Actually, those small breaks can stop stress from building up too much.

Actually, a pressure cooker changed my whole view on this. I used to avoid dried beans for the exact reasons you said, that long simmer felt like a prison sentence. Now I can go from a bag in the pantry to cooked beans in under an hour with no soak. It turns the whole process from a two-day project into something I can decide to do at 5 pm. The savings add up because it's no longer a chore that makes me bail and spend more money.

That bit about solar work sharpening your troubleshooting is spot on. I used to assume it was pretty straightforward panel work, but @anderson.jason is right, it forces you to trace problems through a whole different system. It definitely makes you a better all-around tech.

Ugh, I totally get that! Seeing the progress really does make you drink more. But yeah, drawing all those cups sounds like a chore that would kill the fun. Maybe a simpler checkmark could keep the good part without the extra work.

Did you ever think new stuff was always better? I used to, figuring computer systems in cars meant no more guesswork. But my car had a hiccup the dealer's scanner couldn't diagnose. An independent mechanic wiggled a connector and fixed it. That changed my mind about losing human tricks. We gain speed and accuracy but lose that hands on wisdom.