June 15, 2026
Fake Emergencies
We have a brick patio in our backyard.
This time of year, all sorts of weeds and moss start growing up through the cracks.
This was driving my wife crazy, so she researched solutions online.
The top solution was weed killer sprays, but she’s not a big fan of toxic chemicals - especially because we have a big vegetable garden right next to the patio.
There were also some hand tools specifically designed to scrape weeds out from between bricks, but that approach seemed kind of tedious and labor intensive.
And then she discovered...
The Flame King Weed Burner Torch Kit
What’s the Flame King Weed Burner Torch Kit, you ask?
It’s a flamethrower.
So before karate tonight, I spent a half hour out back flamethrowing the patio.
You might be thinking, “That sounds dangerous!” and I can tell you from experience, that you’d be right to think that.
Especially wearing flipflops.
But I have to admit... it did work pretty well.
There were still a few weeds left by the time I had to leave and I was afraid that my wife was going to pick up where I left off while the rest of the family was two towns away and unreachable by phone.
So... I suggested she wait to continue until we got back and there was someone available to man the fire extinguisher because it was a little too easy to imagine coming home to a smoking crater.
Okay, so...
What does burning weeds on the back patio have to do with running an expertise-based business?
Simple:
It got me thinking about emergencies.
Picture this...
Let’s say I was on the phone with my biggest client while my wife was out in the backyard flamethrowing weeds, and I saw the greenhouse catch fire. Without hesitation, I would stop talking mid-sentence to dash outside and grab the fire extinguisher.
Once everything was under control, I would report back to my client, explain what happened, and they would surely agree that it was perfectly reasonable for me to exit the meeting without explanation.
Why would they be so understanding?
Because your house being on fire is a REAL emergency.
In my experience, real emergencies are pretty rare.
And yet...
How often does your day get nuked by “emergencies” that actually could be handled later without any meaningful negative consequence?
A few times a week?
Every day?
Multiple times per day?
Here’s the thing...
If you let yourself get derailed by fake emergencies on a regular basis, you’re never going to enjoy the freedom that working for yourself is supposed to bring.
So the next time an “emergency” pops up, ask yourself this:
“Would I slam the laptop on my best client to deal with this immediately?”
If the answer is no, then it’s probably a fake emergency and not in your best interest to stop what you’re doing to address it.
Finish what you’re doing and deal with it later.
Yours,
—J