Sometimes it can be easier to replace something than to repair it. If your child accidentally broke something, you might think it’s easier just to get a new item, but it’s such an important skill to become handy. This is especially true around the house. Because something like a sticky window or a noisy cupboard door can be like Chinese water torture; it annoys us every single day, but we still haven’t gotten around to doing anything about it. But sometimes we think that we’ve just got to call out the specialists. The reality is that it’s important to be handy, but how do we start?
Begin With the Small Things
Like anything new, we’ve got to aim within our comfort level. The important thing to remember is when it comes to items like DIY, and fixing things like the toilet, you need to develop very basic knowledge. The problem is there are many guides out there that will assume you have a basic level of knowledge. And this is why you’ve got to start to get a feel for how items work. You may feel like you need to tackle the broken toilet and order supplies from companies like Mark’s Plumbing Parts, but it’s important to remember that you should be able to learn a lot about an item without necessarily picking up a tool. This may sound silly, but it is an important stepping stone, and you can learn 80% of something by observing. Once you get your bearings, you can move onto your first project.
Choose Your First Project Wisely
When you are ready, start with the small things, because this will give you the confidence to move onto the next task. You may feel that there are essential tasks at home, like fixing that toilet, but break it down to even more minuscule tasks, like squeaky hinges, tightening loose screws, or changing a light bulb. The importance of doing the small tasks will force you to observe things up close and personal, and will again, help you to understand how things work. Gradually, as you get more confidence, you can slowly build-up to the next task. Be careful not to overreach, for example, installing a light bulb over rewiring your home, because you will get overwhelmed, and will likely cause you injury.
Plan How You Are Going to Do It
When we see people fixing items like it’s nothing, we have to remember that these people learned a plan and they just have it in their head. Whenever we are learning something new, we’ve got to rely on planning ahead. It allows us to think through each part of the project, and it helps us to figure out what we have yet to learn, and what things we need to purchase. Breaking down the plan into three different areas, like an overview, a preparation list, and a planning list of what to do will cover every single eventuality.
As you can see, being handy with tools doesn’t necessarily require finite knowledge. After all, everybody has to learn something new in their lives. But as DIY can be so intimidating, we feel it’s best to leave it to the experts. This isn’t always the case.
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