My mom, Momma Resourceful, is the leader of resourceful people! She walked so that I could run. I remember sometime in the late 80s; we had loaded up our family of four to go to the fair one day. It was a hot day, and my middle sister was a baby. When we arrived at the fairgrounds, Momma Resourceful took my baby sister out of the car and placed her in the stroller. It was this very moment that I will never forget. My sister spit up everywhere! Gross! You see, she had a bottle of milk and a bottle of lemonade, and with it being so hot that day, it just curdled in her stomach. It was all over her clothes and all in the seat. Momma Resourceful didn’t have another change of clothes for my sister.
For the average person, this would be the moment to shrug your shoulders, turn back and go home. Oh, well, maybe we can try again tomorrow? Not Momma Resourceful. She let her cape fly! I don’t know how exactly, but Momma Resourceful took her shirt (she had a tank top underneath) and some safety pins and turned it into a dress for my sister. She then took some water and paper towels and rinsed out the car seat. She was our hero! We enjoyed the fair that day, and that was the moment that I wanted to be resourceful like her.
What Does It Mean To Be Resourceful?
According to the dictionary, resourceful is defined as finding quick and clever ways to overcome difficulties. It’s, in essence, creative problem-solving in life’s projects. I started this blog because I heard time and time again countless people say how they aren’t creative. I had someone once tell me, “I would have never thought to use a mesh shower caddy to hold clean face masks.” That’s because they saw just a shower caddy. They didn’t tap into their imagination. Meanwhile, I tested and tried out things with pockets that I could use to store my face masks.
You Can Learn To Be Resourceful
I had to learn how to be resourceful. It took time and some habits that I would like to share with you. Even Still, more than thirty years later, I cannot recreate that make-shift dress my mother made on that hot day at the fairgrounds. It’s become a mythical legend now, something we talk about but have no proof it happened. Even Momma Resourceful can’t recall how she did it.
Resourceful People Are Problem-Solvers
How do I solve problems, Nikki? My friend, you already have the ultimate tool for problem-solving. Pinterest! You are on there quite often, and believe it or not; you are already looking for solutions to things such as what to cook for dinner, party ideas, home decor. Problem-solving doesn’t have to be about finding original never before seen ideas (unless you plan to copyright and sell something); it can be as simple as finding a solution that works best for you. Momma Resourceful may not have been the first person to make her baby a dress out of a shirt, but that was the first time she used that method to solve her problem!
Ask questions. Yes, talk to yourself. Figure out what problem you are trying to solve and what you think you will need. There are no right answers. If you’re not sure of your problem or what you will need, take a guess. You can always adjust as you go along.
They Use Their Imagination
A long time ago, you had something called imagination, and you used it a lot! Have you ever sat back and watched children play? My boys stack three legos together, and all of a sudden, it’s a mop. And they don’t question it. As a matter of fact, if you tell a child that their mop is just a bunch of legos, they will look at you like something is wrong! As adults, we are so grounded in reality that we stopped using our imagination. Resourceful people think of ideas that may not make sense in reality, but that is how they find a solution. The Wright Brothers probably told someone, “Hey, we can make a machine that flies.” How crazy did that sound back then? Sure it’s normal now but imagine seeing even their first design. It probably didn’t make sense. Imagination doesn’t have to. So practice thinking up ways to do things like cook with no hands, even if it doesn’t make sense. Have silly thoughts; it’s okay.
Resourceful People Are Patient
You don’t learn to be resourceful by giving up right away. You try, get frustrated, walk away for a moment, do some research, ask advice from experts, then come back with a fresh perspective or new idea and go at it again. It’s a process! Resourceful people know not to get anxious when a problem doesn’t seem to appear right away. They don’t give up! Tell yourself There is a solution, and I will find it. Maybe not right away, but you will find it. That’s how resourceful people think. I can’t write words on a cake to save my life. It always comes out awful. My problem is that I don’t have steady hands, and I have been working on different solutions for years. Years! Did you hear that? Yes, each time there is an opportunity to write on a cake, I test out a new method. Right now, I’m doing well with the fondant cookie cutter letters. I haven’t given up, and neither should you!
Resourceful People Learn New Skills
You kind of automatically become a jack of all trades when you’re resourceful. Maybe not all trades, but resourceful people never stop learning new skills. They know that each thing they learn will only help them problem-solve in life and DIY projects. When I say learn a new skill, it doesn’t necessarily mean take a class, get a degree. Those options may not sound appealing to you. But there are other ways of learning new things. When we have someone come to our house for a repair, my husband likes to watch and ask questions to learn more about our home. It probably annoys the repair person, but he has learned some great tips and tricks! How many times have you called mom or grandma to ask what she did to make her casserole taste so good? When she told you, that was you learning a new skill. Learning a new skill can be as easy as watching and asking questions. Try to learn a new skill when the opportunity comes up! Try a DIY project that you would never think of doing, or watch someone else do it. Remember, it’s just learning, not mastering. That’s way later down the road.
They are Confident
If you search what it means to be resourceful, you will notice that the word confident comes up a lot. I had to think about this for a minute, and I realized that resourceful people are confident because they stay positive. Tell yourself, I can do this, even though I have never tried it before. I can dust off my imagination and use it for this project. Believe in yourself! Don’t tackle a project already defeated. You are guaranteed to be frustrated and give up. Look at it as another opportunity to try something and walk away with another accomplishment. DIY projects are like trophies in a sport that isn’t a sport. We show them off with pride when we have the confidence to see it to completion.
Put Your Newfound Resourcefulness To the Test!
You won’t know you are resourceful until you apply these habits in your DIY life!!! It won’t happen overnight, so you have to continue to practice. And really try unleashing your imagination. Play with some young children, do what they do, and soon you will open a magical world of creative problem-solving. Happy creating!
