After doing my famous procrastination of fixing a problem until it becomes unbearable, I had a big turn around point in my week on Friday night.
Context: I recently bought a new MacBook to get some upgraded speed and efficiency in my life after my last computer was slowly stalling out. Soon after I got this new computer I noticed the fan was running on high a lot . . . and then nearly all the time. Enough that lots of people would notice and point it out — exactly what you want during a work meeting. Enough that it constantly sounded like a white noise machine was left on full power. Plus my computer was noticeably slowing down and then the battery was plummeting as fast as a percentage point a minute.
And I could not figure out the problem. I mostly use the internet with only a couple of other applications but even when I closed everything out that fan would still scream. I restarted. I reset the SMC. I googled. I tried to interpret the Activity Monitor but I was at the end of my rope.
The procrastination piece: it took me a good month to get to the end of that rope. And this is for a brand new computer.
I used Apple’s support chat (with the moral support of my friend Ashley in my office . . . or more like the accountability of my friend Ashley) and was told I had to bring it in. I picked Friday night, resigned to sending my computer off for the weekend and thankful I at least still had my Macbook Air that I could use to get me through basic internet access.
But the helpful Genius Bar technician . . . fixed the problem. I didn’t have to hand over my computer. Instead, I watched him sort through some downloads and set up things that were hogging my memory without me knowing it . . . and a lot of other stuff I’m sure someone with a little more technical savvy could have done on their own. But I did not have that savvy. And this was free help. I walked out with my computer 45 minutes later. I haven’t heard the fan once this weekend.
A problem is a chance for you to do your best.
Duke Ellington
So here’s my moral, that seems to be recurring in my life until I finally get it: deal with problems as they come up and ask for help. Especially when it’s free expert help that was, in the end, a pretty painless thing on my part. I even got to get mall garlic knots afterward which I unashamedly love.
The success of that evening really turned my day, and even my week, around. Sometimes you do just need a small win.
With Love,
Natalie