Have you ever started the day with a perfectly reasonable to-do list, only to have something happen that threw the whole thing out the window?

I recently needed to can some tomatoes before leaving on a trip. I had three jars ready, but I wanted a full canner, so I grabbed a giant can of what I thought were whole tomatoes from the pantry.

It was tomato paste.

I kicked myself for about thirty seconds, then figured I might as well make tomato sauce. Ten extra quarts and three canner loads later, I finally finished around midnight. So much for saving time.

Furniture flipping can be a lot like that.

You start with a picture in your head of what a piece will become. Then the paint doesn't look right, a repair takes longer than expected, or you realize the design simply isn't working.

That's what happened with a dresser I was turning into a cat condo. My first design was awful. I tried another direction and didn't like that either.

Instead of forcing myself to finish something I didn't love, I walked away for a few days.

When I came back, I changed direction again and started adding layers, stencils, metallics, and whatever else struck my fancy. I spent a couple of weeks enjoying the process.

Now that cat condo sits in my office, and I wouldn't sell it for anything.

Here's the lesson: A plan that goes wrong isn't necessarily a project that's failed.

Sometimes you need to change direction. Sometimes you need to walk away for a while. And sometimes you discover that the unexpected result is better than what you originally imagined.

If you're in the frustrating middle of a furniture makeover, don't quit just because things aren't going according to plan.

You haven't seen what all that learning can turn into yet. - there is hope!

Listen to Episode 57

I'm sharing more about interruptions, perseverance, pricing your furniture, and learning to enjoy the journey.

Hit play below to listen.