Flywheel - Design - Start with a Goal and a List – Ken Kunka

“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." ~ Lao-tzu

When planning your renovation, accessory building or dream home it is important to set goals and priorities. Start first with making the decision to remodel or build. That is the difference between a wish (dream) and a goal. A decision is required to start and has a deadline. A wish is transformed into a goal when you simply glue a date onto it. A goal has a date associated with it, and in order to make it happen by that date you have to do certain things -- in a certain order. So you develop a plan to get you from here to there, and each step has certain things that need to be done to complete it. So whether you want to build or create a working set of drawings for prices – set some goals.

Setting goals that you can look to will help fine tune your design and get you through the rough spots during the building process. Engage the entire family and have all members agree on this objective so that you can make it fun. There is nothing more disheartening than seeing couples argue during the design/ build process because they have not agreed on why they are actually building or renovating. This is what we call the “divorce dust” syndrome. Write at least three main goals down – what do you want to accomplish.

Next list all the things that you would like to have – your dream list. I personally have a library of magazines, books and articles that I have collected to help me develop my dream house and to assist others. Start a collection of articles, sketches, and photo’s and store them in your dream book. If you can, I would strongly suggest going to the Lower mainland and areas like West Vancouver and find what style and trends turn you on. When creating your dream list, think of homes that you have been in as a child, while on vacation or at friend’s homes. Don’t think about budget or how it will be built. Have all the family members create their own lists and then consolidate them. Slow down and make sure you have written everything down.

You may also want to compile a “never in my lifetime” list of things you could never have in your house. If you are renovating then you may also want to create a list of the things that are not working for you such as space or problems with the lighting, structure or plumbing etc.

Once you have created your dream list, go through it and sort the items that are musts, wants and pipe dreams. Brainstorm together and take a collective approach and learn to understand each family members desires. You will likely find that a lot of the items can be combined or may not be that important after all. Ranking them may also benefit you when trying to work out a budget. Take all the must items and ensure they will help you reach your goal(s). Expand every must in further detail, this is working towards your reality list which can be compared with the “never” or not working lists.

Having a clear vision of what you want and the specifics will greatly assist you in reviewing stock plans or communicating with your designer and or builder. A good designer or architect can help up refine your vision and find economical solutions to achieve your goals. They should be able to channel your ideas not design what they want, which can happen if you are not prepared. You could move into your house and find it’s not at all what you had in mind.


So remember:
1. Decide to start and set some goals.
2. Develop your objective and work as a team.
3. Create your dream list and book.
4. Create a never and or not working list.
5. Compare and refine these lists and confirm they will achieve your goal(s)

If you require assistance in setting your goals and building your list please contact us at info@flywheelbuildingsolutions.com or 250 859 6062.