My husband, Charlie, is remodeling our laundry room, and in this process, he needed to build a counter. He used a mitre saw to get the edges just right, sandpaper to get it ready for the stain, and a hammer and small nails to attach the edging to the sides.
In order to get the result he wanted, it was important to use the right tools. At one point, he used a certain wood filler to fill in some holes. Then he figured out that that wood filler wouldn’t take the stain, so he sanded it down and started again. The fit of the tool to the job, and the overall outcome, is crucial. This filler did the job of filling in the holes, but it worked against the final outcome.
Charlie uses the right tools, and he also doesn’t get out tools he doesn’t need for the task at hand. The screwdriver stays in the toolbox during this job—there are no screws, and if he got it out, it would clutter the workspace.
What would happen if we thought of our metaphorical tools this way? What exactly do I need for this job? Do I need deep-work focus, empathetic listening, creative insight? Does this task require one tool or many? Maybe most importantly, what tools have I gotten out that are only going to get in my way?
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