Photo by Onur Binay on Unsplash

In December, we bought a robot vacuum. It sat in its box until a few weeks ago because we still had too much stuff sitting on the floor waiting for a permanent home. Then, once we had unpacked and put away those things, I got stuck on naming the vacuum, because I am that (crazy) person.

Initially, I wanted to name it “Rosie,” (or Rosey) after the robot maid on The Jetsons. But Rosie is the most common name for Roombas, something I learned when I looked up “robot vacuum names” (because I am also that crazy person). On that list of names, “Vlad the Inhaler” made me laugh out loud, so Vlad became our Roomba’s name. 

Once Vlad had been christened, we sent him off to map the house before his first job. Vlad bumbled through our rooms, smacking into walls, crawling under furniture, and generally looking like a large, intoxicated hockey puck. This was perfectly normal, according to the operating instructions. (The final map of the house said we have five living rooms and our third bedroom is labeled a bathroom, but oh well.)

I’ve been known to take life lessons from unlikely places (see here and here), and it struck me, as I watched Vlad do his thing, that there are some lessons to be learned from a robot vacuum. 

Life lessons from a robot vacuum

• You can finish a big project by methodically moving through it. Speed is not always the most important thing.
• Looking confused is part of the journey.
• What you’re doing might look odd or confusing to someone else, but you have a plan.
• No one can really tell what you’re doing—or how well you’re doing—it until you're finished.
• If you’re stuck, pause for a moment and get your bearings.
• Sometimes it’s necessary to retrace your steps…but not over and over again. Know when you need help.
• Ask for help. Most likely you’ll get it.
• Even when you do a good job, it won’t be perfect. The people who care about you realize you’re not perfect (nobody is) and will make allowances for you.
• When your battery is low, go home to recharge.

Vlad has been on the job for several weeks now, and in addition to the pleasure of not having to vacuum as much (Vlad is imperfect, after all), it makes me smile just to see his name on the app. Choosing to enjoy the little things and looking for unusual ways to reinforce positive beliefs can help us feel happier. Have you taken any life lessons from an unusual source? Please share!