The key to being a modern day woman is learning how to do things yourself, especially traditionally male-assigned roles. As a modern day woman, I appreciate that experts or professionals are available to provide services in areas that I either fall short in, or that I do not wish to carry out. This becomes problematic when experts and professionals are not available when you need them. And it is this realisation that prompted me to learn how to change a tyre.

I have been meaning to learn how to change one since I woke up to a flat tyre last year, just as I was getting ready to go to work. So imagine my horror when, a few days ago, the same thing happened and I was still not able to – despite it being on the top of my New Year’s resolution list this year. Panic-stricken, I drove to the nearest filling station with Martin Luther’s words consuming my mind, “how soon ‘not now’ becomes never”. I am not sure what he meant to say when he said these words, but they made sense to me in that moment. I had gone full-circle and my procrastination got me there. I decided that I had made enough empty excuses and sought out to learn how to change a car tyre.

To avoid you repeating my mistake, I decided to take the lead and give you 10 basic steps on how to change a tyre. So here we go. But before we start, let me just make it clear that changing your tyre wearing a mini skirt and high heels is not the most comfortable. You will need to get your hands dirty, most probably your knees too, so keep an emergency pashmina (to wrap around yourself), a blanket (to kneel on) and comfortable shoes in your trunk that will allow you to do the dirty work with minimal damage to yourself. Nobody wants to walk into the office with an oil stain on their crisp white shirt or a broken heel.

Okay so take note ladies;

1)    Place the jack under a strong point of the car. Jack it up but do not lift up the car.

2)    Loosen (do not remove) the tyre nuts turning anti-clockwise with a wrench.

3)    Jack up the car high enough for the wheel to turn.

4)    Remove the tyre nuts.

5)    Take off the tyre.

6)    Place the spare tyre on the car so the holes match up with the tyre bolts.

7)    Hand-screw the nuts back onto the bolts.

8)    Lower the car so that the tyre can no longer turn.

9)    Tighten the nuts.

10)  Remove the jack.

See as easy as ABC! After putting it off for so long, I now know how to change a tyre all by myself! Every woman who has a car and even those who drive company cars should have this skill under their belt. What if you are driving somewhere without a phone signal and you cannot call anyone to assist you?

Ladies,  this applies to more than just changing a car tyre, this also stretches to other roles that men are traditionally supposed to do in the home like changing the lightbulbs, checking the boilers and mounting furniture. Everything comes with instructions, and all you have to do is get proactive, read them. Don’t be afraid to use some of that strength you burn perusing rail after rail of new fashions in the shopping mall.

Self-sufficiency is truly empowering.