Do it Yourself - A Core Part of Self Reliance

One of the core concepts of self reliance is the ability to do it yourself (DIY). Just about anything that you can put the word self in front of has its roots in self reliance.

Think of the things that you can do yourself. The list of DIY tasks and projects is practically limitless. If it's been done, chances are good that you can do it yourself. Here's what I think about when DIY comes to my mind.

• lawn and garden tasks
• home improvement projects
• home maintenance
• outbuilding construction
• road maintenance
• cooking and baking
• sewing
• homeschooling
• fixing things around the house like plumbing
• painting a room or the outside of the house
• fabrication of tools and resources
• car repair and maintenance

The list can go on for quite a ways, mainly based on one's interests, abilities and objectives. So, what are some of the objectives of DIY fans out there? Something is driving us to get involved in doing things for ourselves. I think it's more important to understand our motivation than it is to understand what we're motivated to do. Here's my list of motivational factors:

• save money
• get it done now
• satisfaction through achievement
• learning something new
• doing it right
• doing it my way
• being more self reliant
• adventure
• successfully facing a challenge

Have you ever thought about your list of DIY skills and achievements? Do you know what motivates you? It's clear that no matter how much we might like to do it ourselves, there are limits for each of us, and there are resources required as well. Think of what we need for DIY tasks. Here is just a overview of required resources:

• skill
• experience
• common hand tools
• power tools
• equipment
• guidance
• supplies
• raw materials
• assistance
• time

These are the big ones. In our rush around world, sometimes the resource we have the least of is time. For me, I have more time than money, so I tend to do things myself.

In any event, do it yourself is a core part of self reliance, and we'll see more of it as people decide to be less dependent and more independent. One of the benefits of being able to do things yourself is that you can teach others to be more self reliant as well.

Autor: Clair Schwan

Clair Schwan is a self made individual who strongly believes in a self directed life. He homesteads on the prairie just outside of Cheyenne, Wyoming with his sweetheart Ellen. With the help of his neighbors, he builds, repairs and maintains just about everything under the sun. And, what he can't do, he learns by doing and watching others. See his adventures in self reliance over at http://www.frugal-living-freedom.com where the motto is, "...living well, and well within your means..."

Added: December 17, 2009
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/