Is there a better way? – Why Try To Do Things Differently

I think it’s easy to get stuck doing things the way we’ve always done them, and yet, there’s often a better way. Yesterday, I shoveled our front walkway, and my back hurt, so I decided to skip our long driveway for the moment.

A while later, I noticed our neighbor across the street was shoveling and it looked like she enjoyed it, so I paused and watched her: both elbows were on her side, and both hands were directly in front of her as she plowed the snow. There was no bending or lifting. She had a different approach than mine, and it was far better.

Early afternoon I cajoled the kids into helping me shovel our long and steep driveway. I approached it differently this time using my neighbor’s technique, and my back didn’t hurt.

I wonder how often we stick with how we’ve always done things without questioning if there’s a better way. What if everything we did, we asked, is there a better way? Is there a way to have a better impact on myself and others and get the job done?