Learning to hit the curveball - working through stress - bontrager builders group - Pensacola, Florida

Learning To Hit The Curve Ball

Sometimes life comes at us like a fastball. Straightforward. Right down the middle. We as individuals and as a business can get into the swing of a rapid life. But then, life can throw us the old-fashioned curveball. We swing, we miss, and we are out.

Bontrager Builders Group is currently working on a large commercial project in the Pensacola, FL region. My staff along with the commercial facility’s staff meet weekly for an early morning meeting to stay in the same playbook. A few weeks ago, my construction superintendent noted how he gets everything lined up and ready to go for the coming week – and then the inevitable curveball comes in and throws the plans for a loop. Another person in the meeting commented, “You just need to learn to hit the curveball!”

That is all well and good, but what can we do to make sure our swing connects?

Break the stressing-out cycle

Issues with a project can easily cause a bit of stress. Stress can often be cyclical. Why exactly are we feeling stressed about a situation? Is it something that we can control or is it something we have to push through with the understanding that we just have to get out from under it? Stress and busyness are a normal part of our everyday life – however, we need to be cautious to not allow them to overtake us. Often, when working on projects, the list of ‘to-dos’ can quickly become a source of that stress. Our team often uses the satisfaction of completing a project-related task as motivation to move onward.

Be prepared to adapt

The motto of the Boy Scouts is “Be Prepared.” Ask any Scout or Scouter and they will quickly assure you that the best plans can quickly meet reality. (A relaxing camping trip can be quickly turned into a field test for rain gear by a passing thunderstorm.) The motto speaks more to a mindset than it does anything else. Be prepared. Make notes and plan ahead, but do so with the full understanding that you may have to pivot when it comes to execution. The day’s construction plan may call for the installation of the kitchen renovation’s granite countertops on Thursday, but you may have to work on another segment of the project if the supplier comes up short. The shortages and unpredictability seen in the building materials market have kept us on our toes recently. When issues that require a solution rear their head in any renovation or construction project – that’s ok! It’s a normal part of anything intricate. We accept the issue and work through the solution. When you’ve been in the business for more than twenty-five years, you have seen it before and you know you will see it again. You have to acknowledge the challenges of any job and tackle them with the same high attention to detail every time. Find consistency in life’s inconsistencies!


In baseball, a curveball can throw the batter for a loop. However, once it is thrown by them again and again, they can quickly dial in their swing to hit the ball out of the park. That is what the Bontrager Builders Group strives to do each day on every new construction and renovation project we are asked to undertake. Our attention to detail and ability to adapt to the tastes of any client has made us one of Northwest Florida’s premier luxury custom homebuilders. Interested in our services?

Give us a call at 850-444-9797 to set up a free consultation, or shoot us an email by clicking here. We’d love to bring your dream space to life!