If something breaks, my first instinct is always the same—how can I fix it?
It’s not something I think about. It’s just how I’m wired.
Starting Small: Fixing the Door Lock
I took some time to fix our bathroom door lock the other night. It had stopped working and led to a few awkward moments.
It had been broken for weeks, but I kept putting it off—until it became unavoidable.
I removed the lock, straightened the cam with a quick tap, added some WD40, and put it back together.
It worked perfectly. Smooth and solid again.
It took 10 minutes. The real question was—why didn’t I fix it sooner?
Learning by Doing
The benefits of fixing are obvious—time, money, and understanding.
Our fridge started making a noise that gradually got worse. The fan bearing had worn, causing it to rub and eventually fail.
I tried a quick fix using a makeshift bush. It worked briefly, then failed again.
Eventually I replaced the motor and fan properly—and the problem was solved.
Fixing it taught me how the system actually worked—not just how to replace parts.
When Fixing Gets More Complex
Some problems aren’t simple.
The tumble dryer had been repaired multiple times—belts, heaters, resets—but the real issue was the tension pulley seizing.
Not Everything Works First Time
The first fix didn’t last.
I eventually replaced the pulley with a different design using proper bearings.
That solved it properly—and improved the original design.
The Bigger Pattern
This isn’t just about fixing things. It’s a way of thinking.
When something breaks, you can either replace it—or understand it.
Fixing forces you to slow down and learn how the system actually works.
Where This Shows Up
- How I Think (Visual Thinking) — how I naturally break down systems
- LEGO Technic — where this mindset started
- Modern Cars — why overcomplicated systems fail
What This Means
Fixing things isn’t just practical—it’s a way of understanding systems.
Replacing something is often quicker, but fixing it builds knowledge and confidence.
In practice, that means taking the time to understand how things work rather than immediately replacing them.
Not everything needs replacing—sometimes it just needs understanding.
I spend a lot of time fixing and simplifying systems, whether that’s physical or digital.
You can take a look at my TechFix service if you’ve got something that should be fixable but isn’t.