Practice Makes Perfect!

I think a lot about learning. A stagnant mind is a bored mind and I hate to be bored!

Getting better at something tends to come in two flavors: Evolution and Revolution. 

In this case, I define "Evolution" as something that gets better with practice, new techniques, or decisions. "Revolution" is a new discovery or way of thinking that changes up everything.

For example: We used to put out new hay bags every chores cycle. Then Carrie said, "Why don't we just hang a full bale?"

So we did. She bought bigger bags. It was a "revolution." The "evolutions" that followed were trying to figure out the best way to make it work!

First evolution: We learned it was easier to put the bag over the top of the bale and then flip the bale over. It turned filling the bag into a one person job rather than requiring one of us to hold it open while another tried to cram a bale in!

Next, I used to schlep the bags out over my shoulder. I could have kept it up and perhaps gotten stronger, but the wheelbarrow seemed a smarter alternative.

Again, I could've gotten stronger using sheer muscle to lift and hang the bag, but I discovered the wheelbarrow was quite useful as an impromptu shelf.

I've hung the bag enough times I know how many slats down to pull the rope through and the easiest ways to clip it so it won't fall.

A minor evolution that made things easier was leaving the bale compressed until after it was hung.

On the early attempts, I'd cut the twine and removed it before hanging. My intention was to make sure I didn't forget, but it made the bale poof out and become more unwieldy and annoying to manage.

I usually make a mental note of where the twine is tied, because it's easiest to remove it from the bag if the knot doesn't get caught somewhere (which saves all of a second, but it's progress!).

Hanging a bag isn't something that you'd think there was a lot of technique or skill in, but it took me a couple of weeks of trial and error to come up with "the best routine" for me. One day if I have the spare time, energy, and a new idea I may try out something else to make it even better (and if it doesn't work out, I'll just have more data supporting my current routine!).

The next "Revolution" in hanging hay could be something I haven't thought of yet. But I suspect it will be Shane putting on enough muscle he can do it!

That's still a ways off, though. I don't know if I'll tell Shane my exact method or if I'll tell him what I want and let him put his own brain to use. I want him to have an attitude of constantly thinking rather than just doing as told...but if he'd actually listen to all my advice and use it....well, that's a thought for another day.