I've had the incredible pleasure of connecting with thousands of people via my DMs over the past 5 years of posting my home projects to Instagram.
There is one question that pops up consistently:
How do I start?
It's not always phrased that way; sometimes it's I feel overwhelmed. What if I mess it up? What is the first tool I should buy? But at the heart of all those questions is:
How do I go from inspired to taking action?
Now, my most actionable answer to that question in terms of DIY: start with paint. But that's not an answer that is all that helpful, because what my DMs are actually expressing is
Fear.
Fear of failing.
Fear of breaking something.
Fear of overspending on a crappy tool.
Fear of asking for help. (We all know this is my ultimate fear in life 😉)
There is nothing wrong with fear; in fact, it's there to protect you. You SHOULD have a healthy bit of fear that stops you from sawing into a gas pipe or taking on a project that is delusional compared to the skillset you have.
More terrified than I appear, a bit delusional.
My real advice? Be kind to yourself and start with whatever project you will work on. What project that is will vary based on your situation, but it should be affordable, accessible, and exciting to you. It also doesn't hurt if it's a project that's in a prominent place in your home that will force you to see it daily and motivate you to get it done.
After you've decided on your project, take the first step:
Research. Put a time limit on how long you can research tools/materials/tutorials before you need to start taking action. Research is fun, but you can easily get lost in analysis paralysis. There are many ways to complete any project, and experts' advice can sometimes conflict.
Depending on the complexity of the project, I find that 3-5 tutorials are all the research needed. There will never be a solution that is 100% perfect – pick your path, you can usually adjust if things go off course. (Demo being the caveat here, many DIYers have learned the hard way that once you rip something out, you can rarely put it back, and it may take months before you build the skills to fix it. This is one of my best tactics for forcing myself to start a project I am fearful of.)
Here I am with my Dad accidentally installing this ceiling a full 1/2′′ off level.
Once you have a solid project plan, your next step:
Make decisions. Buy your tools and materials, this is another stage where analysis paralysis creeps in. Your goal in this step is to make enough decisions to get to the creating stage. The best research is action, you will quickly learn if the tool you bought is trash or the material of poor quality once you start working with it. Sometimes you're at the point of no return and you just have to live with your choices (but look at all you have already learned about what you would do differently next time!), But often you will be able to readjust.
Now your final step:
TAKE ACTION. I promise you can do this. Open the can of paint, remove that busted up trim, for the love tear up that carpet hiding hardwood floors. Whatever you encounter throughout your project, keep repeating steps 1-3: Research. Make Decisions. Take Action. That's all DIY is, no matter the size or scale of the project, you will keep cycling through this loop until you complete your project.
The finished ceiling in all its crooked glory. Not one single person has ever noticed.
Now, after 5 full years on the internet, why am I finally addressing my most asked question??
This blog post is a result of me doing those same three steps. In 2022, I did all kinds of research on website platforms and web developers and made enough decisions to get an entire website builtand then I failed to take action. I didn't start blogging or consistently promote my design services or set up my email newsletter.
Taking action is the hardest part of DIY or any goal. Research is fun and cozy, you don't have to tell or show anyone what you're researching. Even making decisions, you might have some monetary ramifications, but ultimately, you're still in your cozy little bubble. Once you take action, you are confronted with the unknown, and many times on some type of public platform. How scary and potentially embarrassing.
But if you never take action, you never get to feel the pride in your result. For me, that's been renovating 3 houses over the past 5 years 2 of which I still own and generate me monthly rental income. I've tackled everything from tiling a shower to sending a Profit and Loss Statement to my CPA, two things that at one point deeply terrified me. If I had tackled blogging once a week a year ago, I’d already have 52 posts of valuable content for you.
I can't take that fear away from you, I still feel it myself (hi, currently confronting my fear of learning how to manage this website). But what I can say is this: you are far more capable than you know. You have all the skills you need right now to start that DIY project and navigate whatever challenges it throws at you.
I plan to post similar content as on Instagram: DIY tutorials/room designs / real estate investing, all with a dash of personal finance mixed in – but with the ability to better share resources, go deep into tutorials, and provide a better home for product recommendations. Let me know what else you want to hear about, and be patient with the inevitable glitches as I navigate this new format!
If you ever need a confidence boos,t my DMs are always open, as is my email inbox: [email protected]
Remember the best time to start was yesterday; the next best time is now.
Claire
