I stepped out of my comfort zone to be the Project Manager
on our house we just built. I felt
nervous wondering if I was up to this challenge. It was beyond anything I had ever done
before. There may have been those who
questioned our decision to build our house since we possessed little knowledge
and experience in home building. But as
we have moved many times across many miles to new surroundings, I felt that I
had overcome fear of going into the unknown.
We did not have a
General Contractor or a builder. Ray had
a friend who jumpstarted us and talked us into this project. A couple months
into building, I basically took over – and I was the one on the front lines –
meeting the subs at the house, helping resolve issues, calling and setting up
appointments, and meeting the workers at the house. Ray and I made a great team. He helped with the technical issues and we worked together to resolve the problems. We would definitely build again, but I think we shall enjoy this house for a very long time.
In this process of building our house, I discovered a Whole
New Me. I absolutely loved making
decisions and the process of picking out the interior items—not only was I the
Project Manager, I also was the Interior Designer. I loved walking into a
store, looking at all my options, narrowing them down and then ultimately
making the choice of what product to buy. I liked working and talking with
people. I learned I was a good problem solver,
as I would focus on finding solutions, not on getting angry at the problem or
deciding whom to blame. When I didn’t
know the answer to the technical issues, I would ask questions and discuss with
others until I could comfortably make a decision. I discovered people enjoyed
working with me. Since my efforts to focus on the solution, respond quickly to
calls and emails, and to make prompt decisions, I created good working
relationships with the subs. Giving
respect and being quick to respond are traits that in turn allowed others to
respect me even though most of them knew that I was new at this whole building
process.
I loved building. It
was at times daunting and time-consuming, but I loved the process. Maybe its all those puzzles I have put
together or math problems I have solved, but I am always about finding
solutions and completing the job. And in
the end, we have an awesome house. We
were able to do something incredible. In
only 5 months and most of those being winter months, we did it!
I jumped into this project hoping I was up to the
challenge. And I discovered a whole new
me. I didn’t know that I had the traits
necessary to lead the building of a house. It’s not easy to step out of your
comfort zone, but for me it was so worth it.
I am a new person with a new sense of confidence and new skills. I have
a house I love. All I can say is WOW!
