Message of the Day: The Right Tools

Good Morning,

 

My current read, “The Secret Code of Success” by Noah St. John continues to impress me with it’s out of the box thinking and how it often turns the conventional patterns of self help on their head.

 

Another section of that book which jumps out at me was the description of using the right tool to accomplish a goal. Noah St. John explains that it is hard to put a nail in a wall using a chainsaw, no matter how good the chainsaw is, and no matter how many successful people have already accomplished this feat, it is the wrong tool. This is such a great example!

 

This concept, though, is nothing new, we know we need the right tools to do the job right, but that is not entirely the case: what we really need is a viable tool, not just the right tool.

 

Sometimes we do not have the right tool, so we improvise. Maybe not as extreme as in the TV show ‘McGyver’ where a battery and a nickel became a welder and many other creative solutions to problems. I was thinking more in like with ‘Survivor Man’ from the Science Channel. He always carries a multi-tool with him.

 

This tool is one of those jack-of-all-trades, master of few types of tools. I like the idea so much, I have my Gerber ‘Diesel’ on my belt nearly all the time.

 

This tool has screw drivers, a knife, scissors, files, a saw, etc. While each of these, in and of themselves is good at getting the job done, they are usually not the optimum tool for the task at hand. A Phillips-Head screwdriver will put in or take out screws better than my Gerber, but when I am out in the middle of nowhere, I generally do not have a screwdriver, but I do have my Gerber.

 

Having the right tool for the right job can often be a drag when you have to carry around all of those tools. In the business world, there is information, but it still must be found and learned. Often there is not enough time or budget to pay for all the training and you can only learn so much from reading books (yes, it is true, sadly). So having the best tool or knowledge to get a job done may be impossible, but there is another way.

 

Like using the multi-tool, there are other ways or tools to get a job done. They may not be the best, but again, when the difference is accomplishing the goal or not, then what are you going to do. For example, when you need to make a mailing list, and you do not have a database, you can use Excel. When you need to do a poster and do not have a desktop publisher, you can use Word. When you need to make an outline and you do not have a text editor, you can use paper.

 

Having the right tool for the job is great, but if you don’t have it, don’t give up. Look for an alternative, or if possible, keep a jack-of-all-trades alternative with you. This may mean getting a multi-function cell phone, or keep an organizer with you so you can keep notes and reference material. You can carry a thumb drive with key files that you use often so that you can pull them up wherever a computer is, instead of having to carry your laptop or desktop computer with you.

 

In words of Operation Petticoat (I believe that was the movie) ‘Improvise Moriarity!’

 

Enjoy!

 

 

Sanford Berenberg

Sanford@berenberg.net

http://www.berenberg.net   

http://learnandgrowdaily.com ß Click here to order: “Learn And Grow Daily!”

http://sanfordberenberg.blogspot.com/

502-533-9336

 

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