Getting Unstuck

My dear old 1976 Case 480CK tractor weighs something in excess of six tons, loader and deadweight included. All of that makes for amazing traction, when all is going well. But when the old dear gets into deep, slimy, wet clay, all that weight can be counterproductive. The slightest miscalculation means that one of the drive wheels begins to spin, and then the other one, and then you’ve got some trouble on your hands.

There are, essentially, two ways of getting a heavy machine out of a mud patch. The first, and quickest, is to bring in another heavy machine and use it to tow your beast out of the bog. Provided the second machine doesn’t also get mired, this will generally work, but is often quite costly in terms of money, time, and torn-up roadways.

There is a second, and much simpler way of doing it, provided that you are patient. As long as you have the time, and if the weather gives you reasonable co-operation, you simply walk away from your tractor and wait until the earth dries sufficiently in a week or so. Once that occurs, with only a modicum of luck, you can simply drive your machine out of its trap.

There’s a life lesson to be had in all that. When you’re stuck in a rut, there are generally two ways to get out of it. One is quicker, more dramatic, and usually more costly. The other is just as effective, if you are patient and can afford to wait.

There are times when you need to break out of a rut right here and now. If there is no reasonable prospect of conditions improving or if the opportunity cost of staying in the rut is too high, then by all means bring in the heavy equipment and get out of the rut. Just do what it takes.

But sometimes the fullness of time is all you need, or all you have. Some things work better when you are fifty than they might have when you were eighteen. Sometimes you have so much on your plate that getting out of a rut can wait. Sometimes you need to finish a long-term commitment before you can move on. Sometimes the wherewithal to get out of the rut just isn’t to be had right now.

Clearly, it would be foolish to walk away from my dear old tractor and leave it to perish of rust. No sensible person stays in a rut a day longer than necessary. But not every rut is for today.

Understanding when and how to get out of ruts is not glamorous, but an essential part of success.