I think I’ve always had a DIY (Do-It-Yourself) Mindset, certainly as long as I can remember. As I child I found pleasure in taking things apart to understand how they worked and maintaining and repairing my toys, bikes, etc. This has continued throughout my life and has resulted in a useful set of practical skills. I also know many people who have no apparent Diy Mindset, who will always call on else, and who do not seem to understand the satisfaction that can be gained by doing it yourself. I think there are more benefits to a DIY mindset than just practical skills though, as I will try to explain in my following ramblings. Furthermore I firmly believe that everyone could benefit from developing their own DIY mindset and applying it to all aspects of life.
So what is ‘DIY’ and a ‘DIY mindset’?
Simply doing it yourself! Instead of calling a plumber, decorator, mechanic, etc read a manual/get on google, grab some tools, and go fix it/mend it/make it/do it. I define a DIY mindset as a need to understand how things work and a self-belief that if someone else can do something then so can you. It’s certainly driven in part by economics as a significant amount of money can be saved by doing a job yourself rather than getting a ‘man’ in but it goes deeper than that. It’s a need to understand things, and an appreciation of the joy that comes from getting a job done. So If my car needs a new set of brake pads instead of going straight to the garage I’ll find a manual, figure out what needs doing, buy the parts and crack on. Sure the first time it took ages, I got stuck, and I had to buy some new tools. But I did it, I had the satisfaction of getting it done, I learnt a new skill, and I understood my car a bit better.
As with most things in life there is a balance to be struck, one person cannot be an expert in everything and it is still important to understand when to seek advice and assistance and indeed employ the services of a Professional. All I’m suggesting here is that there is much to be gained from having the self-belief to give things a go and taking ownership and responsibility of solving a problem.
The benefits
If, when something goes wrong or needs repairing you look up the nearest professional and call them in sure your problem will be solved, but you’ll pay for it, and you’ll have missed an opportunity to test/demonstrate your own abilities and maybe learn some new skills.
If, when something goes wrong or needs repairing your initial thoughts are “how do I fix it?” you’ll do some research, you’ll understand the problem better, and you’ll probably have a crack at fixing it. You won’t always be able to and you may need to ask for advice and get assistance but I guarantee that you’ll have a better understanding of the problem and will know what and who to ask. If you can develop and apply a DIY mindset in your life this will save a lot of unnecessary expense and time in the long run and will increase your own abilities and skill-sets.
The majority of humans (there probably are exceptions but I wouldn’t recommend these people as friends) all gain some satisfaction from helping others, and the sense of worth that is gained by successfully solving a problem and receiving gratitude for it is not to be underestimated. With a DIY mindset you will be more likely to put yourself in positions to provide assistance and receive this gratitude. Even if your ability and willingness to hang a new curtain rail just serves to keep your Mother-in-Law happy, this also should not be underestimated!
This mindset can be applied to many situations in life, not just a broken washing machine! By applying your DIY mentality to your own health you can start to research and try and fix the things that aren’t working properly in your own body. All the biohackers out there are essentially applying a DIY mentality to their own body, looking for all the things that aren’t working and finding effective ‘hacks’. Now I’m certainly not suggesting practising open-heart surgery on the kitchen table but by trying to initially understand what’s going on and researching potential solutions you will at least be able to better understand what professional assiatance will be of benefit, and you will be able to make educated decisions.
The warning, just to be clear…
As I’ve mentioned earlier there will be times when you require professional assistance and you should be mindful of your capabilities. For example, you won’t be a hero if you decide to take apart your home heating system in the middle of winter and are unable to put it back together! Or if you have just been hit by a car and broken your collar bone I would recommend a trip to your nearest healthcare professional (both personal experiences by the way!).
In conclusion then
Develop your own DIY mindset. If you already have one, great, build on it and apply it to all aspects of your life, including your health and wellbeing. If you have never understood the appeal of DIY humour me, give it a go. Start small but try to tell yourself that you can fix it, find out how and give it a go. Have confidence in your abilities but do your ground work and learn to trust your instincts to decide when to give it a go, when to ask for assistance, and when to call a professional.
