Personal Restoration Renovation and Conservation: What Does it Mean?

Personal Restoration Renovation and Conservation: What Does it Mean?

Last week I announced a new series…or journey…a “Personal Restoration, Renovation, and Conservation” project. And even though I said that like an old home that has been a sweet shelter I have also aged, weathered some hard storms, and have become a bit of a fixer upper….but I didn’t really explain much else.

So let’s get to it.

First things first…what do the words “restoration”, “renovation”, and “conservation” mean as terms related to homes and buildings?

RESTORATION:

Restoration means to return something to its former condition, place, or position. When a restoration occurs a building is made like new again. It isn’t turned into something different, but rather, is returned to its original splendor.

The main focus of a restoration is to preserve as much of the original material as possible.

(Examples include: removing carpet to reveal the original wood flooring or peeling off wall paper and restoring walls to the previous paint color)

RENOVATION:

Renovation means the process of repairing and improving a structure to a better state or condition. Renew, restore, refresh, and update are all words that can be used to describe renovations.

The main focus of a renovation is to update and renew rather than restore a building to its original condition.

(Examples include: adding indoor plumbing to a building where there was none or updating electrical wiring to meet safety codes)

CONSERVATION:

Conservation means the prevention of decay, waste, injury, or loss. Simply put, conservation is when you keep something from running out. Conservation is closely related to the term preservation.

The main focus of conservation is to protect resources so that they will be around for generations to come.

(Examples include: putting tar around a foundation to keep water from leaking inside or putting a sealant on weathered exterior brickwork to keep it from further erosion from the elements)

Ok…so now that we have defined the terms how do they relate to us and our personal journey to reestablish ourselves in this ever changing world?

Personal Renovation Restoration and Conservation: What Does it Mean?

Here’s how I see it:

RESTORATION:

Over the years, careers, and changing family dynamics what have I lost or had damaged that I would like to “return to its original splendor”?

Restoration is about preserving as much as the original material as possible…what material do I have left to work with…that I can revitalize?

This can be something as easy to identify as an old hobby that has been forgotten: jogging, scrapbooking, or drawing.

It can be something as complex to pinpoint and recover as finding your lost optimism, reclaiming your hope, or becoming reacquainted with your sense of humor.

Or it can be as simple as a habit that has fallen out of being a habit such as journaling, prayer, or a bedtime routine.

The goal here is to find what was lost through the years…the things that you want back…even if there is only a tiny scrap of material left…and bring those things back to their original splendor!

(How amazing would it be to reclaim the boundless confidence and imagination of my youth? I don’t know…I can’t even imagine…but I can remember…and that might be scrap enough to work with.)

RENOVATION:

The world has changed…and keeps changing. Some of these changes are wonderful and great. Other changes are terrifying and unbalancing. Some of these changes are global, some are local, some are inside are my own family and others are health and wellness changes occurring within my own body.

So what do I do in this new environment?

What changes can I make to bring myself “up to code” so to speak?

How can I get “my structure” into a better state or condition?

The answers to these questions will, of course, be different for each one of us. But answers could include things like: taking community education courses, finding a place that makes you feel great to volunteer at, buying and wearing more sensible shoes, limiting time on social media, drinking more water, watching what you consume…both in terms of food and what you read and engage in, starting a gratitude journal, going back to school, seeking out a positive friend/support group, trying a new exercise routine…that you will enjoy, going to counseling, etc. etc. etc.

The goal here is to update and get myself into a “better state or condition”…and that not only will look different for each of us…but will also take some thought and soul searching.

CONSERVATION:

Conservation equals preservation and protection.

And, for me this one might be both the most important and hardest part of the journey.

It is here I need to set boundaries and limits. I need to prioritize and understand my finite resources of time, capacity, and financial ability.

It is here I need to understand the importance of my physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health. Because it is important.

Because those things deserve…and desperately need to be preserved and protected if I intend to be the best version of myself.

So it is here I need to ask perhaps the hardest questions: From where do I bleed? What/who is draining me? What boundaries need to be set or strengthened? From where do I invite negativity? What of my resources need to be conserved…and how can I best protect them?

The focus of conservation isn’t about hoarding or selfishness…it is about wisely keeping enough fuel in your tank…because if you can’t help yourself you can’t really help anyone else.

It’s about living our best life sustainably.

*****

Over the next days, weeks, months, year…I will post more.

More explanations, stories, updates, etc. on this journey.

My world has and will continue to change and I’m in need of an update, a reboot, a protection plan.

I, as I have said, have become a bit of a fixer upper.

However, I don’t feel alone at this cross road. I suspect there are other travelers out here with me. And I believe that we can (and will) restore, renovate, and preserve ourselves…and help others to do the same along the way.

******If you would like to read the original post about this journey you can just click HERE.