Issue #50

A Fridge Too Far...

There is the old proverb that the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago and the second best time is now. Until we invent time travel, that can be shortened to “do it now”.

Here’s a story about how I learned this in the clearest of ways.

I was moving into a new flat in an unfamiliar neighbourhood. I’d just moved to the city and as far as I knew, the street looked okay.

There were not too many front gardens with burnt out sofa’s in them…

We’d spent the morning clearing a load of old junk out of the place and the rubbish skip was full.

Now, we were trying to get my new, very expensive and rather over the top, “American” style fridge inside.

There was no way it was ever going to fit through the front door.

“I’ll get my tools and we can take the front door off, that’ll do it” said my ever helpful mate, Dave.

By the time he got back with some screw drivers it was heading into evening.

Every single screw on every single hinge had a broken head or had been replaced with a nail.

The front door may come off, but it would never go back on, if it did.

“Leave the fridge where it is,” Dave suggested, “I’ll come back tomorrow with new door fixings and we can do the job properly.”

“I’m not leaving my fridge outside for a night,” I said.

“Well, the hire van has to go back and there’s no where else.”

He was right.

The flat entrance looked out onto a quiet car park. We had not seen a single person walk by all day (maybe they were afraid we’d ask for a hand with the f*cking fridge).

I sat down to contemplate the situation, and that was a mistake. The excitement of starting a new job, in a new city and a new flat got the better of me.

I just wanted to sleep.

“Let’s just leave it tucked into the alcove and sort it tomorrow,” Dave said.

He really wanted to get to the pub.

I had no reason to think it would not be safe.

And we were both tired (well, Dave was more thirsty than tired).

There seemed like no alternative…

But there’s something about owning your own fridge that brings out your inner US Ranger to remind you: “No fridge left behind!”

“There is no way I’m leaving my fridge out all night,” I said, and I may have saluted it.

“Afraid it will get cold?” Dave was proud of his sense of humour, no one else was.

That fridge was going into that flat right now, I decided.

And I remember feeling my energy change; from tiredness to ultra focus. From wondering what we were going to do, to knowing there was an answer.

“We’ll take the door off,” I said.

“We tried that, dickhead, you won’t get it back on again, remember?”

“The fridge door, not the flat door,” I said and completely surprised Dave, and myself.

So we did.

The fridge went in like a breeze and we were done in twenty minutes.

We returned the van and headed to the pub to celebrate.

Several hours later, as we walked back to the flat, we noticed that the rubbish skip was now half empty.

Anything of the slightest value had been taken.

Every time I got the milk out of that fridge I was reminded of the power of acting “now”.

Doing it “later” introduces the risk of more delay, it sets a precedent for putting it off or just forgetting about it completely.

Doing it “now” creates evidence that you are a doer, not someone who just plans. And you will plan better because planning is no longer the excuse to put action off. It demands innovation.

It saved my fridge, it has saved my career and my sanity.

If you liked chilling with this story then tell your friends about this newsletter. They will think you are cool. I've run out of fridge puns now...

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There is a small part of me that never really left that flat, you know, (it just wouldn't flush...)

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