You researched.
You asked a friend.
You posted on a forum.
You called tech support.
You really, really tried.
And it still wouldn't work.
What are you supposed to do?
Every once in a while , you'll run into a technology problem that you just can't seem to solve.
Being the type of person who likes to figure it out, you get caught up in the quest for the answer. Hours fly by as you tread water. You're spellbound. Stuck in your chair until you can make some meaningful progress towards getting this thing solved.
Allow me to break your spell.
I want you to give up.
Yes, that's right. Give up. Once you've crossed the line into uncharted territory, you're no longer serving your best interests by continuing to stress and stew over this problem.
You've crossed a line.
This line is different for everybody, and the real key is to identify where your line is and then recognize when you've crossed it.
Failure is not an option.
Some people may associate giving up with failure. I disagree. There is no failure when it comes to technology problems, because all technology problems have a solution. You may not be able to find that solution, but someone else can.
When you decide to acknowledge that you're in over your head, you have not failed. In fact, you've given yourself a gift. The gift of being able to return to what you're great at, and allow someone else to show you the way.
I know that you're spending too much time on something right now. What is it? It's something that someone else could get done for you in a fraction of the time. How would you ask for help?
Discussion
What tech problem are you using as an excuse to procrastinate on something that's actually important?
photo by paul bica
