*A lesson that bears repeating.*
I’m doing it again. I’m stuffing big logs and wads of paper into the wood stove hoping to keep it burning, even though I know the fire burns better with smaller, split wood. I’ll walk by in another couple minutes, angrily point a finger at the stove, and tell it, “Keep burning, dammit.”
Then I’ll run out of paper, and have to scrounge around the house looking for scratch paper, junk mail, and anything else remotely combustible.
Invariably, I’ll stand in front of the wood stove with my hands on my hips, ask the cat why she isn’t doing her part to keep the fire fed, and frustratedly open the door to the stove and poke at the smoldering logs.
All of this is because I’m lazy.
I’m too lazy to chop the firewood into smaller pieces that burn better. Truth be told, Will does all the chopping, and I don’t want to worry or hover or stand out there keeping an eye on him with my finger on speed dial, ready to call 911. I don’t want to make a bunch of trips hauling arm loads of smaller chunks of firewood.
I want to get the job done.
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Once again, I learn the hard way, that it’s all about the prep work. If I get the prep work done upfront, there’s less work for me, after the fact.
Babysitting the wood stove all day, cussing because I’ve run out of paper, having to rely more on the furnace – all those things become irritants that wouldn’t exist if I’d done the job right from the get-go.
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While I’m standing in front of the stove, kicking myself for taking short cuts, I’m wondering where else I’ve tried to take the easy way out, only to discover that the shortcuts have complicated my life.
How about you?
Where have you made more work for yourself by taking shortcuts?
Better yet, share an example of taking a shortcut that actually works.
(Kraft Macaroni and Cheese is not an example of a good shortcut.)
Instead of wearing my winter boots to and from work, I’ll wear my good office shoes because I am too lazy to carry them in a bag and change them at work. I end up nearly ruining my good shoes in the snow and salt they put on the roads here.
I can’t think of any shortcuts that actually work. Though I’m sure there are examples. Maybe if they really worked they wouldn’t really be shortcuts anymore: they’d just be the right way to do the job.
Reese,
I know what you mean. It’s like running an errand and being too lazy to grab gloves, Then my hands freeze the whole time.
Funny thing is, we’d never let our kids get away with that stuff.
I can’t think of an example but I’d be happy to save paper for you. ;o)
Jo,
You are a sweetheart. I’ve taken a deep breath, stocked up on some paper and seem to be a little better prepared for burning season.
Thx. :)