Girl on Beach Looking Over Water

Commit to just one baby step

Girl on Beach looking out at water and horizon
Photo by Kelly Sikkema

I love finishing. Using the last of the toothpaste and depositing the empty tube in the recycling bin gives me an odd satisfaction. Checking an item off my To-Do list? Fantastic.

But, I dig in my heels when it comes to starting new things, especially when technology is involved. Millions of businesses are helping their customers by publishing short videos online. Recording and editing are easier than ever. Yet, I continued to resist this valuable way to connect with my customers for years. Part of it was plain old fear of looking bad. Another part was not wanting to take on the technology.

This week I will publish my first video. How did I get over the hump? By committing to finishing one tiny thing. I promised myself (and my mastermind group) that I would record a short video every day. I did not commit to showing it to anyone or polishing it up until it was perfect. Baby steps. After about three days, it was no big deal. I turned on the camera and started talking, and the next step was easier.

What does this have to do with interior design? An interior design project is multi-faceted. It's complex and expensive. You don't have to figure it out all at once. You just have to take one baby step, and then another.

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2 comments

I love that phrase, Teresa, “learn as you grow.”

Jackie Lopey, Wide Canvas

Such a great reminder to me. I have a tendency to want to run then crawl, but baby steps are such an important place in life to learn as you grow.

Teresa

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About the author

She didn't know it, but Jackie Lopey's days as an advertising executive were numbered when she bought and renovated a 1950's bungalow. She soon went back to school and started her own design studio. Jackie is an award-winning, California certified interior designer and the founder of Wide Canvas.

As a California Certified Interior Designer, Jackie Lopey is qualified to plan, design, and document nonstructural, non-seismic interior work—including space planning, finish and fixture specifications, and interior construction documents suitable for permit submittal by clients and their licensed design professionals—within existing buildings in the state. Her services include programming client needs, developing code‑aware layouts, preparing detailed interior drawings and specifications for licensed contractors, and guiding the installation of finishes and furnishings.

In Nevada, Wide Canvas provides design consulting focused on selections and visualizations, helping you choose cabinetry, surfaces, fixtures, furnishings, and finishes that fit your style and budget. The team develops clear concept layouts, mood boards, and 3D views to communicate design intent, and then collaborates with licensed design and construction professionals so they can translate those ideas into compliant plans and a successful build.

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