Beyond sandpaper: a lesson from my summer RV renovation
The Sacred Cubicle RV Renovation
It turned out that this summer I needed a project to work on. Since the inception of Pinterest's early days, I've harbored a fascination for RV makeovers, nurturing a dedicated board for this very purpose. We have a Forest River FR3, and while it was used when we purchased it in late 2017, it looked immaculate. If you know anything about RVs, you know they are generally not made with high quality products. Three years into our FR3 ownership, our leather cushions began flaking and falling apart. Turns out, this is fairly common. So this summer, I decided to deal with my cushions and, while I was at it, do a complete RV renovation.
I can develop a business model, find organizational efficiencies or provide you with leadership coaching, but my husband is the family engineer, so embarking on this project was a first. At the start, I barely knew how to hold a drill. So, I watched TikTok and YouTube, read RV renovation websites, searched out products, and made trip after trip to Home Depot. I asked questions of my husband and others, and I learned things I never expected to know. One such thing is that sandpaper is not created equal. There are actually different kinds of sandpaper. Sandpaper grit measures the coarseness of the sandpaper, and depending on what you are sanding, you use a different grit. If you use coarse sandpaper on a delicate surface, you can ruin it. I had to purchase three different sandpaper grits to sand the various materials in our RV. When I incorrectly used the 80-grit sandpaper, when I should have used the 320 grit, I ended up with scratched veneer. Repairing those scratches took more products and more time.
The renovation was challenging, but it was so rewarding. I learned how to use hardware tools for the first time, made decisions on decor, and went to bed dead tired every night from all the manual labor. While it's not 100% complete, at this point, I can proudly say that I have my first-ever RV renovation under my belt.
Throughout this transformative renovation, I couldn't help but draw parallels to investing energy in people. Guiding individuals through their professional and personal journeys, and witnessing their flourishing, has long been a source of joy for me. Just as there are differences between laminate, veneer, and solid wood, there are differences in people. They are unique. They have different beliefs, life experiences, and personalities. These factors make coaching an individual in their development more nuanced, and it can't be done with a simple cookie-cutter approach. Just like with using the proper sandpaper grit, a good coach will reach into their toolkit, select the appropriate method and adjust their approach to fit the individual before them.
Helping people meet their goals is a joy and an expression of goodness in the workplace. Sometimes leaders and coaches think they can help the employee or client but lose sight of the reality that they will also grow. While we live in a hierarchical world, we can create an atmosphere of equality in coaching because coaching for success is a relational investment in time and energy for both parties. This means that both people can be transformed during the process. When working towards our goals and becoming the best versions of ourselves, we do the best work for God and others.
We reside in a self-help culture, but we have been put on this earth to be in community, to grow together, and become more Christ-like. That means we exhibit love for others, experience joy in our vocation, maintain a peaceful spirit, have patience with those around us, demonstrate unwavering kindness, see goodness flow out of us, show gentleness that comforts others, have faithfulness to God and self-control in our actions. In addition to these behaviors, we are also to work diligently at getting better at our craft. We are to focus on becoming more skilled in our work, being good teammates, and using our gifts and talents to do the best job possible.
Returning to my RV remodel, I started out with a general idea of what I wanted. As I said earlier, I needed to gain more skills, so I consulted others, got some help in certain places, and methodically took apart much of this RV and put it back together. It was not without blood (I dropped the drill on my toe), sweat (it was 95 degrees), and a few tears (frustration ran high at moments), but learning new things was amazing, and looking at the final product was more rewarding than I dreamed.
I believe that the work we do on this earth is sacred and I believe the tools we use and the people that we surround ourselves with are akin to selecting the right sandpaper for the job. They need to help us on this sacred journey. It took hours for me to fix the scratches in the veneer. I had to go back and repeat many steps over and over; that's what can happen when we are stuck. The journey becomes muddy, we become stagnant, and we often take steps back instead of forward.
Just like I invested time with the RV, you can invest time in reaching your goals. Are you feeling stuck where you are? Are you burned out and want to do something new or rediscover the passion you once had for your work? Perhaps, you just want to figure out how to improve your relationship with a coworker or even your leader. Pick a short-term goal, and work towards fulfilling it. Find a development coach, talk to a friend, and always remember your work is sacred. Do it with joy, love, and kindness.
Here are some pictures of the renovation. I think this RV is my new sacred cubicle. (Also note: A few things are still in progress, kitchen backsplash, counter-tops and some final touches in the bedroom)
A very special thanks to Faith Romasco and my husband, David, for helping me so much! I couldn't have done it without you!
