"I got this by myself" -me
Throughout college there has been one huge repeating lesson that I find within every class and project that I have struggled in. Never would I have thought how applicable it is to real life.
It's not any of the actual material that I'm learning (or not learning for that matter), or how to bullshit your way through a task. But it's something that is extremely crucial in being successful efficiently. Questions. Knowing when to reach out for help, and knowing the right questions to ask, I have found, are one of the biggest tools in moving forward in what you are trying to achieve. I'm not trying to say that you shouldn't try to figure things out on your own and that you should ask for answers. But to ask for guidance when you need it.
Asking for help can be extremely hard, and I have found myself to be both stubborn and intimidated to reach out. Who doesn't want to prove to themselves that they are a little genius and can solve obstacles that even professionals may not even know. But there is simply a point where the more time you try to invest you actually get negative return. It's this tipping point that is so important to recognize. The perfect balance point of gaining a challenge without spending too much time.
Recently I have gotten into a situation where my housemates and I were on and off about breaking a lease initially because our house got robbed. And then also because the landlord was hard to work with in terms of getting things fixed in the house. Basically still kids, we started touring new houses and walking across highways to get our terms of conditions notarized. Eventually we got a very scary email about large sums of money so I ran all over my town being redirected to the free legal help service. Why did it take me so long? If I had gone once I noticed that we could use even a small amount of legal advice a lot of this nonsense and stress could have been cut short.
Every situation is different and there isn't always a perfect time to reach out. But it seems that questions are better asked sooner than we think, and saves us energy that can be used for moving forward.