Let the Tool Do Its Job…

How many tools do you have at your disposal?

We all have these little devices and utilities that are supposed to make our lives much simpler.   But many, including me, will sometimes try to ‘muscle’ more work from the tool than it is capable of.   We want it to hurry up and get done so we can continue our project.

There are several bad outcomes to pushing a tool beyond it’s means.   A circular saw that is set too fast burns the wood.   An oven set 200 degrees hotter than the suggested temperature cooks faster but either burns or doesn’t cook all the way through.   Using your car as a time machine by doing 30 MPH over the speed limit leads to tickets and possibly worse.   And expecting a 56k modem to deliver T1 speeds leads to keyboards being smashed.

If we buy a tool or utility, we must let it do the job in its own time lest we exhaust ourselves and ruin the project.   This requires patience and self restraint.     The temptation is always to get it done more quickly.   But with practice, we start to see the effects of applying the right tool to the job and letting it work in its own time.

I haven’t even mentioned the wear and tear on the tool itself…

But if you let the tool do its job.

Suddenly, you start to manage details better.   The tool does the work, so you have more energy and become more efficient. You might even be able to nap during it’s work cycle.