1, #196 - Failure reps.

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I’ve been thinking a lot recently about how failure can be productive.

To be more specific: I’ve been trying to get better at basic repairs around the house.

My handyman skills are sorely lacking, but every attempt to use them reminds me why I hate these kinds of projects. Something basic like re-hanging a towel bar ends up being a multi-hour (er, multi-day, really) affair, because I get started, get stuck, have to go buy a tool. Turns out it’s the wrong tool, so it’s back to the store to return it and get a different one. Ack!

It all just feels so… wasteful. I’m sure I could hire someone to do a better job, faster, and for less money (if I factor in the value of my time).

And there are certainly situations where calling in a pro is the right thing to do. But… I want to get better at this stuff. I’m a dad to 3 young boys and I don’t want them having to call a handyman (or one of their much more savvy grandads) every time something breaks. So I’ve gotta learn.

The thing that has helped me is viewing the frustrating, indirect path of learning these random skills as accumulative. Yeah, it’s annoying that I had to drive over to the hardware store three separate times in one afternoon… but you better believe I’ll never forget that I need to check the width of my drywall in order to get the right length toggle-bolt! Next time, I’ll know.

Now, I treat these failures like reps for learning - part of the experience that cannot be skipped.