The Benefits of Innovation and Change

Only by embracing a growth mindset can we expand our knowledge and skills.

Disclaimer-Captain DIY and DIYtoFI.blog highly recommend exercising extreme caution when attempting DIY projects. Not everybody can do everything, and some things should only be done by professionals. Keep your digits attached, and keep the insurance company off of your back. Do it right or call the right people!

Change is Good. Sometimes.

Back in the day, your pal the Captain used to work for an electrical contractor. I got into my background a little bit when making the case for learning a trade , and today I’m going to expand on that just a little.

This contractor had bought the business from his father, who was still working there taking phone calls and running parts as needed, and his father had bought it from his father many years before that.

There were occasions here and there when we tried to explain to the old man how we had found a better way of getting something done. His response was almost invariably something along the lines of, “I’ve been doing it this way for 30 years, why would I do it any other way?”

Get With the Times

As we know, things change over time. Where we used to have a rotary dial phone attached to the wall, we now have a high-powered computing device in our pockets. We used to make mix tapes on cassettes for our girlfriends; now we send them links to Spotify playlists.

Times change.

We must acknowledge this fact, and be prepared to change ourselves with them.

When I say we must change, however, I don’t mean we have to follow along with whatever is happening and mold ourselves to the currently prevailing social construct. What I mean is we must be able to adapt and innovate, and accept the innovation of others as it suits us.

Know Thyself

As I mentioned in the Ten Commandments of DIY , knowing where you stand as far as skills and mindset is crucial to your personal development. A growth mindset will recognize an improvement and embrace it, while a fixed mindset will stubbornly adhere to the comfort of familiarity.

Take a look at yourself. Do you seek and embrace change? If you’re reading this blog, it’s probably because you are the type of person who is looking to grow yourself, and you either have or are developing a growth mindset. Good for you!

Back to my former boss’s father. He came from a generation who had figured things out a long time ago, and didn’t need anyone telling them how to do the things they had been doing for decades just fine. He had planted himself solidly in place, and hardened the shell of his fixed mindset.

Newer is Not Always Better

As the header suggests, just because a new technique or tool has come out doesn’t mean you need to rush out right away and dive in headfirst. Discretion and intellectual investigation are key principles to avoid the knee-jerk reactionary response to innovation.

Take the time to check out the new thing, and maybe even ask some people who may know more about it than you for their opinion.

How Does This Relate to Me?

In the world of DIY, change is abundant. Companies are constantly coming out with new fancy tools and products, some of which are designed to make your life easier and some of which are designed to slim down your wallet.

Being able to recognize the difference between those two categories is critical if you are to use this DIY tool to aid your journey to FI. If you are rushing out to buy the latest drill-mounted pencil sharpener (this actually exists!) instead of focusing on the things that will genuinely help you, then you are falling for the same consumer trap you’ve been trying so hard to avoid.

Don’t let the fear of being duped scare you away, just know that a little education and introspection can go a long way.

Now get out there and build, repair, and innovate! Who knows, you might just come up with the next new great thing!