Imagine the work required to move a large solid wood dining room table, chairs, and all the other pieces of furniture out of the dining room. Imagine unload book shelves, desk, and piano out the study-office. Imagine the mess created to tear out the wood floor laid only 2-3 years ago.
Imagine the mess and noise created as new wood floor is installed and sanded. Imagine the smell that comes from re-staining; being driven out of your home as the finish coat(s) are applied to the new wood floor.
Now, imagine what you would like to have done with the money spent on re-placing that nearly new, solid oak, wood floor. Okay, the cost may not have funded a vacation to Hawaii; still the inconvenience of the process just described is not cool especially if it can be avoided.
Imagine a musty smell as you pass through the laundry room and going to the garage. Imagine noticing your wood floor starting to cup in a few places and wondering about it. Imagine you noticed . . . but did nothing.
Return to paragraph one; that’s what it takes to fix it…now!
Can you imagine noticing all those indicators but instead of ignoring them you stopped and asked yourself a few simple questions? The answers allowed you tracked down the source of the musty smell…a stopped up floor drain in the garage where your air conditioning coil dumps the condensation during humid summer days. (You know what; there is a lot of water extracted from humid air.)
Now where does a steady stream of water go when it can’t leave via the assigned route, the floor drain? It silently seeps between the concrete and ¾ inch plywood…the plywood absorbs the water and shares it with the beautiful ¾ inch solid oak wood floor in the dining room and study-office.
Note: once a tree is no longer a tree it is best to keep water away from it unless you want a very rustic look with your hardwood floor!
What’s the point of this true story? Yes, remember to check your condensation pipe and floor drain each spring. Ah, but there is more.
How well are you paying attention to life’s feedback? In this story, the feedback arrived as a musty smell, moisture in the garage and a little cupping of my wood floor.
Why so much damage? I was busy and did not take time to reflect on the feedback. I missed the message behind all the feedback until the damage was done!
What do I have now? Experience! Yes, newly installed wood floors, but less cash in my pocket and significant inconvenience.
What have I learned? Check the air conditioner line and floor drain each spring to be sure they are draining properly. Ah, but there is more.
The best predictor of future success is the ability and willingness to learn and change through consistent reflection on truth delivered through feedback, experience, success, and failure.
So what feedback is life sending you these days? How busy are you? What will the damage be?
Feedback comes from a lot of sources, for example what might be the message from:
- A bounced check or late fees?
- A relationship that is filled with conflict?
- Trouble sleeping at night?
- Not enjoy “going to work” anymore?
- Your habit of finishing other people’s sentences for them?
- Your reality: “They can never get it ‘right’ at the office.”
- High turnover in your division?
- Less laughter and more wrinkles on your forehead?
What if you’re so busy you don’t hear or see the feedback? What might that cost you? How can you avoid some of life’s mess?
Your future success is predictable. If you have time and place to consistently reflect on experience, feedback, success, and failure…especially failure. And if you have a support system that encourages your ability and willingness to learn and change, then success is in your future!
What happens if you are too busy to reflect?
Do you know someone who does wood floors?
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