The Do It Yourself Dilemma:

Balancing Immediate Needs and Long-Term Goals

Tags: Life Balance DIY

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Assuming adequate resources,

1. Why cook food at home when we can order delicious, healthy, or affordable food from outside?
2. Why bake a cake instead of getting it from a bakery?
3. Why maintain a kitchen garden instead of purchasing vegetables from the market?
4. Why maintain your car/bike when you can send it to a mechanic with just a message?
5. Why install your operating system when you can buy off-the-shelf software that updates automatically?
6. Why DIY at all? Or why not DIY?
7. Why work when you already have enough in banks or on paper?

The obvious benefits of DIY include:

• Cost-effectiveness
• Customization to suit your needs
• Control over the process & ingredients

However, less apparent benefits are:

1. Skill enhancement: Whether it’s cooking at home, changing oil in your bike, or upgrading software, it fosters personal growth.
2. Satisfaction & fulfillment: Overcoming challenges leads to a sense of accomplishment, fostering a positive outlook on life.
3. Inspiration for new generations: By tackling challenges, we motivate younger minds to explore, experiment, and push boundaries.

Like all things, DIY has a cost paid in time. DIY makes sense when there’s ample time for learning or when it aligns with long-term goals. Conversely, for short-term goals, opting for existing solutions at the expense of current resources is preferred.

This brings us to distinguishing between long-term and short-term goals.

Immediate needs, not wishes, constitute short-term goals. If we possess the skills to meet these short-term goals, it’s better to do it ourselves; otherwise, seeking ready-made solutions is preferable.

Reserving difficult and complex problems for the long term is more practical as they require a learning curve.

• Feeling hungry and having food are immediate needs and short-term goals.
• Desiring consistently healthy food involves a learning curve and is a long-term goal.

or

• Making investments is a short-term goal as it doesn’t allow time for learning about various financial instruments. It’s better to pay a financial advisor for planning.
• Teaching kids to manage their finances well is a long-term goal that begins with your own financial planning.

or

• Soothing physical discomfort is a short-term goal that requires doctors’ expertise.
• Pursuing improved health constitutes a long-term goal, aligning with every lifestyle change.

or

• Tasks that lack personal interest but are necessary for dependents represent short-term goals.
• Initiatives focused on shaping the future for the next generation or society constitute long-term goals, demanding substantial time investments.

As always, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution, and everything carries a cost. It’s about finding balance between taking on long-term challenges and leveraging existing solutions for short-term needs.

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Tags: Life Balance DIY
Updated on: 2023-12-25