If you have a particular job to do and want it done right, what should you do? Now, before I proceed, let me say there are two correct answers. The first correct answer is, assuming you are qualified, to do it yourself. The next correct answer is to retain someone else who is qualified to do the job and who is efficient and reasonable.

Now, if you think about this, it is a process that goes on every day in homes and families all across our nation. This should merit a little of our time to think of ways we can improve. Some of us are gifted with our hands and have a lot of knowledge and skill, and some are not. I do good on some things but there are other things I would not touch with a 10-foot pole. Some jobs are just plain dangerous, like electrical projects. I am afraid of electricity but am fairly proficient at changing light bulbs.

Have you ever heard of hiring a handyman? A good handyman is hard to find, and a good one can become a member of our family. But the bottom line is this: we all want a job done right, especially if we are spending our hard-earned money.

I suppose the most often-needed handyman is someone to take care of our automobiles. Here we are really blessed by a man by the name of Gale. Gale is past 80 years of age, still working, and can fix almost anything that goes wrong with either one of our cars, including performing routine maintenance. He is also honest as the day is long and charges us half what the same job would cost us at a dealership. It’s the same with a good carpenter. In our case, this is a man named Charlie, who built us a great deck on the back of our house and has done a number of other odd jobs.

Now, I realize that you may be way ahead of me, but my purpose here is simply to get you to think along these lines. When you have a job that needs to be done right, there are options that can save you both time and money. Oh, I forgot to mention a man named Tom, who was referred to us by our good friend, former Judge Jim Baker. Tom has done a number of handyman jobs for us, always efficiently, and he has been most reasonable in what he charges us.

When it comes to doing or hiring jobs done right, there is one common denominator, and that is time. We all have the same amount of time each day — 24 hours, no more or no less. In most cases, doing or getting jobs done in a timely manner is certainly in our best interest. If you have been putting off doing some things around your place that need to be done, why not take a few minutes, make a list and get started. I can promise you that things will go a lot better at your house or place of business if those handyman jobs that need to be done are taken care of in a timely manner.

Hey, I forgot to mention Austin, a neighbor who takes care of our yard. He has a riding mower and mows the grass, cuts the weeds, and blows off the driveway. He does a great job and is also very reasonable. And there is also Tim, who is a really good plumber and can fix almost anything. Most of our plumbing needs are in the shower area … drip, drip, drip.

In closing, I might say we just talked it over, and we are going out to eat. Life is good and I hope it’s good for you and yours as well.

—(Jim Davidson is an author, public speaker, syndicated columnist, and Founder of the Bookcase for Every Child project. Since its inception in the Log Cabin Democrat in 1995, Jim’s column has been self-syndicated in over 375 newspapers in 35 states. For a personalized copy of “Your Future Begins Today” send $20, which includes postage and handling, to Jim Davidson, 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)