“He who chooses the beginning of a road chooses the place it leads to. It is the means that determine the end.” Harry Emerson Fosdick What does this have to do with Time Management A lot. Before you can be effective and really make some positive changes in how you deal with and treat time, you have to be able to see the playing field. You have to not only see the playing field but also know the players, the rules and how the game works. In this case the game is Time Management, the players are you and everyone and everything that interacts with you and finally, there are no rules, at least not written down ones. It’s a jungle out there and every one of us has to find out where they are in the pecking order. These bring us to the question, are you a bug or are you the windshield?
Windshields Splatter Bugs; It’s A Simple Concept. Windshields are hard and bugs are soft; no contest, the windshields win every time. It’s an important point to bear in mind. Windshields do not look for bugs to splatter; windshields go on their merry way, minding their own business and if a bug happens to be in its path, splatter. Something else to bear in mind; the only time a windshield splatters a bug is when its moving, unless of course a bug wants to commit suicide and it flies into an immobile windshield. Windshields have agendas. I don’t suppose you thought that, but they do. Windshields are always going from one point to another point, they are always moving; here, there, everywhere. They have a plan and they are executing their plan. That constitutes an agenda
If you were a windshield, driving around, executing your agenda, do you really care how many bugs you splatter? You know you are a hard surface, bugs are a soft surface, and you are going to win each time. Why would or should you care? The reality is, the bugs get in your way, not the other way around. All you are doing is going about your business, not bothering anyone else, especially the bugs. Windshields Have Redeeming Qualities I’m sure you were not aware of that, but they do.
In fact they have several. They are polite, when asked, they will slow down, they will turn left or right, they will stop, alter their speed, and do pretty much what you ask them too, all in the goal of avoiding splattering bugs. They are kind, they will alter their route in order to avoid splattering bugs, and all you have to do is ask them, nicely. They are courteous, even when they have planned a route. If given enough notice and an alternate route to take, windshields will take that alternate route in order to avoid splattering bugs. And most of all, Windshields are SMART. They can learn different routines, new ways of doing things and they take direction very well.
All windshields need is a little guidance, some patience and someone to help along the right path and they can become a productive part of society. So do you want to become a windshield? But maybe you already are one? Last point about windshields; they always win because the bugs are not a challenge to them. Bugs are not too bright, don’t look where they are going and on top of it all, they are soft. If you always win, what’s the point in changing? Bugs If you are a bug, you don’t have a very bright future or a very long one for that matter.
Bugs are a strange breed. Some of them exhibit a great deal of intelligence but unfortunately the majority of them are not too bright. Bugs have lives and this means they have to get out and about everyday. Out into the world, a world that is inhabited by, you guessed it, windshields. We know all about windshields, but unfortunately, it seems that bugs do not. The problem with bugs is their inability to deal with windshields. You would think that knowing they are no match for windshields, knowing that windshields are out there, they would do a little planning and organizing to be able to function with them but this isn’t the case.
Lets review how bugs interact with windshields. Bugs see other bugs getting splattered everyday but don’t learn from this horrifying spectacle. Bugs have an opportunity to plan their day to avoid windshields. They can plan and organize their day and be in other parts of town far away from the danger of windshields, but alas, very few take the time or trouble to do so. It’s a well know fact that windshields are a reasonable sort of creature and are very willing to change, alter and make provisions in there day to PREVENT unfortunate sudden fatal collisions between themselves and bugs. Bugs know this, they know that they never survive these sudden impact situations but for some unfathomable reason known only to the bugs, they very rarely spend the short amount of time necessary to literally save themselves from certain death.
Does anyone know how to spell intervention? There is one irrefutable fact that makes the life of bugs usually a very unsatisfying and short one; they must get out into the world of the windshields on a daily basis, no options, no alternate plans. It’s a world full of windshields, whether the bugs like it or not. What’s a bug to do? A bug can’t change the world it has to live in. What can a simple little bug do to survive and prosper in a world full of windshields is change and adapt to the reality around it. Have a great day, see you tomorrow.
Bryan Beckstead, Time Management, Time Management System
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