Burning Issues and Procrastination
Quotes
“You may delay, but time will not.” ― Benjamin Franklin
“Only put off until tomorrow what you are willing to die having left undone” ― Pablo Picasso
“Procrastination is the thief of time, collar him.” ― Charles Dickens, David Copperfield
“You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today.” ― Abraham Lincoln
“the best possible way to prepare for tomorrow is to concentrate with all your intelligence, all your enthusiasm, on doing today’s work superbly today. That is the only possible way you can prepare for the future.” ― Dale Carnegie
“Your Life Is Happening Right Now: Don’t let procrastination take over your life. Be brave and take risks. Your life is happening right now.” ― Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart
“Now is the time to get serious about living your ideals. How long can you afford to put off who you really want to be? Your nobler self cannot wait any longer. Put your principles into practice – now. Stop the excuses and the procrastination. This is your life! You aren’t a child anymore. The sooner you set yourself to your spiritual program, the happier you will be. The longer you wait, the more you’ll be vulnerable to mediocrity and feel filled with shame and regret, because you know you are capable of better. From this instant on, vow to stop disappointing yourself. Separate yourself from the mob. Decide to be extraordinary and do what you need to do – now.” ― Epictetus
Courtesy
https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/procrastination?page=1
Road Repair Notice
This week I received notice about the impending resurfacing and repair of a major arterial road that’s near my neighborhood. The road surface has literally given way and some potholes are turning into ditches.
I have watched this road detoriate steadily over the last two years. The City Council has carried out minimal repairs on the road over time and finally the situation has become too much to bear. Residents tolerance limit has been breached, they have reported the situation to higher authorities to intervene.
We are only fortunate that there are quite a number of high-ranking politicians and government functionaries that also live in the periphery of my neighborhood, they also use the same road. If they were not affected directly nothing would have been done about the situation.
Frog in Boiling Water
There is a very popular metaphor about the frog and boiling water. If you throw a frog in a pan which has boiling water it will quickly jump out of the pan. If you throw a frog into a pan with cold or tepid water, it will not react and will sit comfortably in the pan.
If you start boiling the water gently the frog will still stay comfortably in place. Unfortunately, when the temperature has risen to boiling point, it will be too late for the frog and it will be boiled alive. The other popular proverb close to this metaphor is a ‘stitch in time saves nine’
When we are consciously aware about an issue with future serious impact and detrimental consequences to us but we let it slide we are literally that frog in that boiling water.
Our conscience will always nag us when we have serious pending items we have not completed or attended to. We have issues that are important but we keep on procrastinating yet we know we will eventually get hurt if we don’t attend to them
Car Servicing, Generator Servicing and Maintenance of Critical Equipment
Cars and all other critical mechanical equipment need periodic servicing over their life time. Your mechanics and service technicians will always indicate when the next service due date is. This is a very important milestone as it prevents engine and total mechanical failure.
Failure to get periodic service done can also endanger your life and those ones of your loved ones. Brake failure can lead to tragic accidents. That’s how critical periodic service maintenance is.
The same way we take care of our beloved cars should be applied to our own well-being.
Key areas to focus on
We always need to keep constant watch in these areas: Our Spirituality, Health, Finances and Key relationships. These key dimensions impact us as outlined below:
Spirituality – Mental health, emotional well-being and overall resilience
Health- Physical health, health insurance, diet and exercise
Finances- Our financial well-being. Our savings, insurance of key assets, investment rate, new projects
Key Relationships- Social well-being, mental health, circle of influence
These four areas need to be tracked monthly at a minimum. Diarize these four key areas in your calendar, a journal or goal tracker. Always get time to reflect at the end of the month on how you are performing in these key areas
Summary
Do not be that proverbial frog in the water waiting to get boiled. Always aim to be proactive in the most important and critical areas in your life. The consequences are usually dire when we neglect the four areas I mentioned above.
You get in a vicious cycle that can affect you detrimentally. With health issues you get stress that ultimately affects your work, your financial well-being and overall emotional well-being.
PREVENTION IS ALWAYS BETTER THAN CURE
Please keep this as your mantra going forward. If you have a burning issue on your plate get it fixed immediately. Aim to always be in preventive mode in whatever activity you undertake.
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