#428 Hammer. Best use?

A hammer shouldn’t be this interesting—and yet it is. We take a humble tool and use it to challenge the way we work, learn, and solve problems. One listener tip unlocks a clever nail-setting move that prevents smashed thumbs and, more importantly, reframes how we approach every tool and process in our lives. If a claw can start a nail with precision, what hidden features are we missing in our inboxes, meetings, or phone settings?

We walk through the moment of discovery—the “why didn’t I think of that?” feeling—and turn it into a practical framework for continuous improvement. Rather than adding more apps or gear, we focus on using what we have with intention: mapping steps, spotting friction, and testing small tweaks that create safer, smoother, and more reliable results. You’ll hear how feedback from listeners and even our kids exposes blind spots, and why inviting outside eyes is the fastest path to better workflows. This is real-world problem solving, not theory: use all the parts, reduce risk, and set the work up so the strike is easy.

By the end, you’ll have a repeatable way to find better uses for familiar tools, whether you’re building, leading a team, or just trying not to hit your thumb. Expect practical insight, a dose of curiosity, and permission to break routine in service of smarter outcomes. If the best use isn’t the obvious one, what could you improve today? Subscribe, share with a teammate who loves a good hack, and leave a quick review with your favorite under-the-radar tip—we might feature it next.

Chapters

• 0:00 Welcome And Today’s Focus
• 0:10 Lessons From A Hammer
• 0:29 Using All Parts Of Tools
• 0:37 A Clever Nail Trick
• 1:01 Hidden Features Mindset
• 1:19 Apply Creativity To Habits
• 1:48 Share Your Observations

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:00

Welcome to the Growth Instigators Hotline. I'm Aaron Havens, your host and growth coach. This is message 428. This week we are talking about a hammer, an everyday normal object that we can assign deeper meaning to, something that can grab our attention and represents something bigger. Welcome to part three of five as we dive into lessons we can glean from a hammer. Thank you, April, for the message you left and the reminder for us to use all parts of our tools. I remember the first time I saw a YouTube video where someone took a nail, wedged it into the claw side of the hammer, struck it against the wall, which caused the nail to stick in the wall, and then flipped the hammer over and hit the nail. What? It's one of those things when you're like, why didn't I think of that? Okay. Have you ever used a tool for years and years, and then someone comes along and shows you how to use it better? This happens with me and my iPhone all the time. I had no idea it did that. I mean, I'm learning new features all the time. Thank you for Zoe and Audra, my daughters. My friends, where in your life have you done are you doing something the same way day after day? And maybe, just maybe, you should look at it with a bit of creativity. This could save you from hitting your thumb with a hammer. Where could you improve what you're doing? Tweak what you're doing, utilize your tool and processes way better. Maybe the best use is not the obvious use. That, my friend, is how a common everyday object can instigate growth. I'd like to hear some more of your observations. What growth lessons can you apply to a hammer? For those of you calling the Growth Instigators Hotline, I'd love to hear your thoughts after the beep. For those of you listening in on our podcast, visit growth instigators.com and send me your thoughts. Let's never see a hammer the same.