Analyze and Execute MacGyver Mode (part II)

“A problem well stated is a problem half-solved.” - Charles Kettering

Okay, so you've prepared yourself for the day and something still happens that you hadn't foreseen. What do you do? Simple. Stop what you are doing. It takes a lot less time and effort to think things through before acting than to aimlessly try a bunch of things only to have to redo them or keep falling short.


Analyze the situation. Consider the problem, consider what resources are available to you, consider how best to apply those resources. You may still have to do a bit of trial and error but I can assure you it will be a lot less if you have taken the time to try and understand the problem. Does the problem seem complicated? Break it down into stages. What needs to be done? What needs to be accomplished in order to get to that stage? Work backwards. 

 Decide what kind of problem you are facing. Are you facing an information based problem requiring you to research something? What type of information is it you are looking for? Where are some places that this type of information can be located? Do you know someone who deals with this type of information a lot? Perhaps you are facing a problem that requires you to fix something. What exactly is broken? Does it require a temporary fix until someone else can repair it? Does it need sticking, sliding, or replacing?

 Take inventory of what you have at your disposal. Do you have duct tape? WD-40? What about a paperclip, pen, or butter knife? Think of what tools you require and if need be, think of what everyday objects have similar shapes. It's like not having a ruler in class and using the edge of a book instead, or losing your reset key for a device and having to unfold and use a paperclip. The world is one giant tool box, you just have to take a look around you. Don't have a flat head screw driver? Look! A butter knife!

 Back in high school, a girl in my class was out of smokes and had to bum one off a friend however, she was scared of breaking the cigarette before break and was desperately trying to figure out a way of keeping it safe. So, the problem is that you need to afford the cigarette protection using something that will not easily crush. If you put it in something big, then you are stuck carrying that around and there is still a chance it will bounce around and get damaged. So what is of similar shape and size, solid, yet still big enough to fit a cigarette in? A pen.

 So I took a cheap pen apart. I removed the ink and spring, put the cigarette in the plastic cylinder, placed both ends back on the pen to keep the cigarette from falling out, and handed it to her. Smokers crisis diverted.

 Common problem: zipper won't stay up on a pair of jeans. Okay so you want the zipper in place but using a safety pin is not only obvious but also means having to struggle with fixing the problem again every time you go to the bathroom. Take a small elastic (like the ones people use when doing their hair in those tiny braids), run it halfway through the hole at the end of the zipper grip so you are left with an elastic ring on each side of the zipper grip, stretch each end over the button of your pants or shorts, then do up the button. Voila! Discreet and manageable. When you undo the button and pull apart the zipper, the elastic stays around the button which folds out as the zipper is pulled apart. When you stretch out the two sides to button up your jeans, the elastic pulls the zipper back up into place.

 I recently bought one of those fancy convertible dresses that you can wear a bunch of different ways but refused to buy the expensive broaches that allow you to fasten the straps together. I decided instead to run the straps through a tiny elastic I had laying around. Moments before my date picked me up to go to a wedding, the elastic that was holding the straps behind my back halter style decided to snap and, being rushed as I was, I didn't want to search all of my stuff to find another elastic. Cue date walking in. It's time to go.

 Alright, panic mode. What do I do? I need something to hold the straps in place in the middle of my back, something that opens and closes so that I don't have to undo the dress to run the straps back through it. I'm going to a wedding so whatever I use has to be either invisible or at the very least can't look horrible and tacky. Then, I see my small butterfly ankle bracelet lying on my shelf. Perfect! I had my date wrap the anklet around and around the two straps before fastening the ends. Voila, not only do I have a solution for the night, I now have a cute butterfly on the back of my dress.

 My point is, not only is the world a giant tool box, but a real tool box never has only one screwdriver. Sometimes you reach for the Phillips and it doesn't work. Figure out why and if need be, reach for the Flathead/Slot. If the glue doesn't work, reach for the duct tape.

 It's all about deducing the root of the problem, figuring out what is needed in order to secure a solution, understanding why that missing component works the way it does, and searching for similarities in what is available to you. 

 The same goes with problems of the information variety. What is the problem? What kind of information is required to solve the problem? Where are similar answers located?  

Take a moment to look around you, what do you see? I challenge you to choose five objects in your surrounding area and consider an alternate use for them. A cup can be used not only for holding a beverage but can also be used to trace a circle on a piece of paper, stow a bunch of pens and pencils, or to trap a spider that needs to be relocated to the outdoors (or if you happen to be Riddick, it can be used for something far more gruesome). Feel free to share your results in the comments below or to email them to thebrastreetrambler@gmail.com

 And remember, when facing a problem just ask yourself WWMD? (What would MacGyver do?)

Cheers!
The Bra Street Rambler
Like what you've read? Like, comment, and follow/subscribe!  Show the bra some love!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Keep Calm and Carry On My Wayward Son

What is it about a crisis, big or small, that makes us panic and freak out? Why does the unknown cause our hearts to beat faster and the little people in our brains to yell “Abort! Abort!” as they hit the big red self-destruct button? I’ve seen people jumping up and down freaking out about a little stove fire, completely forgetting the need to put it out, let alone the how.  I’ve seen those afraid of the dark forget they own candles and flashlights the moment the lights start to flicker.  I’ve seen a sober person at a party panicking as they try to locate someone to drive an injured individual to the hospital, completely forget that they themselves are qualified to drive.  The solutions are staring them in the face but they are momentarily reduced to the same frozen response a deer suffers when caught in the headlights.  A person can be the most level headed, logical person you’ve ever met, they could even be the most prepared for a situation, but w...
Read more

A Bra Among Bros

So if you’re like me, you probably tend to hang around guys more than you do girls.  Contrary to what other girls may think, this has nothing to do with being promiscuous or trying to pick up. Alright, for some of you it might be, and in such cases have fun.  Honestly who am I to judge, it’s your body and your decision to do with it as you please.  This is the twenty first century and the double standard of guys being labeled heroes while girls are being labeled as sluts is a concept that really does need to be fed to a pool of starving piranhas. Destroy the mindset.  Everyone is human, everyone has needs, and if everyone involved is of age and it isn’t hurting anyone… why should it be anyone else’s business? Back on point, guys are usually just easier to get along with (Though there are always a small group of female exceptions).  The conversations are more often than not less dramatic, the friendships are easier to maintain, and you have less necessity ...
Read more

Recharging Your Social

If you're an introvert, you know what it's like to be peopled-out. While I am one of those few people who is evenly distributed between being an introvert and an extrovert, I often find that working in public service results in a higher need for me to set hanging out with friends aside in order to recharge my social batteries. Extroverts sometimes have difficulty understanding this need as they try to present the fact that they are low maintenance/really easy going, or just want to do something relaxing together. In their mind, watching a movie with them is no different than watching a movie alone as there would be little communication going on anyway. While it is true that some people are easier to be around in certain moods, sometimes a need to recharge means a need to be completely alone with yourself for a while.  For an introvert, or someone with introvert tendencies, being tired doesn't always mean you are sleepy, it means you are emotionally drained in t...
Read more