I have proof that this is true. 10 days after getting my brand new MacBook it took a glass of Zin in the keyboard. I will not repeat the single word that came out of my mouth five times. It’s the only one that spontaneously erupted.
There was no amount of cleaning, drying or Googling help that was ever going to have that MacBook turn on or not smell. Interestingly, it was the cord of my old PC that hit that glass. I was frustrated, heart broken and numb as no solution could be determined until the morning.
Have you too felt that way recently? Maybe not over a liquid spill but over something that seemed out of your control? Some turn of events that you wished would have been different because you now have to deal with how to fix the mess.
Challenges happen. The key is to know how to proactively deal with them. Here’s one process that I’ve found very beneficial.
STOPPING Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda!
This mental swirl is of no useful purpose. Really. Stopping this tendency is easier said than done yet the sooner you catch your mental swirl and stop it, the more solution focused you become. What happened, happened. What can now be done is the question.
FEELING the frustration or dis-ease is normal… yet don’t let it paralyze you. Using the angst to propel forward motion is different than getting caught up in it.
THINKING through the action step options gives the mind something concrete to focus on. Then make a list of all the to-do actions so that you have a plan to follow.
TAKING ONE ACTION leads to the next action step as answers and clarity are obtained.
Proactively handling and moving through challenging situations is the only option. Ignoring anything will not change it or make it go away! Call it self leadership.
After many phone calls I now know that Apple doesn’t insure anything having to do with liquid and that insurance companies require a special technology rider for any tech coverage. I got lucky. My insurance agent used my business insurance deductible to cover the cost of a new MacBook. Very lucky!
So here’s my advice: no liquids by any computer, back up regularly, get tech insurance. No computer likes wine. Trust me!
Terri:
Oh, how I know how you feel. When I got my iMac, I did something similar, but different. I was cleaning my PC keyboard with isopropyl alcohol and I accidentally knocked the bottle over and it spilled into my brand new iMac keyboard. I could see the liquid filling the plexiglass keyboard frame, but the stuff wouldn’t pour back out. I was freaking as the keys wouldn’t work.
I was lucky … isopropyl alcohol evaporates, so when morning came, all was well!
Agreed! Keep those liquids away from keyboards and laptops!!!!
Lissa
YOU are one lucky girl. But, we already knew that!
After much experimentation and study, we’ve found that a properly aged Merlot will make our computers sing with glee. Your mistake was not wine, but Zinfandel. Good grief, with all the first rate and adoringly priced deep and spicy wines from Argentina and Chile that are available all over the world, why would you stoop to a Zin? While not as effective as a Merlot, pour a Malbec on your hard drive and then listen to it purr.
HA HA HA!!! You literally had me laughing out loud! I sure do love it when both my computer and I are singing in harmony. Not so certain that wine adds to the music from the Mac…actually, it muffled the Mac….but it sure does for me
I love the irony of your PC tripping your wine glass. Personal, no doubt. Perhaps Microsoft programed that into some of your software. Kidding, of course…I think…
HA! No doubt! I’ve been wanting to go to ‘the other side’ as my Mac associates call it for quite some time. Years, actually. After a rough transition, it’s now a fun journey of learning and expanding my ease with technology.
I don’t know how I lived without a Mac all those years (25). And it took me six years to make the switch. I will never go back, even though I have to use a PC at work and still have a dinosaur (PC that is) at home, especially now that you can only get Vista (argh).