The Importance of Reading Instructions

I’ve always been the type to read the instructions… on nearly everything.  When I was a kid, I loved putting together plastic models of cars and airplanes.  The process always went smoothly because I read the directions first. I always first read how the Transformer was to transform from robot to car and back again while my little brother broke his trying to figure it out.

As I grew older, I learned the value of changing my own oil (well, not MY oil, but the oil in my car), replacing brake pads, belts and spark plugs.  It turns out most automotive maintenance is fairly simple… if you read the instructions.

And when it came to assembling Sauder furniture, I was a pro… because I always read the instructions.

When I bought my first house, I did so with the intention of becoming a DIY ‘weekend warrior’.  I was amazed that I was able to, with no prior experience, wire electrical outlets, hang and finish drywall, lay hardwood flooring and even build a bar… all by just reading the instructions!

Now that I’m married, I cook frequently.  For most of my life I was intimidated by the thought of cooking because I’ve eaten good stuff and bad.  I always thought it was a tremendously difficult skill that took years of training, trial and error… and not everyone gets it.  One day, to surprise my wife, I downloaded a simple apricot pork chop recipe I found on the internet.  I read it thoroughly, bought the ingredients, followed the directions and it turned out fantastic!

Time and time again, I’ve learned that I don’t have to re-invent. While of course there are some things that one just has to learn by him/herself, there are many things that mankind, as a collective, has learned and documented.

In general, this axiom has proven true: if someone has taken the time to write instructions for completing a task that you’re about to do, and you have access to those instructions… you should take the time to read through them prior to undertaking the task.  Even if you don’t follow those directions to the T, knowing where you’re going to end up and how you’re supposed to get there is tremendously valuable in saving time, effort and frustration.

I wish I had considered all of the above before tonight, when I proceeded to make some really simple macaroons.  I read through the list of ingredients, whisked them up in the bowl, spooned them onto the cookie sheet and, only when I checked again to see the recommended oven temperature, did I finish reading the procedure.  I really should have whipped the egg whites and folded in the coconut and sugar.

My macaroons turned out exactly unlike anything edible.

Lesson learned.