When we bought our house five years ago the dining room light wasn’t working.

I replaced the bulb and it still wasn’t turning on.

After messing with it I chucked it up as something wrong with the wiring.

Shortly after my father-in-law came over and twisted the light bulb, and poof!

The light was on.

I literally couldn’t screw in a light bulb.

For most of my life, I was told I wasn’t handy.

I reaffirmed that as often as I could, often not trying something handy, giving up easily, or just hiring it out.

I labeled myself as not handy.

It was easy to do growing up.

My dad was a mechanic and could rip a car apart and put it all back together.

My uncles were house flippers, they could tear down a whole house and put it back together.

I felt so nervous, so intimidated, and lacked all kinds of confidence around them.

It’s partly why I resonated more with my mom.

She was an accountant.

Spreadsheets, analytics, etc.

However, over the last couple of years, I’ve really challenged that label of “you’re not handy.”

As we’ve acquired more real estate, I’ve challenged myself to learn the ins and outs of building and remodeling.

I’ve fixed toilets, patched holes in walls, built a patio, and now know more about septic systems than the average person.

And you know what?

I’m actually enjoying it.

I AM handy.

Now, I’m not going to go build a house or reno a bathroom, but I challenged the label, and it feels good.

What is a label that you gave yourself that you can challenge?

I’m not fit.

I’m not confident.

I can’t do XYZ.

Many of us label ourselves with a certain limitation and that prevents us from living up to our full potential.

You tell yourself that you’re not fit, that you can’t do it.

You can do it.

Challenge the label.

1% Better.

Dedicated To Your Success,

Doug Spurling