After one of the nights where I didn’t sleep, I decided to go outside and work in the yard.  “Why on earth would you do that after no sleep?” you might ask.  Well, because I figured if I exercised more, I’d be more likely to fall asleep.  That’s usually the case.  And it was a beautiful day.

So out I went.

I was weeding and trimming, and I kept ducking underneath the crabapple tree next to the patio.  Finally I couldn’t take it any longer.  I had to trim it.  It had been bugging for a while.  Scraping against the house, branches hanging so low you practically had to do the limbo to get underneath.

So, I got out my lopping shears and started cutting.

Have you ever had a situation where the branch was just a little too thick for you to cut?  And so you braced one side of the handle against your hip or something and used two hands to pull the other?

No?  Are you sure?  (A lot of people I talked to said they’ve done it at least once.)

Anyway, that’s what I did.  And I’ve done it before.  Except…it wasn’t my hip, or even my lower ribs.  No, I braced the lopping shear handle against my upper chest.

Almost as soon as I pulled the other handle, I hear a “pop!”  And felt the pain.  Of course I stopped, but the damage had already been done.  It really hurt.  I cried “Ow!”  And kept trimming the rest of the tree.  I may even have done more after that.  I don’t remember.  All I know is that I went in the house in pain.

It turns out I dislocated 3 ribs on the upper left side.  And because they’re cartilage, they’ve popped back out twice since I first had them put back in place.  It has affected my ability to breathe, talk, and sing. And I have to take it really easy while they heal.

I was surprised by what happened.  I shouldn’t have been.  Clearly my upper ribs aren’t strong enough to withstand that kind of pressure.

Now maybe I did something this bone-headed because I was tired.  But I think the real reason is because I was so focused on my goal – to trim that tree.  That’s been a pattern of mine for most of my life.  Do whatever it takes to accomplish the goal, even if I practically kill myself in the process.  I did it at my job over and over again.

There are great benefits to this trait.  I, and my teams, have routinely kept our commitments. We’ve succeeded when others haven’t.  We finished what we started.  The thing is, sometimes the goal really isn’t that important.  It just feels like it is. In this case, trimming the tree with the lopping shears clearly wasn’t as important as my health or singing.  And yet it felt that way at the time.

I could have hired someone to do the work.  I could have used a saw.  I could have asked someone to help me pull on the other side of the handle.  Yes, there were all sorts of other possibilities that didn’t include dislocating my ribs and suffering the consequences.  But, I didn’t look at the consequences before I acted.  All I saw was the goal.

Do you ever do that?  Focus so hard on what you want that you don’t see the situation for what it is: ill-advised even without the benefit of 20/20 hindsight?  The best thing I could have done was to simply pause and assess.  If I had, I likely would have prevented this situation. My better judgement would have prevailed.  Instead, I’m nursing my injuries.

I hope you can prevent future pain by doing the same thing.  (Not what I did – – what I recommend.)  Before you act, pause.  Assess.  What might go wrong?  Is the goal worth the potential downside?  If so, then go ahead with a clear conscience.  You can’t always be guaranteed perfect results.  Accidents do happen.

I just think that many of what we call accidents are errors in judgement because we rush in.  So once you assess, decide whether the benefit is worth what the negative consequences might be.  And then act.

It only takes a minute.  Yet, when we’re in the middle of the situation, we so often forget.  I think I might drill myself so I have practice for when I need it.  Want to join me? The more we practice, the better. It might come in handy with your relationships, too.

Have you ever done something that caused pain, and you could have prevented it if only you were paying attention?  Share your story in the comments.

Previous “Unexpected” Posts

Opportunity Calls

So Many Blessings

Disappointment

When What You Fear Happens