{"id":6362,"date":"2021-01-07T21:47:05","date_gmt":"2021-01-08T05:47:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mitchell11.wpenginepowered.com\/blog\/shopconnection\/sharpening-your-best-tool\/"},"modified":"2025-05-28T10:34:32","modified_gmt":"2025-05-28T17:34:32","slug":"sharpening-your-best-tool","status":"publish","type":"shopconnection","link":"https:\/\/mitchell1.com\/shopconnection\/sharpening-your-best-tool\/","title":{"rendered":"Sharpening Your Best Tool!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"To be a truck technician requires a lot of time and energy, and requires a major investment in your physical and mental being. Yet, as with every major investment everyone looks forward to a great return. To ensure the best chance at a great return, you must start with taking care of your best \u201ctool\u201d. You!<\/p>\n

As a technician of 18 years I\u2019ve had my ups and my downs, in\u2019s and out\u2019s and jobs that just plain wore me out. With the addition of working straight commission, industry standards can easily take a toll on your body and mind. Skipping a lunch or a break and working non-stop to take that next job adds up and not exactly in your wallet. I used to be \u201cthat guy\u201d that didn\u2019t ask for help lifting a transmission or setting an engine in the frame rails. After a few slips and mishaps I learned that I should start asking for more help when I needed it.<\/p>\n

Then one day I asked myself, \u201cWhy \u00a0do I need all this help lately?\u201d Then I looked down and saw myself getting further and further out of good shape. I\u2019ve always been known as a night owl, usually continuing to work on a project even after shop close. Just grabbing a quick bite to eat and never looking at the nutritional facts. Why? Because it tasted good and I didn\u2019t have the \u201ctime\u201d. Looking around I noticed some of the other techs in the shop appeared to be in better shape than me. Then asking myself how are they staying fit and in better health than I am? Then during lunch I would watch what they ate and quickly noticed that they have been meal prepping and eating home cooked meals. They had meals consisting of salads, half sandwiches, and small healthier snacks and then spreading the food out throughout the day; thus giving their body time to get full all the time. Preventing the binge and starve that I was doing. Also, they would stay away from those notorious energy drinks and not drinking too much coffee.<\/p>\n

So I decided that a change needed to happen. I started researching what will help create a good \u201creturn for my investment.\u201d I started the same way I did with my career and found taking 1 step at a time worked the best. Starting small creates less shock on your body and mind, and makes those changes more manageable. With proper planning I was able to kick a lot of my bad habits out the garage door, including giving up energy drinks, only eating 2 balanced large meals a day, and ending my day sooner and not being the \u201cnight owl\u201d I used to be. Soon enough I began to notice a huge difference in my attitude and ability to complete jobs without assistance. Common sense still prevails in asking for help dealing with injury prevention of course, as safety for you and others is always rule #1. Changing your habits doesn\u2019t go un-noticed. People may ask about it and that\u2019s good for both of you. I started exercising with a partner during down time and thoroughly enjoyed the results.<\/p>\n

In conclusion I\u2019ve found you get out what you\u2019ve put in; just like a car. If you take poor care of yourself, then you can\u2019t expect top notch performance results. Also, never be too proud to ask for help when you need it. It helps prevent accidents and bodily injuries. And for help with a truck repair, you don’t have to be wasting unnecessary time with Mitchell 1’s TruckSeries truck repair software<\/a> by your side.<\/p>\n

Below is a small list of points I focused on during my journey to better health.<\/p>\n

Start by making your own list and don\u2019t forget that you don\u2019t have to look like Mr. Olympia to be in good health.<\/p>\n