I have a terrible habit of not always looking before I leap. I get an ounce of inspiration, and I’m off. Sometimes, the results are good. No, sometimes, they are great. Give me just a minute while I try to think of an example…
Other times, I get in way over my head, way faster than I realized I would. Like the time I decided the old linoleum floor in the laundry room needed to go. Today.
Or the day about a month ago, when I decided the easiest thing to do in my bathroom was to remove the wallpaper and slap a fresh coat of paint on those walls. Surely, a little fresh paint would steer others’ eyes away from the 1960s era pink tile all over the place.
Don’t worry, after many years, the floor of the laundry room has been completely refinished. It’s beautiful.
My bathroom walls? I’ll get around to it. Most of the wallpaper is gone, and I ordered an amazing steam cleaner on Amazon that will help me finish that job. I got it before my family came for Christmas, and let me tell you, if you need to deep clean your home, you want one of these.
But I digress….
The problem is that there are days when I wake up, and the caffeine kicks in before common sense. I glance around the kitchen, spot a cabinet door off-kilter, and think, why not fix everything in one sweep? A to-do list explodes across the page of my mind, and I just jump in with an inexplicable surge of handywoman energy. Days like these always start with a burst of motivation but rarely with a backup plan.
Why Do We Try to Do It All, All At Once?
Some people assume overachievers crave applause, but I think the pursuit is usually perfection. On days I overwhelm myself with tasks, it’s usually because I see the possibilities but not always the potential problems. After all, often, our online lives mislead us. We see reels of women wielding tools and completing projects in 90-seconds or less. All while wearing perfectly placed-eye makeup. If they can do it, so can I, right? I used to try to do such things during my kids’ nap time, which mean working quickly and quietly. Do you know how hard that is?
Paint Fumes Before Breakfast
If I have guests coming, the starting point of my DIY frenzy is often our porch because fresh air pairs nicely with ambition, especially in the fall. All I have to do is start sweeping the breezeway while an actual gentle breeze is blowing, and suddenly, every nook and cranny must be cleaned, pressure washed if possible, and I start looking for paint colors for the kitchen door. Preferably something that looks good with pumpkins. Generally, I get just about far enough to call it clean before the next task calls my name.
What Happens When Energy and Ambition Run Out?
My pantry. That’s what happens. The floor is refinished. My husband built a beautiful bench out of what used to be the bar between our kitchen and den, and I followed tutorial after tutorial to change the ancient countertop to something more modern using epoxy and prayers. My husband ordered all the shelves that would make my baker’s heart content. I don’t even know where he’s keeping them. The space that used to give me joy at the thought of what it was going to be makes me anxious and ashamed every time I walk through it’s still unfinished old pocket door. Now, let me be fair to myself, my husband, and reader, to you. Life happens. Do you know what my husband’s done since he ordered those rolling shelves? Battled an extremely rare form of cancer and lived to tell the tale. But we still beat ourselves up over things that just aren’t finished. My house is a little bit like my heart, and all I can think of is the song I used to sing when I was a kid: “He’s Still Working On Me.”
The Moments We Admit We Can’t DIY Everything
Even when my own hubris says, “Here’s a hammer,” there are times I know better. Plumbing is one of the things that sends us calling for help faster than any other. My husband can do most of the repairs…if he can get to them. In our house, that’s not always easy so for things more complicated than clogged sinks, it’s usually a good idea to find a Plumbing Service and pray they can get there quickly.
Our roof is another thing that we leave to the professionals, but there are others we might need to hire out as well. So, how do you decide when to DIY?
Five Questions Before Picking Up the Hammer
- Is the job safe?
- Do I own the right tools?
- Could a small error cause big damage?
- Do I have time to do this?
- Would I rather spend this hour making memories or making a mess?
How to Rethink Letting Someone Else Do the Work
My husband grew up in a home where he and his dad did ALL the things. If it was repaired, it was because they repaired it, so it is really hard for him to ask for help sometimes. He just thinks he should do the job. Then there’s the budge. Or lack of one. It’s important to look at hiring help in two ways. First, it’s not because you don’t know how to do something, it’s that your wise to realize that it might be easier not to do it. And, second, it’s not just an expense. It’s an investment.
Finally, letting someone else do things frees you to do other things. Outsourcing doesn’t erase competence; it creates space to read a picture book with little kids, phone your mom, or rest a tired body.
A Few Fixes You Can Really Do
- Replace a showerhead: twist off the old one, wrap fresh Teflon tape, and twist on the new model.
- Patch a nail hole: dab spackle with a fingertip, wait thirty minutes, sand lightly, and swipe matching paint.
- Silence a squeaky door: pull the hinge pin, coat it with petroleum jelly, and reinsert.
- Clean a dishwasher filter: twist counterclockwise, rinse under water, and reinstall before the next load.
- Swap cabinet hardware: existing pilot holes often match modern handles; ten minutes earns a kitchen glow-up.
A Less Strict Definition of Success
Success doesn’t always mean a flawless punch list. My pantry still functions. My bathroom is still in use. Those projects will be finished one day, but it doesn’t have to be today.
Disclosure: This is a collaborative post and may contain affiliate links.
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