“There is a special feeling connected with taking initiative and completing baby steps that result in a long term, and strived for goal. “buy a person a fish and he eats for a day, but teach him to fish and he’ll eat for a lifetime.”
To me, this is basically the quintessence of performing things yourself, as the saying goes. The American dream is all about picking yourself up by your boot straps and working hard to obtain a goal. It’s not about calling up someone else to make it happen for you. Lately, I’ve really been living by this sentiment.
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Do it yourself projects are a great way to create confidence by challenging your ingenuity and creativity. Also, individuals who are well-versed in fixing their particular bumper, or changing their own personal oil, or putting the garage door back on track usually save lots of money.
I used to be the champion of delegating my little side projects to contractors or specialists. About this past year, I moved into a new apartment, one who was somewhat smaller than usually the one previous. If I wanted my new place to be exactly how I needed it, I’d need some pretty interestingly shaped and sized furniture, my furniture didn’t all fit in, and the family room is an awkward size and shape, and I quickly realized that.
I went almost everywhere looking for a coffee table that would fit perfectly between my sofa and piano. I needed something long and narrow, having a shelf big enough for my board games underneath, nevertheless i couldn’t choose the right thing anywhere. So, i decided that I would build an ideal coffee table myself.
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The first step in any construction project is to have a superior blue print of what you wish. It will save you a lot of headaches later on when you get all of the appropriate measurements down correct the first time. I carefully sketched, on graph paper, the dimensions and noted the materials I needed to use as well.
Because each time I assumed I was finished, I had to reassess and redesign, this technique took us a surprisingly very long time. Once I had been happy with my plan, it was time to gather my shopping list. Many of the materials and tools I knew I’d need, I managed to find on websites like thediyoutlet.com and http://thediyoutlet.com but anything else I found on the hardware store.
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My favorite part of the entire construction was sanding and varnishing the wood pieces. The more I shaped the wood and colored it, the more I felt ownership over the entire piece of furniture. Once it was completed, I felt as though I had accomplished not just building something. I felt as though I added to my character also.”
