Readying Another Critical Device: You

Since you are as critical to the recovery process as virtually anything else is, now seems like a good time to mention a couple of points about how you use—or abuse—yourself.

The best hardware technician in the world can make nasty mistakes and forget crucial things if he or she approaches an evaluation or repair at the wrong time or in the wrong way. For example, it’s very important to be able to remember each step you take while troubleshooting. If you don’t, you risk either repeating them or never performing them in the first place.

While I assume you’re an adult and perfectly able to make decisions for yourself, avoid troubleshooting and repairs when you are

• Exhausted

• Under the influence of anything that may affect your cognitive abilities

• Completely frustrated or tense

• Very distracted by other factors

• Otherwise unable to give the job your full attention