DIY & Values – A Life to Love at Any Age
“Every Day is a School Day”
They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but at 52, I’m here to tell you that’s a load of rubbish.
I’ve spent the last few weeks "sprucing up" the client rooms for the pending launch of The Eden Rooms. It’s been a process of skill-building, head-scratching, and – if I’m being honest – the occasional desire to throw the tools out the window and call it a day. This project has me reflecting on how change is never a straight line.
We often talk about "change" and "healing" as if they are purely emotional shifts. But here’s the no-nonsense truth: Healing is a skill set. Change requires a new skill set. To change your life, you have to learn new ways of thinking and doing, even when those skills are completely outside your usual wheelhouse. You have to stick with it when you’ve had enough, when you’re "over it," and when you feel like the task at hand is well above your pay grade.
The Compass: Why I Always Start with Values
When you want something in life – anything from a small shift in your habits right through to home renovations – your values are your compass. They are the behaviors you choose to live by in order to achieve an outcome. Then, when you get triggered, the lights get low, and you lose your way (which happens to the best of us), you need that guiding compass to bring you back on track.
If you don’t know what your values are today – not what your parents imprinted on you, but who you are right now – you’re navigating in the dark. And it’s time to change that.
For this project, I leaned hard on three of mine:
Freedom: I needed a space that reflected my energy, my style, and my unique taste – not a clinical collective. I chose to build this at home because I value the freedom to choose how I live and how I show up for my clients.
Challenge: I had never laid a floor. I had never transformed a bathroom or turned a wardrobe door into a chalkboard. But growth lives in the challenge. To evolve, I had to be willing to be a beginner again.
Persistence: My "trusty pal." This project has taken three times longer than planned. I hit brick walls. I even copped a speeding ticket heading back from Ballarat after dropping off the sander.
Tinkerbell isn’t coming to finish the trim, and there are no fairies at the bottom of my garden to do the heavy lifting. It’s just me, resolutely moving forward despite the hiccups.
The View from the Finish Line
Making changes often brings a specific kind of exhaustion – one that exacerbates right before the finish line. That’s the point where the "newness" has worn off and it’s just pure grit keeping you going. But I’m here to tell you: it’s worth it.
As I look at the progress photos, the corners of my mouth curl up. I’m in awe, to be honest. It’s bloody amazing what you can do when you stop making excuses and start learning.
I know many of you are sitting in ambivalence. One half of you is desperate for change; the other half is "comfortable in the uncomfortable," held back by a lack of skills (and an old narrative). But trust me: as a woman who has made a "matzo" of mistakes and adopted the motto “every day is a school day,” I believe the work is worth it.
I am 52 years old. I am having the love of my life – with myself, my house, my garden, and my fur babies. I feel at peace, I find joy in the smallest things that light me up inside.
That feeling is available to you, too. But you have to be willing to pick up the tools and do the work. Start by checking in with yourself: What values do you have today that guide your choices and get you to where you want to be?
I can’t wait to welcome you here. I want you to put your feet on my magnificent new wood floor and feel connected. This space is uniquely set in my gardens – cosseted, grounded, and filled with a rejuvenating, restorative force of energy.
See you soon,
Fleur Elizabeth
