The Deadline

Last week I was invited to speak at a local business networking group meeting. I had a couple of days to create my material as it was a last minute invitation. But that was fine and I met my Friday deadline sending off my material to be used in a promo.

Mid-day Monday I received a phone call indicating the material was not received. I resent it and continued to prepare the presentation. At 11 pm I was notified that my resent material was received too late and I would be invited to speak at the next meeting.

In a flurry of worry, I wanted the credit that the material was sent on time and I had kept my commitment. But it didn’t matter. Material is either received or not received. This is like classroom assignments. The smartest students can stay up all night (some of whom do) working but if they don’t turn in the work, there is no credit. It’s in or it’s not in. Things are done or not done. It’s the worry, the perceived stress around receiving acknowledgement in the form of good grades or the perceived punishment from parents who ‘just don’t understand’ how something so important could not be completed that wastes our time and energy.

In your business, what is getting in your way of completion? There are no excuses; in the final analysis things are done or not done. The next time your student says there is no relationship between school and real life, you and I will know the truth…your student may need to wait until there’s a real life job situation to understand.

In the meantime, I’ve created a kickin’ workshop on…Attention Manifestation! Ah, the irony of it all.

What’s your attention story today?