Training Part 4: The Right Tools

You know what makes bike riding significantly easier?  Not having a flat tire.  You know what makes not having a flat tire significantly easier?  Having a tire pump that works.  My rear tire has been noticeably flat for the previous three days...like the rims riding an inch above the ground flat.  I've been trying to pump it up, but having no success.  Today  I decided that before we hit the weekend, I needed some resolution.  The tire either needed to be inflated or replaced.  So I sat down to try to learn a new skill.

Eventually I discovered that our tire pump had a small piece that had broken off and it needed to be replaced.  When I used a different pump I was actually able to build air pressure and my bike did not groan when I sat on it.  Along the way I learned how to remove my wheel, take out the inner tire tube, find and repair tube holes and I learned the mechanics of how a tire valve works.  Good information to have, but at the end of the day I simply needed another tire pump.

Now I am not going to say that this ride dd not hurt and that it was smooth sailing for the entire duration, but I barely broke a sweat as my son and I shaved three minutes off our time from yesterday.  Maybe it was the inflated tires.  Maybe it was that my seat was adjusted properly or we started later in the morning or that I have been riding all week.  Whatever the reason, today was faster and easier than it has been so far.  I am feeling cautiously optimistic about our ride next week.  We'll try a longer ride tomorrow and then go from there.

I was struck again today at how big an impact the right tools have.  There are some tasks that are nigh unto impossible...unless you have one small, perfect tool that was designed for that very job.  I was trying to inflate the tire tube in order to see if it had leaks.  My pump was not working so I thought:

"I'll blow it up with my mouth.  That's not working.  Ahh, the valve has a small rod that has to be depressed for air to flow in there.  How can I do that?  I could get a toothpick and hold it between my teeth then push on that rod while I blow..."

Shockingly, that did not work.  The next pump that I got was actually designed to depress that rod and pump in air.  In less than a minute my tire was inflated and ready to go.  The right tools are everything.  Auto shops have dozens of tools that are only good for one thing, but when used for that one thing they turn a 3 hour project into a 15 minute endeavor.  If you have ever tried replacing one of your car's CV joints on your own, you know what I mean.

A lot of our struggles in life come because we are using the wrong tools.  Skills, abilities, character traits, passions, resources, relationships, trainings...these can all be tools.  But we have to know which tool to use at which time.  I know of many non-profit organizations that get into deep trouble because they rely on good intentions and dreams instead of data analysis when they are creating their annual budgets.  Good intentions and dreams are vital tools for a non-profit.  They are instrumental in resource development, networking and vision casting.  They are lousy foundations for the creation of a budget because the budgeting process answers the question, "What will we do with what we have?" while good intentions and dreams answer the question, "Where do we want to go?" They both deal with the future, but take very different approaches and use very different tools.

If you are stuck in an area of your life, consider that there may be a different tool that you need in order to solve it.