Remodel magazine, a Better Homes & Gardens Special Interest Publication, October/November 2006
Do You Have DRADD
(Decorating & Remodeling ADD)?
by Teri Cettina
Why is it so easy to get inspired to remodel but so hard to actually finish the project?
Case in point: You're halfway through a decorative paint job on a flea-market dresser when inspiration hits--the color of the dresser's new drawer pulls would make a perfect tile color for your bathroom! In the blink of an eye, you've left the dresser and are demolishing your shower stall. Or you’ve replaced your kitchen cabinets, countertops, and floor but never dealt with those hideous aluminum windows. Why? You were overtaken by the urge to repaint your dining room--again.
Sound familiar? If so, you may be suffering from DRADD, or Decorating and Remodeling Attention Deficit Disorder.
OK, so DRADD isn't an actual psychological disorder. But if you’ve ever been caught in the manic grip of more than one home remodeling project at a time, you’d probably say it feels like a real syndrome. Here are some common causes of DRADD and smart ways to beat it:
Challenge: You want a quick fix.
Are you hooked on home-makeover television shows? If so, you may subconsciously expect your house to be revamped in a weekend or less. You love the excitement of new home projects, but you’re too impatient to bother with the finishing strokes.
Solution: Become a finisher.
Life coach and author Cheryl Richardson, author of The Unmistakable Touch of Grace (Free Press) believes quick-fix addicts get discouraged by what she calls A-to-Z thinking. “We’re so focused on the end result (the ‘Z’) of a project that we feel frustrated when the work doesn’t zip along as quickly as we’d like,” she says. Your best bet is to break down your project into bite-size chunks. As you complete a task, give yourself a gold star or do whatever gives you the “done that!” rush. That way, Richardson says, you can feel the adrenaline of accomplishment every day.
Challenge: You're an avid multi-tasker.
If you’re a woman, your brain is naturally wired to keep track of multiple projects (your kids' dental appointments, meal plans, your own work, etc.). As such, you also may be tempted to juggle many different remodeling projects at a time.
Solution: Keep good lists and a remodeling buddy on speed-dial.
First, you don’t necessarily need to stop multitasking. Hannah Keeley, author of Hannah’s Art of Home (Capital Books) calls people like you “creative spirits.” She believes it’s part of your nature to have many interesting ideas at once. However, you should keep detailed remodeling to-do lists. You can still flit from project to project, but you’ll always know where you left off and what remains to be done.
To push a project to completion, try adopting a remodeling buddy. Remodeling buddies force you to be accountable to someone other than yourself. Talk regularly with your buddy about what you’ve accomplished on your project and what help you need to keep going.
Full article text available upon request.
[<<< Back to Teri Cettina Writing Portfolio]
