Shaving taught me a lesson about renewal

Shaving got me thinking about the importance of renewal.

As a rather frugal guy I tend to use shaving blades for quite a bit longer than the manufacturer’s suggested usage. And yet, almost every time, when I replace the well used blade with a new one the results make me think “Why did I wait so long to put in the new blade? This is way better.”

This got me pondering on a few other things that I probably use well past the “should be replaced date” and this is what I came up with: windshield wiper blades, underwear, windows on the house, toothbrush, dishcloths, and pillows. For each of these I tend to use them well past the point of convenient functionality, perhaps even crossing into unhealthy or dangerous, and as I replace them with a newer version, I usually think I should have done it much earlier.

Whether it is because of frugality, lack of motivation or just procrastination, I willingly let my quality of life suffer a bit until I have renewed my razor blades or my pillow.

Then I starting thinking of renewal and rejuvenation in other parts of my life. To me the most obvious is that I need a good night’s sleep or I am a bit groggy or lethargic the next day. 3 or 4 nights of poor sleep turns me into a walking zombie, just an automaton with little coherent thought and certainly little ability to learn something new. A nightly renewal helps me be a better person and employee, and I think my wife and kids will attest to that more than even I can.

Relationships requires regular upkeep as well. Spouse, kids, extended family or long-time friends, they all require energy and effort and dedicated time to renew the bonds, otherwise they can fade. Or, if the time was never really invested in the first place there may not be a relationship to strengthen.

Careers need rejuvenation as well. Technology, best practices, regulations and customers’ wants are constantly changing. I am very grateful for conferences and seminars that help remind of the purpose of my job and often inspire with great examples of what others have accomplished, motivating me to adapt and do better. I usually come away with new ideas and more energy that can last for several months.

Related to careers, time for renewal away from work is also important. Many organizations recognize that their employees are more productive, innovative and engaged with their work when they are able to have time away from work. When I started working in Alberta in the 1980’s it was normal for someone to have to work a year before they earned their 2 weeks vacation. Today most jobs allow you to more or less take vacation as you have earned it, and much of the Canada offers 3 weeks vacation even to entry level employees because that extra week can actually pay off as an investment and help with retention of staff.

I had 2 summer jobs one year that really demonstrated to me the importance of rest and renewal.

While on summer break from college my roommate and I had a job with a custom crop sprayer crew and I later worked with a custom silage crew. What a difference between the 2 jobs! For the 2 months I worked on the custom sprayer crew there was one stretch we worked 16-hour days for 3 weeks straight, had 2 days off because of rain, and then worked those hours 2 weeks straight again. By day number 5 we were working and moving more slowly and our communication skills were certainly poorer. We regularly got up at 4:30 so we could have the truck and sprayer in the field by 6:00, the idea being we would start then, but we usually couldn’t start that early because we had to wait for the dew to dissipate. Very poor planning. We were lucky we didn’t have a major accident. Everything was supposed to be done yesterday, the boss was always upset with the weather, the machinery or us. I only stayed for 2 months.

I then moved to a different job with a custom silage crew, and to me it was an example of how a job was supposed to run. We started at 8:00 in the morning, had ? hour lunch together, worked until 5:30, had ? hour supper together, and then worked until 8:00 at night. We then serviced all of the equipment, (oil, fuel, belts, silage knives) so that it was ready to go for the morning. Any needed parts could be ordered that night and picked up at 7:00 in the morning so it wouldn’t slow down the work. We even had Sundays off. The atmosphere was so different. We were rested, people weren’t angry, and the machinery was regularly maintained so operations could be as smooth as possible. We did not have any near miss incidents with that job, whereas the custom sprayer job had several, almost all while we were quite tired.

I have started replacing my razor blades a little more frequently and I don’t wait so long with my wiper blades anymore. I am still trying to balance out budget vs. convenience with a few other things, but I am more aware of what delaying change means. And sometimes putting off maintenance, rest or replacement really is not the best choice. In fact, it may cost more money, health, or time if put off too long.

Your thoughts on renewal?