3 Lessons from a Do-It-Yourself Project that Required a Different Kind of Patience

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The bad news is my washing machine stopped working. The good news? I wasn't afraid to get my hands dirty and fix it myself! More bad news? No one had the parts I needed. The good news? Amazon saved the day with its two-day shipping. This DIY success definitely calls for blog inspiration. Even though I was able and willing to solve the problem myself, I couldn't jump in and fix it overnight. The pieces lay on the floor for 4 days (2 weekend days and 2 business shipping days) until the new pieces arrived. What can this teach us about dealing with problems at work?
  1. Don't ignore the problem
    • I could easily have pretended the washer wasn't broken and continued to wash clothes in a broken washer. The clothes still went in dry and came out wet so the end result appeared to be the same on the surface. Many redundant chores at work can be the same like monthly metric spreadsheets. If you aren't careful about the process you could produce useless results that look suspiciously like last month's. Maybe the mistakes are unintentional but regardless, be aware of the details because the details matter.
  2. Don't hide from the problem
    • The problem usually affects more than just you so be open about the issue and your intentions to fix it. The other people in the house, the curious cat were all affected by the washing machine being out of commission. Get them involved in the problem and the solution. It will avoid heated emotions of people breathing down your neck as to when it will be done.
  3. Don't leave the problem alone forever
    • Whether I liked it or not, I had to leave my project and come back to it later. Sometimes it takes a lot of energy to psych yourself up to be Ms.Fix-it in the first place so asking yourself to hold on to that inspiration for longer than anticipated is tough. Don't start something unless you intend to fix it (or pay someone else to fix it) and press "Pause" not "Stop".  And my advice? Make sure to return to the issue before you forget how the pieces go back together!
Do you have a redundant task that you like to procrastinate about or a big project you are dreading beginning because you know you can't finish it in one sitting? You can do it! AND you can persevere and finish it too!


About Post Author

A consultant in the software sector, I love to write about the challenges and opportunities that I run across on a daily basis with clients, colleagues, and even friends. There's inspirational lessons to be applied to business practices everywhere!

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So if you want to be happy at work like I am, then thanks for being a reader! I am a consultant that travels constantly and is always working with new people. I love what I do! I'm formally trained with an MBA and BS Engineering. At home and in my free time, I like to drink beer, travel, garden, read, hike with my dog, and play board games.

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