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Get Your Hands Dirty |
How do you react to the following idea?
Putting on old clothes so it doesn’t matter if they get dirty. Scrubbing the floor while sitting on your knees or weeding the garden in the hot sun, or lugging boxes around. What about working with your hands, hammering, drilling, cutting steel. How do you feel about getting paint splatter all over you because you need to save dollars and it’s cheaper to do things yourself?
The reason why I’m addressing all the above hard manual labor tasks is because we as a society are getting lazy. Technology is advancing, automation is becoming more common, and there is a whole horde of people making a living from the internet with information products. Hundreds of thousands of students graduate each year with degrees in accounting and engineering, yet few of them know how to work with a hammer and a saw.
America went from being the largest creditor nation (meaning other countries owed America money) in the world a couple of decades ago, to the largest debtor nation (meaning America ows other countrys a LOT of money). One of the big reasons contributing to this shift is the fact that America went from being a country of manufacturing to a country of services (IT, Banking etc). The manufacturing was cheaper in Asia, and thus outsourced or moved away from America.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not knocking anyone who makes a living from providing services or through the internet. I myself am one of those people. I just would like to remind you that we need physically manufactured goods. We need bricks, doors, windows, cars and computers to have a world in which we can live the way we do.. In order to get those, we need factories and hard labor (together with automation). Everything we have (the houses we live in, the cars we drive) was created with hard physical work. It did not appear by writing a blog post or selling someone a lifetime subscription to stock market analysis.
I was always brought up not to be afraid of hard work and getting my hands dirty. I was taught how to use tools, fix things myself, clean my own house, wash my own clothes. Not because my parents needed my child-labor, but because they wanted to teach me to do almost anything with my own two hands. If I ever find myself without income or I have to start over, I know I can use my hands. It wouldn’t matter to me what kind of work I would need to do to make a living, work is work.
I have seen many people who are afraid of getting dirty, breaking out a sweat or working hard.
Again, this post is not to knock anyone down. Just a little reminder that you are born with two hands, you have the potential to build and create anything you want. Do not be scared of putting on old clothes and getting dirty and tired. Sometimes it’s neccessary.
Do Things Properly:
Do not do anything half-assed. Do it properly.
Chances are that doing something properly will take more effort, time or money. This is the reason why many people look for an easy way out, something cheaper or a quick-fix, just to be able to avoid that initial surplus of effort. What they do not see is that they have to do the same quick fix over 5 times because it doesn’t hold up. This is when the quick fix turns into double the effort / time / price of doing it properly the first time. (Which initially seems like more work)
Since the people who really do things propery are far and few between, it really makes an impression if you are one of those few people who does things properly. You get noticed for doing a good job.
I remember a story about a woodworker carving wooden ballustrades in the basement of a cathedral. He was one of many working on the cathedral but he took pride in his work. His supervisor asked him why he was paying so much attention to the back of the ballustrade that nobody was going to see anyways. The carpenter replied “That may be true, nobody sees it, but God sees it”.
In a way it’s a good kind of satisfaction you get from knowing that you did the best possible job that you could do. It may have taken more time, it may have taken more effort, but it’s done properly.
To Sum Up:
No matter how much technology advances and no matter how many ways the are to make money without producing physical goods, not everyone can make a living this way. We need people to produce goods, we need factories, we need builders and craftsmen. There is nothing wrong with hard work, or getting a little grease or paint on you. It is not something to be ashamed of, rather something to be proud of.
This is especially for those of you who don’t really want to work hard, or have never worked hard. Do not be afraid of it. It will not kill you. Do not be afraid to get dirty, tired or put in time. The rewards are worth it. Most likely you will feel a sense of accomplishment and achievement. You can see what you have done that day (mowed a lawn, cleaned a house, built part of a wall). Sometimes the best way to get something done is to do it yourself.
Have a Rockin’ day
Diggy
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Interesting post Diggy, I think you’re right as a society we are not used to doing things for ourselves so much these days. I am getting better, learning how to maintain my car, DIY etc … even though I always think ‘ugh’ before I hand I always end up with a great feeling of satisfaction once I have done it! It makes you feel differently about what you can do.
.-= Jen´s last blog ..Redefining love and sex =-.
Hey Jen !
Thanks for the kind words
DIY is something you can leave to the men, but as a woman it’s also nice to be able to fix a thing or two
You are right Diggy, those basic skills give you advantage in a post-apocalyptic world.
Kidding of course, but if you are looking for some fiction to read, I’d suggest Cormac McCarthy – The Road.
.-= lucnypes´s last blog ..lucnypes: My friend’s dog drinks mineral water – don’t ask me why =-.
Hehe, that could be true yes. When money means nothing anymore, the electronic world collapses and you are no longer owner of your possesions or property, then it is indeed very useful to be able to build a house and set up a vegetable farm
Hey Diggy,
This reminded me of the times in College when I did a lot of volunteer work. When organizing an event, I would delegate, supervise, do speeches, but I would also move chairs, clean up after others, do massive shopping etc. Overall, it was fun.
I think a lot of people have a hard time with manual work because they consider it beneath them. Which tells me they take their status way to seriously and they have some pretty strong prjudices they operate on.
Eduard
.-= Ideas With A Kick´s last blog ..Personal development ideas I can do without =-.
Hey Eduard!
Yeah I think that is exactly it, people feel they are too good to do manual labor like clean floors, scrub dishes or whatever the case may be.
I have noticed that a lot of successful people are ones who in the past worked really hard, and know exactly how to do every single thing themselves to a very good degree, but now that they have their own companies it is more efficient for them to supervise everyone who is doing the tasks.
Hey Diggy, great reminder. I used to work with my hands so I know what you mean. I also know a lot of people who prefer labor work over staying sit 8 hours in front of a computer.
.-= Oscar – freestyle mind´s last blog ..Last Time I checked, 1 Step Per Day… =-.
Hey Oscar,
Yeah sometimes sitting in front of the computer so long is not a great way to spend the day, but hey, if it brings in the income, then it’s gotta be done
Interesting points Diggy. I live in the US and I definitely think there’s something to be said for the lack of physical goods we are producing. Granted, most of what we produce sucks (i.e cars, electronics, etc). HAHA.
But I get your point. There’s really this perception that is pervading society even among the information age that we can work less and get more. It’s the blogger’s curse in my opinion. Many don’t realize the 1 year+ that went into getting to the A-list for the top guys.
.-= Srinivas Rao´s last blog ..How Multimedia Content will increase the authenticity of your relationships =-.
Technology can amplify whatever talent and workmanship you already have, but it cannot create it from thin air if you do not.
.-= Colin Wright´s last blog ..All 72 Things I Own =-.
Yeah Colin!
Like Will Smith Said,
“Talent is something you are boren with, skill is something that requires hours upon hours upon hours of slaving hard work to perfect.”
Diggy – I like this. I myself like manual labor and the jobs I have most enjoyed in life were jobs that required my hands (being a cook and working on the grounds crew for a golf course).
I love your story about the cathedral worker. What’s great about that is that he doesn’t care if other people don’t see it…the point is, he truly, without exception, loves his work. What’s important to him is if he does a good job. There’s no need to impress anyone else as long as he’s happy with what he’s doing. I think that in itself is a very good lesson.
.-= Nate´s last blog ..Getting a Living =-.
Hey Nate!
Yeah I also really liked that story. When I’m busy with something and I don’t feel the use of doing it properly because no-one will see it or appreciate it anyway, I think of this story and it makes me want to do a proper job!
I like the “doing things properly” thing. You may be derided by the people taking the quick fix, but they can’t see the immediate benefit of doing things right. Plus, it’s exponentially more fulfilling just to do things while putting in your maximum effort.
I like this post, Diggy.
.-= Brett – DareToExpress.com´s last blog ..4 More Ways to Identify Your Inner Champion =-.
Hey Brett, nice to hear from you again!
Hows your own blog going?
Hey Diggy,
It just started off, so I’m just concentrating on marketing it/producing a steady stream of good content. I’d appreciate it if you went over there and checked it out!
Also, your tutorial on how to make a blog was AWESOME HELP. Without it, I’d have probably taken twice as long to set up my blog. Thanks a bunch, man!
Cheers!
.-= Brett – DareToExpress.com´s last blog ..4 More Ways to Identify Your Inner Champion =-.
Sadly, society as a whole has become overly saturated with an ever increasing amount of laziness. People shun out the thought of hard work or even breaking a sweat…. and it probably comes as no surprise to learn that the majority of Americans are overweight for that very same reason!
Like you mentioned though, this DOES have a note of positivity buried within it. Those that DO take the time to put in the extra work and effort and make sure things are done accordingly will certainly stand out above the crowd. They’ll not only get noticed more, but they’ll be the ones reaping the rewards that others left behind.
.-= Travis´s last blog ..Spending Too Much Money =-.
Hey Travis!
Thanks for stopping by
Yeah that is indeed one of the benefits of many people doing 80% proper jobs if even, because you can go out and give it your full 100% and get more business
I have been thinking about this a lot as well. There is a huge shortage of people willing to do physical work but a surplus of those basically offering their services for free online.
We all dream of being Internet rock stars but blogging is just like professional sports, music, acting, etc. 99% of the spoils go to 1% of the talent. It is definitely not impossible to be the next Babauta or Pavlina, but it is not very likely either.
All of us spending dozens of hours online still need to have people to build our houses, take care of us in hospitals and serve us in restaurants.
Hyper-competitive online activities will become harder to make a living, whereas physical work with real world contact with people will start demanding a premium.
Sure you can make a $1000 per month off of your blog, but your plumber is going to charge you $250 per hour for a house call.
.-= John Bardos – JetSetCitizen´s last blog ..Interview with Nomadic Artist Colin Wright =-.
Yup, I also think that dreams of being the next star can really hurt personal developement. Particularly because we don’t need a next Babauta or Pavlina. The originals are still here.
The way I see it: Don’t try to be the next of anything. Be the first YOU.
John!
You are so right, I love the mention of the plumber charginf $250 an hour. Every year there are literally hundreds of thousands of people graduating with enginerring and accounting degrees, but people who excel at crafts like woodwork, metalwork and building are much fewer.
I also think that in the not too far future, physical labor trades will become much more sought after and people who are good will be able to make very good money.
Great post, Diggy!
You really hit the nail on the head with some of the points you made here.
Here’s one of my favourite creeds: “Anything worth doing is worth doing well.”
And I couldn’t agree more with what you say about doing a proper job of things. Putting in some effort and showing competency often makes you stand out from the crowd immediately, because so many people are lazy and un-committed.
.-= Shane´s last blog ..30 Videos in 30 Days: Thoughts About Getting Stuck =-.
Hey Shane!
Thanks for stopping by
As our society progresses it seems there are less and less people who do their work 100%. Sometimes it’s good to push yourself to do a job properly.
Great post Diggy. Having grown up in a woodshop and out in the woods, hands on work was a part of my life from a young age.
Going back there and doing work is incredibly rewarding and something about doing a job well done is something I appreciate more and more.
I look forward to going home for christmas so I can split wood for the fire.
.-= Carl´s last blog ..Blogging Isn’t A Business Model =-.
Hey Carl!
Thanks for stopping by man. Yeah I know exactly what you mean about your hard work being rewarding!
After all those hours of slaving away you actually have a physical reward of your work.
Cheers!
In Thailand you have no choice but to get your hands dirty.
.-= JONNY | thelifething.com´s last blog ..3 Months In The Life Of A Travelling Entrepreneur =-.
You have definitely made me wana come to Thailand next year, your photos look amazing
Hey Diggy,
There are always tasks that we know we should do it properly in the first place but laziness takes over.
I got to admit there are times when I just try to find an easier way of doing things and there times when I can get it by but there are also times that I got punished by doing the work sloppily.
It is something that I got to improve on.
Anyway enjoy your trip in Amsterdam and bring back some great photos with you.
Cheers,
Vincent
.-= Vincent´s last blog ..Facing The Giants: Are You Really Giving Your Best? =-.
Hey Vincent!
Thanks man, we already have a bunch of cool photos and videos.
It is a conscious thing that we have to fight the laziness, I have it too, sometimes it’s just easier to say ‘whatever’ and do a job half.
Have a great weekend!
You’re right, Diggy. Too many people look down on people who do manual labor but there’s no way civilization could advance without their hard work and dedication.
And though I do most of my work on the computer, I have no reservations whatsoever from taking a more “hands on approach” and getting the job done.
.-= Tim — Inspiration Pro´s last blog ..12 Fundamentals of Instant Charisma =-.
Hey Tim!
Thanks for stopping by! I am in the same situation as you, mostly working on the computer, but if there are things that need to be done then I don’t mind doing them!
So important to get outside and do something real, something you can see and touch.
I enjoy a bit of gardening, plus furniture removal! Wear gloves though as I don’t want to get too dirty:)
Thanks for adding me to your blog roll Diggs. Happy days:)
Hey Annabel!
Thanks for stopping by:)
You’re welcome, hoepfully it will bring you some more traffic
Interesting article. My husband and I were just discussing this yesterday. He wishes we could go back to the barter & trade days, where everyone worked with their hands and sold only items that were needed more than items that were just wanted. What’s funny is we both work in fields where computer work is necessary (and a large part of our everyday lives).
We also discussed the possibility of a future where we go back (at least in a lot of instances) to working with our hands, to the basics. Maybe it would help with the depression we see around us all the time. As it has often been said, people need to believe they have a purpose in order to feel fulfilled. Working with your hands makes one feel like they have a purpose.
Thanks for the wise words! Can’t wait to read more!
.-= Ali´s last blog ..Hot & Not =-.
Ali!
Welcome to Upgradereality
I don’t think it’s possible to go back to basics unless you really seek it out by going to live in the mountains or somewhere far away. I love the samurai village depiction in the movie ‘The last Samurai’, I can imagine that would be really nice to live that way.
It might indeed be an effect of a global catastrophe like a war, epidemic disease or natural disater that would destroy the world as we know it and let us go back to basics, but that is a bit extreme to hope for. We’ll deal with that if and when it comes:)
Thanks for stopping by and leaving your thoughts!
Cheers
Diggy
I enjoyed this very much! Just charming! Your composing manner is pleasing and the way you managed the subject with grace is notable. I am intrigued, I presume you are an expert on this subject. I am subscribing to your updates from now on.
Hey Michelle!
Welcome to Upgradereality
I am glad to hear that you enjoyed the article! Thanks for subscribing, I hope that you will enjoy future posts!
Have a weonderful weekend!