One of my lifelong goals is know how to do brakes.

You’re probably thinking what the guy at the auto parts store said, “You should set your goals higher.”

Power and status never meant much to me.  Some wealth would be nice.

Doing brakes is challenge.  Many people earn a living turning wrenches.  They can change brakes in their sleep.  I can’t.  Yet.

This week I read up on how to change brakes.  I’ve read the maintenance manual for my pickup,  skimmed the pages of my Haynes manual and watched a ton of YouTube videos about brakes.

I’ve talked to three different mechanics about the process.

I’m ready to go.

While reading about brakes I often grabbed a flashlight and went outside to inspect them.  I wanted to compare what I was reading to what’s on my truck.

Each time I went to my truck I found the answer I was looking for and something else that needed attention.

There’s a lot of rust on the frame, several brake lines need replacement sooner than later and the front splash guards are missing rivets.

That’s just the start of the list.

I’m feeling overwhelmed.

Last night I caught myself worrying and remembered a valuable life lesson.

One thing at a time

When we multi-task we get overwhelmed.  Our mind races from one thought to the next while never finishing any of them.

Motion forward stops.

It’s exhausting!

What’s the solution?

Today I took a good hard look at the truck to figure out my most pressing repair.  I want to focus on that one thing.

I jiggled the brake lines, their not as bad as I originally thought.

I made a list of fasteners needed to fix the splash guards.

Next I took off my rear tires to inspect the brakes.

When I took off the driver side tire I immediately knew what to do first.

The caliper seized.

That’s where I’ll start my brake project!

The research phase of brake repairs, and life, is exhausting.  There are so many ways to go.

You’ll have better results if you focus on one thing at a time.