For the past few months, the health club I go to has been under renovation. The swimming pool was closed for a week; the locker rooms have been redesigned; the walls were stripped and painted; and the carpeting was replaced.

Some members have begun to grumble about the inconvenience. But I'm actually enjoying it. Perhaps I'm living vicariously for the day when my husband and I can redo our home. I like seeing the physical evidence of progress in a chaotic world: A new coat of paint symbolizes hope and renewal.

Every company should renovate over its lifetime, too. Fail to do so, and you'll fall out of step with customers. Here's a short quiz about the kind of renovation your business may require:

1. Have your systems become routines that no longer serve you or customers well?
2. Does your office environment drain your energy because it's cluttered, messy, shabby, or inefficient?
3. Are you deferring changes to your system or improvements to the office for lack of money and time -- or concern about the disruption to day-to-day operations?
4. Do you need to move your location or alter your approach to boost the business to the next level? Must you give up something positive to expand? (For example, leaving the comfort of working from home for a larger facility.)
5. What risks are you willing -- or not willing -- to take? Do your partners, employees, customers, and spouse support investing in a significant renovation?
6. How strong is your long-term commitment to your business? Will you likely receive a positive return from your investment over time?
7. Is there a higher priority in your life than the business evolution that needs more attention and resources?
8. Can you manage with gradual, less expensive improvements, or is it time for a major overhaul?

FALLOUT. Renovating a business is risky. Take my health club: It will probably enroll fewer new members and spend more money this year than budgeted -- a common reconstruction hazard.

But there are ways to minimize risk: You can generously estimate costs, garner support of customers, employees, and family members, carefully screen contractors, and plan well before you turn the business upside down. My health club offered a membership extension in exchange for a contribution to the renovation fund, for example. However, no matter how careful or creative you are, physical renovation is disruptive.

Then there's the internal renovation, which every successful business owner must do. A client we'll call Jim brought this to mind a few days ago:

Jim is a business coach who is experiencing the kind of incongruity that sparks an internal renovation. He is challenging his clients to take excellent care of themselves and to make life-affirming decisions. Yet, he's neglecting his own physical well-being. Jim is also moving his business two steps ahead and one step back, sabotaging and slowing down his success. He's doing so because, he admits, "if I am going to be successful as a coach, I have a responsibility to do a great deal of inner work that I'm not sure I want to do."

For Jim, "putting a fresh coat of paint" over his appearance and personal habits isn't sufficient: If he wants to be a superior coach and teach by example, he must renovate himself to a much greater degree. That takes courage and dedication for the business owner, his co-workers, and his family. If you live or work with someone going through this kind of inner turmoil, you know what I mean. He may be brooding, quick-tempered, or fatigued. After weeks or months of emotional upheaval, both the owner and those around him wonder if the old model wasn't better. It was certainly easier in some regards.

Still, you can hide behind new coats of paint for only so long. If you want to be excellent at what you do, you will likely disrupt yourself and those around you while you push to higher standards. And on those difficult days, wouldn't it be great if you could wear a sign that says: "Under renovation, please be patient with me while I complete necessary improvements!"

Have a question on how to handle the pressures of running a business and the impact on your personal life, marriage, and family? Contact Azriela Jaffe at AZ@azriela.com. Please put "BW Online question" in the subject field. Your real name will be kept confidential if you request, but please give an E-mail address, phone number, and your hometown so she can contact you for more information. Because of heavy volume, Azriela cannot guarantee that she will answer every query.

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