Developing DIY Skills Later In Life (Or Anytime, Really)

I came back from working on a side job this afternoon, and this one got me thinking. I introduced you to a bona fide DIY hero a little while ago, and the job I just got back from involves another DIY hero, one I talked about many months ago in an article titled, “It’s Never Too Late to Start.”
In that article I talked about an elderly gentleman who had hired me to wire the basement he had decided to finish by himself. What makes him special, you ask? Much like Lara the Unprofessional (the aforementioned DIY hero), this man had sent his entire life in academia, never even attempting to learn the physical skills necessary to build and maintain a home.

The interesting thing about this job is the time span: I first went to look at the job, we figured out today, about a year and a half ago.
If he had simply hired professionals to come and bang out the job, it would have been done in three days. But this man decided it was time for him to learn how to use some tools and do some work on his own house with his own two hands. I should point out here that this is his “vacation home”, and he and his wife only spend time at it every once in a while, so he only works on it sporadically.
The job isn’t done yet, but it’s getting very close to where he wants it to be, and he has done almost all of it completely by himself. He has gone, in this long process, from barely knowing how to use a tape measure to being able to problem-solve, strategize, and physically manipulate a variety of materials for a variety of purposes.
Will he ever do a project like this again? Probably not, according to him. But the amount of satisfaction he is getting from this process is inspiring.
It’s been proven, although I can’t seem to find the study, that people hold an object in much higher standing if they made it, or even just put it together, themselves. Hence one aspect of Ikea’s massive success. With this in mind, it’s no wonder my client is so proud of his burgeoning basement oasis.

The point of all of this is something I’ve said several times before, but it bears repeating: it’s never too late to start learning new skills. Don’t let the fear of a large project prevent you from diving into the DIY pool! Start small, start easy.
There is a great debt-payment method promoted by world-renowned personal finance expert Dave Ramsey known as the Debt Snowball. The idea is that you line up your debts from smallest to largest, and focus your attention on the smallest first. The psychological win you get once that debt is erased gives you a motivational boost that will carry you through to the next, and so on.
The same method can be applied to DIY skills. Start with a small, easy project, and the satisfaction you get from that accomplishment may just give you the boost in confidence you need to move up to the bigger stuff. Remember, this is a process like anything else, and you can’t be expected to be a pro right off the bat.
Now get out there and do something! It doesn’t have to be the next Pinterest chart-topper, it just has to be something done by you!