What this title means is that it is no point reaching a place the day after the event. It is too late, the festivities are over. We should not take too long to reach some place, as it would lose its significance.
Perfectionist
In life, there has to be a balance. On the one hand, we must prepare, otherwise there is a chance that things fail or go flat, to our embarrassment. On the other hand, although it is good to over prepare, to suit different contingencies, we can reach a point where we never arrive. We deem that we are still not good enough, so we never submit our paper, never go for the exam, or chicken out of an important event.
Perhaps some of you can relate to this. You are such a perfectionist that everything you do is just not good enough. So you miss the deadline for submission. If this is a very important event like an exam, an exhibition or a concert performance, it will have serious consequences.
Procrastinator
Of course, there is a completely different scenario why some people don’t make it to the festival on time. They are the procrastinators. They don’t do the homework or don’t plan their time sensibly or don’t build in extra time for contingencies. Most of us know some people who are always late. If it is a minor event without serious consequences, it can be excused or overlooked, but don’t make a habit of it.
Deciding with Imperfect Information during Emergencies
During the Covid pandemic, the authorities in every country in the world have had to make very quick decisions with imperfect information. They had to come up with policies and implementation guidelines affecting many industries and the lives of whole populations, in a matter of hours.
They did this as best they could, as good as it could be at that point in time. They were sometimes or even often, proven wrong as events unfolded. They did not have the luxury of time to plan meticulously, ironing out all the possible unpleasant consequences. As leaders of countries, they were cognizant of the need to be prompt, to be in time.
Reach the Festival on Time
So too, we, in our own lives, must make sure we reach the festival on time. We need to start planning and preparing early, set deadlines for ourselves, prepare and even over prepare, record the deadlines in our diaries and refer to them. Arrive in good time for the festival. It is good for your relationships with others, it is good as it helps you to develop resilience.
lingsinglin
Dr Ling Sing Lin is a medical doctor by training. She worked in MOH HQ for many years, in policy making and administrative positions, until her retirement.
