I woke up to a “major problem” that needed fixing ASAP. It got me to thinking, which leads to the following post.
I learned early on in the field as a CAT adjuster that you must improvise. Power’s out, street signs are down, trees and debris block the road, gas is sold out or the gas stations are closed down, water and food can be scarce, cell phones don’t work, people steal stuff, hotels are full and the list goes on.
But I noticed something when I deployed to my first hurricane: some adjusters were sitting around waiting for the infrastructure to get back up and going – or they were complaining about how hard things were and how impossible to adjust it was. I determined right then and there I was going to be one of the new adjusters that got it done – and I did! I’ve driven ungodly distances for gas, filled up all 6 of the five-gallon tanks in my truck (just to have them stolen and have to do it all over again). I’ve slept in my vehicle. I’ve done my claims on my computer in my vehicle using a power inverter when power was out. I’ve eaten from the Red Cross truck. I’ve found ways to scope seemingly inaccessible houses (I’ve got some real stories here). I’ve camped for hours and even days at Kinkos, the only internet access in town. I’ve printed out hard-copies of reports to send via UPS when internet access was impossible. In other words, I improvised, rolled with the punches and found creative ways to get it done. And you know what? It was exhilarating! There’s something seriously cool about coming up against a seemingly insurmountable obstacle and figuring out a way to succeed regardless.
I’ve found that the more you run up against these “insurmountable” problems and solve them, the more you realized that “insurmountable” is something in your mind, not in reality. I encourage you – if you are facing an “insurmountable” obstacle – roll with it, improvise, and dig deep for a solution.
You’ll be surprised what you’re capable of.
Best,
Adam
