I finished a small household plumbing project today, one that a plumber could have dispensed with in ten minutes. It took me the better part of the morning and three trips to the hardware store.
The big cause of that extra time is that I don’t do plumbing projects regularly. I don’t think like a plumber, I don’t recognize the tools or the parts I will need to complete the project. Similar-looking but unusable parts tripped me up not once but twice, and since I don’t have a van full of commonly used components, it was back to the store I went.
Too often we forget just how much working in our primary domain saves us time. I am more efficient than 99% of the world at the things I’m best at; but at the things I don’t do often, I’m outpaced by anyone who does them regularly.
Jack of all trades, master of none is an admirable moniker, but we all end up more masterful at some skills; to the rest, it’s important to know when to do them ourselves and when to let a master take over.