Today I replaced a door handle assembly. It took me 15 mins.
You would have had no idea why that’s notable, but it’s been broken for about 8 months.
I fear home repair projects. All of them. Any of them. I hate them.
In the past, I have fallen short on most projects. I have zero confidence in my ability to repair things. Never had confidence in this area. I avoid home repair like a disease.
Pure terror.
I am grateful to have a neighbor who enjoys fixing things and bails me out a lot. He is a fantastic human being. Because I “fail” at home improvement projects I often feel I am not. I thought about asking Jim to replace this handle. I did not.
I have successfully led organizations of 120 people, in $350 million businesses. I completed Marine Corps Boot Camp and thrived in the finest fighting force in the world.
But I fear home improvement projects. And I mean it makes my stomach turn just thinking about them. Nauseous.
Before I even begin, I feel like a failure. And that feeling of failure flows into every aspect of my life. It has caused me pain daily. I often feel weak, when I have had many accomplishments in which to be proud.
This handle had claimed victory over me.
Until today. Today I replaced a broken handle. Not a big deal to most, but today, this is an accomplishment for me. Because I am aiming to overcome fear, starting small.
I finally stopped putting it off and faced my fears. I actually noted it as my #1 task for today.
A calendar clearing activity. Insignificant to most, but not to me.
Project accomplished with no failure or bloodshed. It was painless. 8 months of delay fixed in 15 minutes.
Today I fear home improvement less.
And that is a win I feel inside.
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This post was previously published on Mike Kitko and is republished here with permission from the author.
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