Guy Reams (00:01.08)
Today's day 235. When is do-it-yourself a good idea?
I remember clearly the first time I built a fence in my backyard. I thought to myself, how hard could this be? But I spent a long weekend measuring, digging, hammering and adjusting completely by myself. At the end of it all, I stood there, my hands blistered, back aching, and just really annoyed that the gate was uneven and swinging awkwardly in the breeze. Yes, I'd saved a lot of money.
But was it worth all the time and the frustration? That fence still doesn't shut right. This experience crystallized a key lesson. Just because you can do something by yourself, doesn't mean you always should. We live in a time when self-sufficiency is championed. YouTube, Google have made us believe that anything and everything is just a DIY video away. And yes, self-reliance is a valuable skill, no doubt.
However, we often overlook a critical piece of wisdom our time and energy come with, and that's opportunity cost. Today, for instance, I painted the interior of our house all day. That's why I paint all over me. Painting is something I know well and I could comfortably do myself. Yet honestly, it might've been easier just to hire someone. But there was value beyond mere convenience.
I immersed myself fully in the task, giving my mind a needed break from some challenges that I've been facing. I played music, I meticulously prepared each surface, I taped off the edges, masked everything carefully. A painting contractor once advised me that a good paint job is always in the preparation. And he was absolutely right. I spent a great deal of time smoothing rough spots, fixing imperfections, and cleaning the surfaces thoroughly. It was hard work.
Guy Reams (01:59.97)
and I'll certainly feel it tomorrow, but the experience left me relaxed, calm, and ready for my next challenge. Opportunity cost isn't just a buzzword. It's an essential principle for life and business. The hours I spent struggling with fence posts could have been invested somewhere else, like my family or professional growth, or even taking a much needed rest that weekend.
Sometimes the value we place on doing it ourselves blinds us to these other valuable opportunities that we're trading away. Additionally, there's another less visible cost and that's quality. Expert and professionals bring a level of skill and refinement to tasks that the average weekend warrior can't easily replicate. When we attempt everything on our own, we often compromise on the quality of the outcome. My uneven fence was a stark reminder of that compromise.
The decision-making process for when to do something yourself or when to delegate or hire helps come down to a simple yet profound calculation. Does the value gained from doing it myself exceed the value of spending that same time, effort and energy elsewhere or on another project? Sometimes the answer is resounding. Yes. Maybe it's a skill you genuinely enjoy learning or a task that deeply enriches your personal life or maybe even your business.
But frequently if we're honest, the answer will be no, and that honesty can be freeing. My instinct is often to do things myself. I arrogantly believe that I can do a better job than anyone else, so I tend to just trust myself. This, however, has led to countless wasted hours and a great deal of trial and error at my own expense. In this case, I have learned that cutting to the chase early and admitting that I am not the total expert is wiser.
Instead of trying everything myself, I hire someone and carefully observe their work. This allows me to evaluate whether I can do the job myself next time and compare my initial approach against the expert's method. Marketing is a great example here. I might think I'm good at marketing, but I've learned that hiring an expert often yields better results. The field of marketing continually evolves with new strategies and technologies. Having an opinion doesn't equate to having expertise.
Guy Reams (04:25.525)
Expertise comes only from experience, making hiring someone to learn from the smartest first step. There's wisdom in knowing your limits and choosing to spend your resources, especially your time, and secondly, your energy, and maybe even your sanity, in ways that truly enhance your life and work. You don't have to prove self-sufficiency in every task you undertake.
Recognizing the value of collaboration, professional expertise, or simply outsourcing certain responsibilities can significantly increase your overall productivity, probably your satisfaction, and ultimately your happiness. So next time you're tempted to do something entirely by yourself, you might pause for a moment, evaluate the true value in a way it carefully against your time and energy. Sometimes letting go isn't a sign of weakness. It's actually a sign of wisdom.