Our #1 tip of all time to overcome your DIY fears…..
Alright so you have the bug. You have a plan, task or project in mind to tackle but maybe you’re a little bit new to doing it yourself (DIY). Maybe even the thought of getting your groove on and going after the challenge you’ve written on that Post-it and stuck to your bathroom mirror is giving you a little angst……a few uncomfortable jitters. Or, maybe you’ve been around the DIY block a lap or three and you’re about to take on something you’ve…NEVER…DONE…BEFORE…..heaven forbid. It can happen to anyone really. Whether you’re seasoned in the fine art of “making stuff happen” or newly energized by the seemingly endless horizon of “stuffs” to make happen in your own life, that twinge of sudden panic, or dare I say fear, can sneak up on you and steal all of the good clean fun right out of your DIY party.
Regardless of the source of your fear, there is a very simple fix. I personally love “simple fixes” and this one tops them all by far. So here’s the deal…this fear thingy…anxiety…jitters…whatever or however you want to name it, is really a byproduct of our own thoughts and sometimes these thoughts aren’t even bad thoughts. For example, it’s not unreasonable to have a little anxiety or stress over re-wiring or adding an electrical outlet if you haven’t the slightest idea how those handy little things work. In fact, it can be argued in some cases, that anxiety or twinge of fear is a handy flashing warning light to heed. Am I right here? Say you do ignore that “I have no clue” warning light and just plow right in to pulling wires and connecting up one of those nice spanky new outlets you just bought at the local hardware store. Sooner rather than later you’ll manage to hook up to “hot sauce heaven” while inconveniently touching all the wrong wire ends…..and in the blink of an eye you’re buzzing at 60 cycles per second and swearing like a trucker. Spontaneously spitting out words you haven’t heard in at least a week and who knows who will be right there to witness the whole thing. Hopefully you won’t see your happy-skippy five year old later, recreating the whole event word for word, while playing imaginary fix-it games in toy land. There’s a better way to do this but first, remember to keep it S.I.M.P.L.E. Start first by practicing the basics.
Then, the #1 best “take this into warp drive” fix for overcoming any sort of project anxiety is…..go help someone else do what you want to do. Volunteer your time to help someone else get their job done. When you do this, you avail yourself to all kinds of bennies and goodies on the platter of cosmic treats.
- Obviously you get a chance to build good solid bonds with friends.
- Sometimes you make memories that last a lifetime.
- You get the bonus prize of a chance to see how it works.
- You get another bonus prize to see how to get it done.
- Maybe you get the secret bonus prize of seeing how not to get it done.
- You get some very, very coveted practice.
- Since you’re not on anyone’s payroll, the pressure is off and you can ask all kinds of questions.
- Very often the favor of your help can be returned and you can double team your own job to make it easier.
- You get to do your part in making the world a better place by spreading the DIY love.
Volunteering to pitch in on someone else’s project is a practice that helps everyone and adds real value back into the community itself. It’s a win-win-win.
If you’ve already done this, share your stories in the comments below. If you’re about to go help someone, good for you. Then tell us how it goes as soon as you can. If you need some help, maybe we can help you somehow, so don’t be afraid to post your questions here. It’s why we’re here in the first place.
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