Urgency Emergency
How often do you ignore your own sense of urgency because you want everything perfect before you act? Not moving quickly, ignoring your sense of urgency, cost you time, money and oh, the energy you waste thinking about it!
Hereā™s a story about General Stonewall Jackson’s famous valley campaign during the Civil War. General Jackson’s Confederate troops found their forward movement blocked by a small river, too deep to cross safely. There was no way around it. Jackson ordered his engineers to design and build a bridge as quickly as possible to get the army across the river.
After meeting with the engineers, Jackson called in his wagon master and explained to him the urgency of getting the troops and supplies across the river. Upon hearing this, the wagon master enlisted his men to gather logs, rocks, fence rails and anything else they might find that could assist in constructing a makeshift bridge.
Just before dusk, Jackson was informed that the wagons, the artillery and all of the troops had crossed the river. General Jackson asked, “Where are the engineers? How did they complete the task so quickly?”
“The engineers,” the wagon masters replied, “are still in their tents, drawing up plans for a bridge.”
How often do you ignore your own sense of urgency because you want everything perfect before you act? While getting ready to get ready, we say, “As soon as...then I’ll do it.”
As soon as these travel cards are used up, then I’ll print my new and improved ones.
As soon as summer is over, then I’ll change my hours.
As soon as I’m seeing 200 patient visits a week, then I’ll remodel the office. And then you take an entire week off for the remodel because everything won’t be “in its place,” and it won’t be perfect.
Not moving quickly, ignoring your sense of urgency, cost you time, money and oh, the energy you waste thinking about it!
You don’t hire someone you think will be great, because you want to finish all of your interviews since the ad will be in another three days. And maybe someone greater will come along. Great people don’t stay on the market for long. Act.
Maybe you don’t make time for a new patient because your exam tech is out of the office, so you postpone the patient’s exam for a day. Their urgency should be your urgency. Don’t put them off, adapt and accommodate.
Whether you’re waiting for a date, a time, a number or a harmonic convergence don’t over-think the situation. It’s OK to move forward without having perfection first. Don’t get stuck on the mediocre side of the river because you’re waiting to figure out the “right” or official way to build the bridge. Throw some raw material together and cross the river!