#053 - When to push on someone

I started a kitchen renovation in May of this year. For the most part it has been a great experience. To see the change from an outdated and poorly laid out room to a useful, beautifully designed kitchen makes me feel great. I now have a kitchen that encourages me to cook, which is not something I expected. With new appliances and plenty of counter space it makes it nearly impossible to come up with excuses to not cook. As much as I want to complain about paying too much and the project taking too long, in the end it will be a worthwhile investment.

The contractor we hired to complete the project has been great for the large part. Can you tell there's a huge but 🍑 coming? While about 95% of the project is done, the remaining 5% has been excruciatingly difficult to complete. Sometimes they say they will show up and then don't which makes things infuriating. I am used to this type of work because of my ADD/ADHD. Today, I struggled with the question about whether or not to send an email that voices my frustration. Do I send a somewhat strongly worded email and risk offending someone? That is probably not going to happen, but it still is something I think about in any situation. However, I risk becoming a door mat. I should stick up for myself sometimes and advocate for myself. Working with contractors (or anyone for that matter) means you only get what you ask for. Otherwise you get the bare minimum. They are not going to go above and beyond and that's ok. This is an exercise in advocating for your best interests. If I do nothing it will probably get done, but not in the timeline that I think it will. Stick up for yourself and ask for what you need.