My wife recently sent me a link to a post on Design Sponge regarding “The Fixer’s Manifesto,” written by the makers of Sugru (more about Sugru shortly…). She knows that I am a die-hard try-everything-you-can-to-fix-something-before-you-throw-it-away individual, and this list struck a chord with me.

I have a hard time throwing things away. I have no problem giving things away if they’re useful to someone else, but to accept that something is no longer useful and simply put it in the trash is hard for me.

For example, ten years ago my 5-disc Sony CD changer stopped working. Even back then, to go buy a new CD player was not terribly expensive. I couldn’t do it, though. I completely dismantled the thing and was able to fix the problem with tape, a q-tip, and hydrogen peroxide. Ten years later we are still using that same CD player.

At times the “fixer’s mentality” in me goes a little too far and I spend way more time than I should trying to fix the unfixable, but I figure at the end of the day the item will either be repaired or at the very least I’ll have learned something new. We just moved into a new (to us) house a few months ago and let’s just say I’ve already learned a ton about plumbing.

My favorite quote from The Fixer’s Manifesto is the opening line: “…everyday practical problem solving is the most beautiful form of creativity there is.” That is the bottom line for every successful entrepreneur and innovator. Find a problem, then fix it.

Back to Sugru: I had never heard of this company/product, but basically it’s a play-dough-like substance that allows a person to perform repairs that don’t fit the duct tape or super-glue bill. The best thing about the Sugru website is that they show a ton of examples of how people have used the product to fix various items.

What do you think: Are you a fixer?