I had a heavy piece of equipment delivered to the workshop yesterday. The driver used a hand cart to bring it from the truck to the door, but that’s as far as the cart could go. We had to move it by hand from there.

As I lifted one side, the driver said, “Let’s slide it.”

Dragging and pushing the 350-lb. box was a bit easier, but I liked the idea of lifting because it was quieter, frictionless, and more controlled.

I did it his way.

Afterwards, I thought about it. For me, this was a one-time event. I was excited about the arrival of a tool, and I wouldn’t mind some heavy lifting to get the thing through the door.

For the driver, it was different. He had a half-dozen deliveries that day … like every day. Lifting — even for just a few feet — is risky. Lifting is harder. Lifting isn’t a long-term strategy. For him, sliding works better. It’s a sustainable method.

This delivery was a good lesson in seeing one of the many differences between, “I’m doing this today,” and, “I do this every day for a living.”

Over-and-over will often call for a different approach than once-and-done.