The Top 10 Steps for the Mechanically Impaired when Some Assembly is Required
Category: Life Skills (BL38)Originally Submitted on 9/12/97.
Some assembly required can mean fasten with two screws, or devote three days to figuring out what the instructions mean. Some of us can handle this undaunted. For others it is a terrifying task.
1. Pick a time when no deadline is looming. (Christmas Eve is a really BAD time!)
2. Read the instructions all the way through. If there is an instruction video, watch it. (If there is a video this means that LOTS of assembly is required.)
3. Check the parts against the parts list. Set them out on a surface that will not be needed in the near future. If the kitchen table is the only available surface, use a box or pan that can be moved easily without disturbing the parts.
4. Assemble the tools the instructions say that you will need, PLUS flashlight (for finding things that fall into dark corners), bandana (for wiping sweat), adjustable wrench (because the others won't fit), and a hammer (trust me).
5. Follow the instructions, one step at a time, in the order given - this last is important.
6. When the parts, bolts, or screws stick, won't fit, jiggle them gently first.
7. If they still stick, or you get otherwise frustrated, TAKE A BREAK. Get away from your project. Make a phone call, take a walk, get a cup of coffee, but STOP working on it until you have calmed down, maybe even until tomorrow.
8. Use a hammer only very cautiously if at all, but sometimes it is needed, even when the instructions don't say so.
9. Don't give up too soon. Something that seems too difficult one day may submit easily tomorrow, and knowing that you finished it without having to ask your neighborhood Mr. Fixit for help feels GREAT!
10. Congratulate yourself! You did it!
About the Submitter
This piece was originally submitted by Coach Diana Robinson, Ph.D., CASAC, Professional Life Coach, Writer, Counselor, who can be reached at CoachDiana@aol.com, or visited on the web. Coach Diana Robinson wants you to know: As a Professional Life Coach I welcome the chance to work with people seeking to reconnect with their own strengths and their own authenticity, people who are seeking balance in their lives, and to whom inner, as well as outer, success is important. I offer a half-hour complimentary coaching call and a free twice-monthly e-mail newsletter. For more information see my web site. The original source is: Experience.
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