This week the toilet clogged and after some plunging, we realized it was going to take more than just that.

Following the plumbers around was like a reality tv show, to figure out why things were being clogged. In the process we found out there used to be another bathroom (where our changing rooms are) and a sink (against the back wall) that most likely doesn’t have a cap on it.

Dan and John from Sierra Valley Plumbing were like crime scene investigators, following the piping down through the building. “It all has to make sense,” John said to me as I kept bugging him for an explanation. The problem, a screw that was screwed into the pipe at the clean out cover.

Had the toilet been snaked and left at that, things would have clogged up in a month or so. A classic case of fixing the symptom and not addressing the problem. The screw, pictured above was catching paper, hair, and “stuff” that was building up with time. This block was the actual problem that was causing the toilet to stop flushing.

When faced with an obstruction, we often react to the symptom and not the problem. A good career councilor will ask, “What problems do you want to solve?” They don’t ask what symptoms do you want to solve because that doesn’t fix anything. This is true in many things including Jiu-Jitsu.

A classic example in jiujitsu is people playing guard and not being able to retain guard passes. The symptom is that our guard keeps being passed, but usually the problem is that their hips and groin area isn’t flexible enough. The athlete needs to learn and practice proper technique but if the problem is flexibility, then the technique only addresses the symptom.

I’m thankful for John and Dan, who are a representation of peak performance in their trade. They were a reminder to me of the importance of understanding the difference between symptoms and problems. They reminded me to investigate and find the solution to problems, while not being distracted by all the different symptoms. A peak performer understands the difference and dedicates their life to solving problems.