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I started writing down my 'stupid' questions at work and it fixed a huge problem
For months, I was stuck on a specific type of matted poodle cut. The fur would just clump up around the legs no matter what I did. I felt dumb asking my coworker, Sarah, the same thing over and over, so I stopped. Last month, I got a cheap notebook from the dollar store and started writing down every single question, even the ones that felt silly, like 'why does the clipper catch here on the third pass?' I forced myself to look at the list for five minutes before starting the next dog. On the third poodle, I saw my own note about blade angle and realized I was holding it wrong on the back legs. I fixed it right then. The cut was clean in half the time. Has anyone else tried something like this to get past a mental block?
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graydavis5mo ago
Man, that's smart. I keep a notepad by my workbench too. For me it was torque specs on rebuilds. Wrote down every little hunch, like "feels tight at 40 ft-lbs." Checked my notes later, saw a pattern. Realized the manual was wrong for my old model. Stopped stripping bolts. Writing it down makes your brain see the fix.
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hollyl455mo ago
Ever have that moment where you check the notes and realize you've been trusting the wrong info for years?
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the_nathan5mo ago
Wait, what if the notes themselves are the problem though? I've been burned by trusting my own scribbles before, @hollyl45. Sometimes you write down a hunch and then it just becomes a fact in your head, even if it was wrong from the start. My brain needs that outside check from a manual or something solid, or I'll just keep repeating my own mistake on paper.
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