Life Pro-Tip #1: Learn to be Handy

From time to time, things break down. This is a fact of life, and you might as well get used to it. However! Your reaction to things breaking down changes based on one central point; how handy you are. If you are handy, you'll figure out the issue and fix it yourself. If you're kind of handy, you'll figure out what the problem is enough to have someone else fix it and not get raked over the coals in the process. Barring these two qualities, you're left with paying much more to fix something or to simply replace the broken item all together at a greater cost.

What does it mean to be handy? In my mind, handiness is a combination of logic, common sense, mechanical aptitude, skills, and acquired knowledge. It means you'll bring whatever is necessary to bear to address a problem. 

Sometimes fixing something requires you to make do with less than optimal tools, or with missing components, or in cramped quarters with poor lighting etc. It can be stressful, aggravating, and dirty work.

It's also one of the worthwhile things one can do with their time.

When you are fixing things, you're taking ownership and responsibility for those things. You are learning more about them and how they operate. You're learning how to adapt and improvise. You're acquiring skills that you can apply to other problems later in life. You're building confidence in your own capabilities and reinforcing your belief in your own independence. And, you're adding a notch on the pole marking things you've done, and the more you do the greater your "Can Do!" attitude towards problems will be. Being handy really means being a Jack of All Trades. Don't worry; you still have time to master one trade while being skilled in the others. The most important thing to remember here is that you must possess a willingness to learn and to try in order to even begin to become handy, and wanting to learn and wanting to try are always traits in high demand.