Home Repair and Fitness.

Home repair and Fitness… Who knew?

As some of you know I bought a condo two years ago. Living in my own place has been a great experience, I can't complain about that. There are, however, some big differences between renting a spot and owning your own place.

When something breaks in a rental, you just call up the landlord and it's magically (and freely) fixed. Forget about that in your own place! Also, when you own the place you get to make changes to it as opposed to most rentals. While trying to make this place my own, I've had the "pleasure" of making some pretty substantial cosmetic overhauls.

There are times when this whole process can be disheartening, to be honest. You read a book, watch a show on HGTV, get an idea in your head, and you think whatever you want to do will be a quick and easy job. Yeah right! Any of you who've done any sort of home remodeling know exactly how wrong that turns out to be!

Last night after fixing the plumbing in my kitchen sink and having to try, try and try the fix again… ahh success and only three bloody knuckles. (I had to finish it, otherwise I couldn't cook dinner!) I realized that remodeling a house isn't all that different from building the fit, lean body that you want.

1. You wouldn't start tearing apart your kitchen without a plan, would you? Well then why do you hit the gym and start ripping up your body without some forethought?

2. Setbacks happen when it comes to doing home repair. People accept and acknowledge that it's going to happen. The same thing happens on your fitness journey, as well.

3. When a setback happens to a major part of the house, you don't just ignore it and forget about it - Do you? No, you curse a little and then get back to work fixing it. It doesn't get much more important than your body, but people seem to drop out of fitness programs at the first site of adversity.

4. Do you expect your whole house to be primed, painted, recarpeted, have the hardware changed, retiled, and landscaped in a day? No, you sure don't. You take pleasure in the little accomplishments and changes. Yet when someone doesn't suddenly weigh ten pounds less after eating perfectly for a week… why does the two pounds they did lose mean nothing?!

5. There are some things I don't know how to do or am not confident enough in my abilities when it comes to remodeling a house. For example, down the road I have some fairly detailed tile work that needs to be done in my kitchen. I have never done any floor tile like that before, and if you mess it up then it's a big deal.

So instead of trying to learn, make mistakes, and just generally muck it up I'm going to call a professional to come in and save me mess, time, aggravation, and in the long run probably money. People have no problem with that and yet "don't need a personal trainer" when someone mentions working with a fitness professional. I just don't understand.

This "house" experience has taught me a lot of real-life skills as well as a lot about the philosophy of life. (And some minor first aide)But you know what, I wouldn't trade it for the world, but I might still swear at it a little bit.

Til next time…