About 5 years ago I got very anxious about how specialized I had become. Sure, advancing a career for better pay is great, but it was becoming apparent that a l

About 5 years ago I got very anxious about how specialized I had become. Sure, advancing a career for better pay is great, but it was becoming apparent that a lot would be lost paying other people premium rates to do things I couldn't. So, I've had five years of focus on building my personal capabilities. Or another way to look at it is that I've embarked on the standard middle-class mid-life DIY frenzy. Either way, it struck me recently how much my mindset has shifted: - We want/need a kitchen island - So instead of going out to buy one we found someone that wanted rid of an old table and are in the process of resizing, adding shelving, wheels, and re-finishing. - The vacuum broke, so instead of throwing it away I tore it down and fault-found until it worked again. - The car gets as much maintenance from me as possible before I call the shop. Today, unlike before, I first considering how much self-help is possible before seeking external assistance/inputs. There's far less anxiety about capability and being able to respond to changing situations. The only down-side is the need to maintain some true down-time, as all the DIY stuff eats into that (it's still, ultimately, work and not relaxation).