Under Construction

I can say with confidence that I don’t have too many vices. However, I will admit, without some well-focused self-control, sweet tea could be an addiction for me.

I gave up soda years ago, but about once a month, I allow myself to enjoy that Southern goodness. It usually happens when I work from home, have been in my office for days on end, and need to get out of the house. To my delight, the fast-food restaurant with the best sweet tea in my area is about a five-minute drive.

Last week, I was prepping for several upcoming events. I hit a mental wall and knew I needed a brain break. I hopped in the car to satisfy my caffeine and sugar cravings.  

As I approached the restaurant, something didn’t look right. The parking lot – usually packed with family cars – was filled with construction vehicles. I made my way to the restaurant entrance, only to notice a large sign announcing they were closed while under construction.

There are a few important facts that you need to know about this particular establishment. First, their drive-through design is a mess. When you exit the drive-through, you can only turn right, but the interstate is to the left, and people constantly ignore this rule. It’s a major car accident waiting to happen.

Second, to enter the drive-through lane, you must first circle the entire parking lot. This means that customers who park their cars have a hard time backing out with a long line of cars blocking them in. I have witnessed a few close calls followed by aggressive horn honking and fist (or maybe finger) waving.

And lastly, there is one more major hurdle to name. The lane to exit the parking lot crosses over the lane to get into the area where you place your drive-through order. Imagine two lanes next to each other; the lane on the left turns right, and the lane on the right turns left! It makes no sense.

All that to say, being under construction made sense to me.

I returned home with some less-than-impressive gas station sweet tea. Then, I looked up the restaurant's Facebook page to see if they had announced when they would reopen. I found a post saying they would be doing renovations for about a month.

But then I made a tragic mistake. You know what I am talking about. You’ve done it too. It is just so tempting! I clicked on the comments of this post. I know better.

I was stunned at what I read. “Why would you do this in the summer?” “Don’t you know school is out?” “I need an explanation of what is going on!” “Who made this decision?” “At a minimum, you should have stayed open for take-out orders!”

Here is what I know; it is always the right time to do the right thing. It seems clear to me that their employees' and customers' safety was in question. The franchise owner is losing money right now, but this was the right thing to do.

At some point, the leader of this restaurant had to say, “We are shutting this down and making it right.”

It doesn’t matter if you are leading a country, a company, a family, or simply leading YOURSELF; being under construction is a good thing, and it is a decision that no one can make for you.

People in my community believe it is inconvenient that this restaurant is under construction. People around you may find it inconvenient when you are under construction. Your decision to grow, to be better, and to invest in yourself will often be met with criticism from others. Low performers are uncomfortable with the growth of high performers. Your investment in yourself may feel inconvenient to them but do it anyway.

This restaurant wasn’t safe for people, and the leader made a change. I am aware that when I fail to prioritize my growth, I am not a safe place for others. There are times in my life when I need to shut things down so I can better serve those around me. There will be critics, but they are not who I am focused on.

The next time you see a sign announcing that a space is under construction, I hope it will serve as a reminder that you, too, need to live a life that is under construction.

Wherever you are on your journey, I want you to consider the ways that you want to grow. The Facebook comments may say otherwise, but it is always the right time for you to choose to be under construction.  

High-performing people embrace “under construction” as a healthy life motto.

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