Last weekend I had a DIY day.
Not in our house – in my daughter’s flat.
What started as, ‘Dad, could you help me out with a couple of things?’
Ended up being 10 hours of tasks.
The big one, and first job of the day, was…
Resizing and hanging a bathroom door.
My daughter is a super shopper. She bought a second-hand solid panelled oak wooden door for a tenner. The only challenge, it was 70mm too wide and 20mm too short.
How hard can it be?
Two hours later bits were cut, stuck, chiselled, sanded and hung. The new door fit like a glove, swung like a pendulum and looked brilliant.
With my confidence riding high, blinds were fitted, shelves built, door handles replaced and half a dozen other jobs completed.
I was rewarded with a fab meal, glass of wine and lots of appreciation.
Happy dad.
Do It Your Self… Help!
You’d be surprised at what you can do yourself.
You can learn how to be: Confident, Time Rich, Relaxed, Thinner, Stronger, Funnier, Sensitive, the list goes on.
But it starts with a need.
I don’t think I would have watched YouTube videos about how to hang a door, if I didn’t need to hang one the next day.
Makes you think about what you spend your valuable time watching.
DIY Self-Help in 5 steps:
Work out what you need
Find (good quality) information
Learn it
Do it
Reward yourself
What are you learning to do yourself?
Please leave a comment below.
Be Brilliant!
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I have always had a go at everything I need in my life – from building walls, to decorating to making furniture.
But this reminds me of when my Cassie was little, about 4 years old (she is now 28). I had bought a flat pack drawer unit for her bedroom. She sat watching me but it was being rather difficult to assemble and after giving it a kick and hitting it with a hammer a few times she said ‘Mum we need a man’. I told her we could do anything that a man can do 😉 But I got that unit together and 24 years later I still use it in my studio! The best part of it was that she grew up not afraid to give anything a go and last year when she moved out with her boyfriend she put all the furniture together, including the storage double bed whilst he worked away. Not sure if she gave it a kick tho!!
I COULD NOT AGREE MORE. Your email arrived as I was grappling with how to send an email to subscribers. I think I have done it! I’m setting up a website so that I can get my book (A Duck Out of Water: Mum, dementia and care home life) out there. Every day I learn something new. Sometimes it is painful but when I ‘get it’ – the feeling of joy is simply BRILLIANT. Oh and well done on the DIY.
I love the Dad list! My need is to overcome chronic, lifelong, lack of self belief. That’s not the same as confidence and I have read the books, done the courses, and marginally improved but overwhelmed at what’s out there and what I might need.
My need is to get better at social media…so learning Instagram by watching, experimenting and learning!!
There is great satisfaction in DIY. I am reminded of a great quote — “Chop your own wood and it will warm you twice”
My need is I need to be brilliant at what I do, and in order to do that I need to be brilliant at asking a favour. Do you have any coupons to get discount on joining Team 17. I need not to be afraid to ask for help and favours! Here’s hoping
Asking for help is so important. Check your emails for some TEAM 17 info. Be Brilliant. Michael
Learn by Doing is my favourite mantra. It applies to so many things from Art to Zip wire confidence and anything in between.
Loved it. Thanks. One of the best – and simplest – things I learnt in uniform (khaki) was “Time spent in reconnaisance is seldom wasted”
How to engage the interest of ten-year-olds in my first supply teaching assignment for 7 years (I trained as a secondary teacher of modern languages and adult TEFL Teacher…)
Learning how to face fears.
p.s. post divorce female. Fitted new kitchen drawers myself. Total shambles. My reward is they’ve made me laugh & be proud for trying. I should adopt same approach to myself when hold myself back!
Learning how to adapt books to screen. So, I’ve done a screenwriting course. Intense doesn’t even come close!