to others’ perspectives will allow us to find more creative solutions than we might have ever imagined on our own.

Looking at challenges only as opportunities to either ‘win or learn’ is a powerful mindset hack I use daily.

STEP THREE: 'TAKE ACTION AND B+ WORK'

Once you’ve identified a path toward a viable solution, it will do you no good to sit on that solution. You MUST take action.

Whenever I see my messy kitchen after a Sunday family dinner, I’m often tired (from the meal prep) and overwhelmed at the thought of getting the kitchen back in order. (FYI, the following works in solo or team situations.)

So, I just start with the minimum viable outcome: the food has to be put away or else it will spoil. And since I hate wasting food, that one is a no-brainer for me. I know it will just take a few minutes.

Once the food is put away, it seems so easy to just quickly clear the dirty dishes off the counters and table.

“They can just sit in the sink for a time as long as the surfaces are cleared off. At least the mess is contained in one area only,” I think to myself.

An additional 60 seconds more to wipe off the counters from there just makes sense.

And sure enough, as soon as the dirty dishes are in the sink and counters wiped clean, it doesn’t seem terribly hard to just take a few minutes to load the dishwasher.

I use this same approach to tackling a challenge. Just focus on the smallest first step toward that solution and commit to that one thing only.

Before long, the momentum grows and you are well on your way to a proactive change for the better.

If it’s a new solution or action you’ve never performed before, add in the mindset that it doesn’t have to be perfect and you don’t have to know all of the exact, tiny steps needed to accomplish the task.

Accept B+ work and move on.

ADVICE TO MY YOUNGER SELF...

Implementing this three-step process will allow you to slowly transform yourself and your business into opportunities for positive growth and improvement. Like my uphill runs and cleaning the kitchen, challenges are not always fun or pleasant. But they will surely pave the way for growth, innovation, and ultimately, greater success.​

REMEMBER, CHALLENGES ARE NOT MEANT TO BREAK YOU

They are meant to shape you into the next better version of yourself and/or your home designs / business.

Embrace and own the difficulties in the challenges you face.

Learn from them. Use them as a catalyst to drive positive changes within your business.

With the right mindset and a commitment to continuous improvement, you’ll find yourself not only working through problems faster and with greater ease but actually THRIVING in the face of adversity.

So, march on! Embrace the hard. Let it be the fuel that propels you and your residential design work to new, greater heights.

​The ‘CHANGE’ is in the CHAlleNGE.