42 Story Idea? Email Paul.Nolan@Farms.com Better Farming | October 2024 place, not adjusted correctly or broken. Try a different method or ask someone else’s opinion. It’s easy to get in a rush and forget some obvious step in the process. Fix annoying little things “Why won’t this #*&$% door close? I have to slam the @*%$ thing five times to get it to close properly.” Do comments like this improve our day? Likely not. Things wear out and need repair. Every little broken thing adds to our frustration and takes away from a productive day. Keep things in good condition to make your life easier. If you can’t fix it, take it to someone who can fix it or replace it. One of the pleasures of new vehicles and equipment is that everything works. If you keep your equipment and buildings repaired and working as they should, your life will be easier and more productive. Set up routines They say that Albert Einstein only had black suits and white shirts. That way he didn’t have to decide what to wear every day. That’s not the attire I want, but the reasoning is sound. “Where are those blinking car keys? I have checked every pocket and I can’t find them.” Years ago I started a routine where my keys are in my right front pocket. Always. As well as my crescent wrench, tape measure and jackknife Number 1. My dear wife has commented on the wear this causes but at least I know where four things are kept. And it keeps me from making a decision about which pocket to put things. Usually at about 4 p.m. I have made enough decisions for the day, so every time I can set up a routine to eliminate a decision, it improves my life. Try to simplify things by setting up a routine. One I have done is to drive a certain speed which is under the speed limit through a certain road we often use – depending our course or conditions. Another thing to do is to store the tools in the same place in the pickup. A place for everything and everything in its place. Five or 15-minute cleanup Everything a mess and no time to do a proper cleanup? Sounds like me every day. Try this: If you are really busy and you go to your messy workbench for something put five things away. It won’t take long and if you do it often enough your bench will be cleaned up. If you have a bit more time, take 15 minutes and do a cleanup. I often find that if I plan 15 minutes for a task I will often get motivated and work longer than that. We are blessed with many possessions in this world – we just have to keep them organized. I hope these ideas help you simplify your life. Enjoy the beautiful fall weather and harvest time. BF Tractors, Trucks & Growing Grain RON SETTLER Ron has farmed for over 45 years in Lucky Lake, Sask. In addition to grain farming, he and his family also operate a mechanical repair shop. Keep your tools organized so you can find what you need when you need it. Jodie Aldred photo
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