Step 13: Come to Terms with Your Limitations

           You’ve got to know your limitations. Clint Eastwood muttered this advice in various ways during the film Magnum Force. Man, woman, or child; you need a sense of what you can do and what you need help with. It’s out there if you need it.

This step is a heart-to-heart with yourself and your rehabbing teammates, the time to put your skills and talent cards face up on the table.

What types of construction work have you done before?

What scope do you consider your strong suit?

How many hours per week can you spend on the project?

What is something you just won’t do?

How high can you climb and work on the ladder?

Do you want to just pay someone else to do work whenever possible?

What are your physical capabilities?

Can you operate equipment?

Would you rather do something yourself, if and when you can?

How do you feel about crawling and working in tight spaces?

Are you ready to get comfortable being a bit uncomfortable?

You can still ease out of your comfort zone, but to make the most of your time and budget, to be most profitable, Step 13 is the time to come to terms with your limitations.   

We learn by doing and through our missteps. I don’t mind sharing that I’ve made plenty of mistakes in my rehab career. I have accidentally ripped loose plumbing that caused water to flood my project; I’ve been jolted to attention when I touched electrical wires that were juiced—thankfully, these didn’t happen at the same time. I've also fallen from more than a few ladders, been stitched up in the emergency room, and have had to spend time and money fixing damage done accidentally. It happens.

I have over three decades of construction experience, twenty plus years working on my pig’s ears, and my state contracting license. I’ve taken on some really jacked-up properties and seen them through to completion. Yet, I still don't have all the answers. Just when I think I’m done with new curve balls, a different one comes my way. I still need to be ready for input from others from time to time. I try to consider these moments of humility as part of the adventure of renovating, and you should too.

          

          Know your limitations. Be open to getting help if and when you need it and when you can find it. You can hire contractors, tradespeople, engineers, and architects, but pump the brakes until you sort out the difference between your personal can and should. And if you give yourself the green light for Step 14, then grab your sledge, a crowbar, and some work gloves, because you’re now ready for demolition.