When it gets worse before it gets better (or how to catch the ripple to avoid the wave)

When I was recently back in Vancouver, I was headed out to do a training one day & as I approached my vehicle, I noticed, with sinking heart, that something was very wrong.  My vehicle had a decided bent to it, in that it was leaning to the right.  A lot.

Getting closer I realized one tire was completely flat.  Not a puff of air in it.

After calling BCAA (the local automobile association) & laughing as the guy drove his tow truck into the underground while standing & hanging out the door so he could watch & not hit the low ceiling, things got decidedly odd(er).

The guy, who was lovely, funny & helpful, stuck a honking big thing into my tire (to use a technical term).  I laughingly asked him if he was trying to fix my tire or make the hole even bigger.

In other words he made the situation worse before he made it better.

Turns out it was a complicated hole & I had to go to a tire place to get it fixed.  The nice guy, after temporarily putting more air in my flat, followed me in his truck to make sure I got there.

After not too much pain, the problem was fixed.  But not before it had initially gotten worse.

I call this dealing with the ripple to avoid the wave.

I see many examples of people not dealing with small issues (or ripples) until they build up & become a gigantic, unavoidable wave.  As they’re then forced to deal with the tidal wave, they get seasick from the turbulence (the same turbulence that could have been avoided by dealing with the ripple).

Deal with the small pain points & you prevent major surgery later on.  It’s effective.  It’s efficient.  It’s great time management.