Lessons in the Snow

We had a lot of snow this week where I live in New Jersey, which has been great for my kids (two snow days), not so much for my productivity at work (two snow days). 

Thankfully my company allows me to work flexibly and my wife and I were able to deploy the system we developed last spring during lockdown to manage meetings, home-schooling and childcare  - and this time clearing the snow.

I invested in a snow-blower a few years ago to make the job easier, however when the time came to use it this week it wouldn’t start.

Some light googling informed me that the likely cause was lack of proper maintenance; I tried what I knew (changing the oil, syphoning the gas) but no luck, so I turned to the experts for help.

The first was my father-in-law who, through the wonders of modern technology (he lives 3000 miles away) and a lifetime of experience working with machines, was quickly able to tell me what needed to be done ("don't you know what a carburetor is?!"). The second was YouTube, where I found a 13-minute video detailing the exact steps required.

Now, it took me a lot longer than 13 minutes, but I did it, and ended the day with snow-free paths, money I would have spent on repairs still in my pocket, and a huge sense of satisfaction.

Why am I sharing this? There are four lessons that I think can be applied more broadly when faced with a new or challenging situation:

1. Don’t be afraid to say “I don’t know” - it’s OK not to have all the answers and, more often than not, people enjoy being able to help. Cultivate your network so you can call on people to support you when needed, and be ready to do the same in return.
2. Not everyone knows what you know - I fall into this trap a lot; just because something’s obvious to you doesn’t mean it’s clear for everyone else. Take the time to share your knowledge and make sure everyone is on the same page.
3. Big problems can usually be broken down into smaller, more manageable ones - large, complex tasks can sometimes be overwhelming, it’s important - and easier - to take things step-by-step rather than try to tackle everything at once.
4. Don’t underestimate your capacity to learn - it’s all too easy to say “I can’t do that” when faced with something new, however if you give it a try you might surprise yourself - at the very least you're bound to learn something new.

I now know what a carburetor is and how to clean one, and if I had to do it again I could, but for next winter I think I might just follow the maintenance instructions instead.