Facepalm Moments Come Every Day#

  • Tripping on the street
  • Forgetting your keys in the house
  • Forgetting your lunch
  • Leaving your laptop at the office
  • Asking for help on an issue, then realizing the answer was right in front of your nose

All kinds of things come up every day that make you feel like you need to put your hand to your head—a feeling of, “Oh god, why did I wake up today?”

When working on IT-related issues, this comes up… a lot. And it’s sometimes not easy to get past them.

As an example, recently I had to go on-site for my role. I felt like I didn’t have a clear plan to continue; going on-site was just a method to show I was available for the client, even though I might not be able to fully resolve the issue. I was able to find a temporary solution for them. But through the whole time, it felt like I was hitting my head against the wall—getting stuck on wires, tracing cables, trying to act like I knew what I was finding was the right path, and then going back to square one again.

I didn’t know if I was going to find the solution, but knowing I was able to get the client working in some capacity definitely helped me progress to the next stages of troubleshooting.

As an escalation point for my team, sometimes it’s hard to find the right solution—or even the right path—when triaging a problem. We like to call these “Rabbit Holes,” where we dig ourselves deep into an issue and sometimes can’t find our way out.

It’s okay to have moments where you need to ask for help. Don’t feel like those moments make you weak or incapable. Every challenge is a step toward a better solution. It’s important to set a goal and then push yourself to find the next step. I always tell myself, “I will reach my goals and set new ones,” and that helps me put 110% into all the work I do daily. Whether that means planning another visit to a location, pausing an issue to come back to it in a few hours, or just picking myself up to grab the computer I forgot while keeping a smile on—it all contributes to progress.

Your mood and determination when on-site or working on an issue will drive your performance. Setting yourself in a good mindset is key to success.

There are going to be hard times. There are going to be slow days (like today, which is why I’m writing this blog post). But overall, every step you take gives you the next piece of the puzzle toward becoming a better technician.

Remember: Every “facepalm” moment is a lesson in disguise. Each mistake, each pause, and each challenge is just another step toward becoming a sharper, more capable technician. Embrace the rabbit holes, celebrate the small wins, and never underestimate the power of persistence.