How Can You (Not CAN You?) Build a Better Mouse Trap to Improve Your Lot in Life?
“If you build a better mousetrap, the world will beat a path to your door.” A tale of mice and mousetraps.
An off schedule post
This is an off-schedule post. That means something different or interesting is going on that warrants paying attention to. So, my friends, read on to find out more!
Introduction
I like to tell stories about real events in everyday life and then compare them to opportunities to improve ourselves, to improve our lot in life. Today, I’m going to tell you a real story about mice and mousetraps and then make the analogy of how you can get all you want out of life. How you can improve your lot in life. Let’s dig in, shall we?
Mice and mousetraps.
We had a cold snap in late November. It was right after that time that Diane told me she was hearing something in the attic late at night. Hmm, well, OK, I’ll take a look around and see if I see any mouse droppings or whatever. No, she said, it’s not mice, it’s bigger, like a squirrel or something. So, I did my husbandly duty and walked around the outside of the house to see if there were any obvious places where squirrels or other creatures could come in. I also checked for mouse droppings in the attic, but found none. Frankly, hearing it only at night caused me to think of a raccoon or opossum. Those would be really bad. There were no obvious holes or damage where anything could come in, and none of the insulation or stuff in the attic was disturbed. So, I let it pass.
In late December, I woke up early in the morning, and as I was doing my morning reading, I heard something. Uh oh, that’s what Diane has been hearing, I assumed. A little later, I see this bird fly in the room and land on the ceiling fan. Hmm, that’s what she has been hearing, guaranteed, I thought as I pondered how the bird got into the house in the first place and how to get rid of it. While making breakfast, the bird was pecking at the back glass door, and fortunately, I was able to open the door, and it flew out. But that did not solve my problem like I thought it would; there were still noises in the attic. So by now it’s late early January, so I go buy some mouse traps.
I had not used a mousetrap in many years., and what I learned is that they have improved them, They still make the old “medal pedal” kind, where the trip bar engages the pedal via a bent end. These, let me say, generally worked, but when I last used them, I learned it was possible for the pest to take the bait without setting off the trap. Well, now they have what is called a “wide pedal” that is made of plastic. Check out the picture. It is wider, and has holes so you can smash the cheese into the pedal so the pest really has to work to get it. The trip bar is simplified, and I have to tell you, these are very sensitive, and I’ve had 100% success with them. This is a well-engineered, well-manufactured, simple, economical product that is highly effective at its intended use. They are less than $1.50 each. How’s that for a bargain?
The company that makes these products, Victor Mouse Trap Company, has been in business since 1898, and they have all kinds of pest control products. It takes a lot of staying power and continued innovation to be in business for 128 years. Few businesses make it this long. Victor’s ability to sell a high-performing product economically, yet continue to innovate, is how you stay in business this long. They built a better mousetrap.
As a side note, there are more companies older than Victor than I thought. Check out the link in Note 1 to see them. I was surprised.
If you build a better mousetrap…
If you build a better mousetrap, the world will beat a path to your door. This is a very old saying, often attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson, that is a metaphor for championing innovation, quality, and the idea that better products naturally attract demand in the marketplace. While generally true, it’s typically understood that products need to be properly promoted and marketed, and…this is an important point…the pathway to a better mousetrap is littered with those who tried and failed. Developing a better mousetrap takes determination and staying power.
How to improve your lot in life by building a better mousetrap
My story now leads into a couple of questions. What does this mean to you? And what does it mean to improve your lot in life? Let’s take the second question first.
Your lot in life is a very old saying, like the mousetrap saying, and essentially means that your lot in life refers to your circumstances or situation in life, or where you find yourself today. Where you find yourself today encompasses your upbringing, the challenges and goodness that came with it, your education, your innate talents, and your life experiences. There are others, these are just a few of the things. Common usage of the term is as an acceptance of where you are in life, your station in life perhaps, and that where you are and what you will be cannot be changed. Accepting your lot in life is not necessarily bad; many people are very satisfied with where they are and have no desire to change. At Afterburner Success Partners, we specialize in helping those who want to improve their lot in life and not accept the status quo or that their current station in life is set and a given and cannot be improved upon. No way! Not at all!
What this means to you is that you can ALWAYS build a better mousetrap and improve your lot in life. Yes, you can. And if you accept the notion that you cannot, then that’s on you, and you must just be satisfied where you are and where you are going. No problem with that at all. We’ve discussed the value of the simple life, but that’s not who I’m speaking to now. If you are scratching your head, wondering how to build a better mousetrap, I think it’s simpler than you think, and I would like to give you a few examples of what that analogy means to those of us who live in the real world:
If you came to work 30 minutes early or stayed 30 minutes late, what more could you accomplish than you are today?
If you woke up 15 minutes earlier, or did not hit the snooze button so you could start your day with prayer, quiet time, reflection, and planning your day, what could you accomplish above and beyond what you are doing now?
If you dedicated a bit more time to each of your children every day, what difference would that make?
If you spent 30 minutes exercising every day, how would that improve your health?
If you spent 30 minutes a week doing meal planning, how would that help you?
What if you gradually added more money to your 401 (k), say a percentage each year? How would that change your retirement over a career of saving and investing?
Notice that all of these suggestions are small things. Little actions that add up to big things over time, like the sculptor who pounds the rock in the same place 100 times with no result, and the 101st blow cracks the boulder in half.
The mousetrap, Facebook, Google, Microsoft, AI, Nvidia, the Post-it note, the iPhone, and even Nike were all ideas someone had and then acted on. What ideas do you have that need to be acted on today to improve your individual mousetrap? So you can improve your lot in life?
Summary
You won’t hear me say “can’t.” I might say “won’t,” as in I chose not to do something, but I will not say I cannot do something. And I won’t accept it from those around me. Remember the analogy of the glass of water? Was it half full or half empty? If you are talking to me, it better be half full. Remember when we said that your attitude determines your altitude? Are we winners or losers? Yes, it’s up to you. But you need to make a decision that you can. You can build a better mousetrap; you just must figure out what that looks like to you. And then you need to act on it. To improve your lot in life. And never give up until you’ve made that better mousetrap. Never. Give. Up.
That’s all for today!
How Can You Build a Better Mousetrap to Improve Your Lot In Life?
Afterburner Success Partners
What’s in it for Me
We must always be aware of our knowledge related to what we want to do and ensure what we think we know is true. Then, we must act in a determined manner. Doing so will ensure we get what we want, and that’s what’s in it for me.
Call to Action
Purchase either of my books. Take the Afterburner Success Partners course. Tell a friend.
Recommended Resources
Buy and read either of the books mentioned in the notes below.
Up Next
Back to regular posting schedule.
Notes
Please note that as an Amazon Affiliate, I may earn a small commission on the sale of any of these recommended resources.
List of oldest companies in America, Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_oldest_companies_in_the_United_States
Achieve Your Dreams: A Complete Guide to Live Your Best Life by David Giustozzi: https://amzn.to/3IxEFgy
Everyday Cooking for Everyday People Like Us, by David Giustozzi: https://amzn.to/437OhVQ