D.I.Y. Project Attitude

The term "do-it-yourself" either makes people cringe or gets them excited. Those who enjoy a good D.I.Y project may look at it from a financial point of view (who doesn't like to save the $70 a plumber charges to change a faucet?), or they take pride in being able to say: "Look what I did!", or they simply enjoy working with their hands and have some confidence in their abilities. Most who frown upon all manual labor are  scared of the outcome or of failure. I'll be the first to confess that there are few feelings worse than the one you get after having spent an entire weekend on a D.I.Y project just to finally admit defeat and have to call in a pro on Monday morning - hopefully before too many people see your meager attempt.

It's all about attitude. If you set out expecting professional-looking results in half the time that the contractor would need, you're going to be disappointed. The same is true if you have the belief that the project is going to be easy. Every project requires 10% more material than expected, 20% more time than anticipated, and will leave you 30% more tired than you figured.

Again, it's all about attitude. If you start off with a reasonable sized project and make it fun, it can be a huge success. Involve the family. Blast the stereo. Invite friends over to help and order a pizza. Take pride in your work and be willing to laugh at your own trial-and-error learning. You're doing it for yourself - enjoy it!

My fiance made the most of the tedious job of repainting my hobby room, and made me smile in the process. Although I wouldn't appreciate this type of non-professional painting method from a contractor, it made our D.I.Y project something to remember.