As Good As It Gets

We just did a site visit for a project we’ll start in January. This is, without a doubt, the high point of the project.

Of any project.

The design is complete. The estimate has been accepted. The material is on-site. The excavation is done. Right now, I’m just imagining how these ancient stones will come together to form a beautiful wall.

At this moment, everything feels fresh, new, and full of potential. Like waking up on Christmas morning to a world of freshly fallen stone.

But I know better than to think this feeling will last.

Six weeks from now, things will feel different. We’ll be tired of the commute. The stones may not fit together as magically as we’d hoped. The clients will be eager to reclaim their mornings without the buzz of stone saws, the grind of excavators, and the endless ringing of steel hammers and chisels.

And that’s okay. It’s the natural progression of a project. The beginning, middle, and end all feel different, each with its own rhythm and challenges. If your spirits aren’t as high three-quarters of the way through as they were on day one, it doesn’t mean something’s wrong.

It just means you’re human. It means you’re doing creative work.