A Welcomed Addition: DIY
I don’t think anyone should ever limit themselves when it comes to learning new skills. While the same goes for hobbies and interests, I think that learning to do things yourself makes life a whole lot more simple, less stressful, and most importantly (not really) saves you some time and money. That’s why I’ve decided to learn something new this week: how to true my bike wheels (the one thing I don’t know how to do).
Think of skills as investments. Just as you would put money in the bank, putting time into learning how to do something can benefit you ten fold in the future. The key for me is using my Rule of Thirds : it’s good to learn how to do about 2/3 of things by yourself, and it’s probably best to outsource 1/3 of your tasks.
Learning how to do things yourself is a great way to become more independent, and has some added benefits as well:
You cut out the middleman. Lots of people flock to farmer’s markets because the produce is not only fresh, but cheap. It’s cheap because it’s being sold from the farmer to the customer, and one whole profit-making party (the distributor or grocery store) has been left out. Think of the problem as the farmer and the solution as you. If you don’t have to bring in a specialist (or grocery store in this metaphor), you’ll be simplifying the chain of events and saving yourself time and money in the process.
You better understand how the things in your life work. This goes for anything from grinding coffee to installing software. If you do it yourself, and something goes wrong, you’ll have an easier time troubleshooting and fixing the problem fast. You’ll also understand your things better, and that will help you become a more informed consumer because you’ll know what qualities to look for in the things you buy.
You’ll save time. This one’s fairly simple. No appointments, no week long wait where you cant use your thing, etc.
You’ll form a bond with the things you own. I am absolutely fascinated with the relationships we have with our possessions, I love most of my possessions, and I do not think this is materialistic at all. The reason is that at the root of everything, we’re just not very strong breed. We don’t have talons or claws, and we can’t run fast or jump high. As naked, unarmed human beings, we’d be pretty defenseless in the animal world. What we do have is the intelligence to make the tools we need to prosper. I think that there’s a difference between possessions and things- “possessions” serve purposes and help us learn and achieve goals, whereas “things” are superfluous and prevent us from learning and being productive. By learning how to build, make, and fix the things we use every day, we’re able to become one with our tools and understand not only the goal, but the process as well.
You’ll save money. By building, growing, and making the things you need, you’re able to tailor them to your specific needs. You don’t pay extra for things you’ll never use that just happen to be included, and again, you cut out the middleman. Take bicycles for example: having a flat tire changed costs $15 at my local shop, and a tube costs $5. If I buy some tire levers and a wrench and learn how to change flats myself, I’ll save $10 every time I need to get new tires or fix a flat. I’ll also never be stranded on a long ride and call for assistance, because I’ll have those tools (and a small pump) so I can get myself home. Lastly, I’ll be able to fix my friend’s flat tires, and if I only ask for an extra tube in repayment, I’ll never have to pay for a flat tire again.
You’ll be entertained. I love learning how to do things and doing them because honestly, it’s cheap entertainment. While I do love a cold beer, I’m just as happy at home on a Saturday night researching how to bake Naan bread or working on my bike.A lot of my “hobbies” are now things that also benefit my life, like growing vegetables and painting guitars (which I sell sometimes). One DIY project, making myself a wallet, resulted in my job, my business, and the reason I’ll be able to even partake in this project (Corter Leather). That means a lot of the less meaningful stuff, like bars and clubs and bad movies, inherently get filtered out of your life. It’s an easy way to make use of spare time, and results in way more productivity.
Learn how to do things by yourself. I don’t care how little artistic or creative ability you have, or if you’re so uncoordinated you trip up the stairs to your office every day- you can do it. Create simple artwork for your room, knit yourself a sweater, take yourself on a journey without leaving your room on a rainy day by learning a new skill. DIY projects make life interesting, and lead to life long hobbies and habits that make living…well…simply wonderful.
