23 Nov Hurry up and Wait
Sitting by the pool late one evening in Bali, I was reflecting on my journey and the constant questioning by my children, “Dad, when are we going to be there?”
My reply was always the same, “hurry up and wait”.
Have you ever noticed this when you are travelling? It’s all about hurry up and wait!
Quick, wake up, we have to get to the plane on time. Racing around. Final packing. In the car, racing to the airport. And then, out of the car and the hurried dash to the check-in counter and then through immigration and customs to finally arrive at the departure lounge where you sit and wait with everyone else that has just gone through this same crazy dance.
Waiting, waiting, waiting. Flight is delayed. More waiting and then the gates open and everyone hurriedly climb on board the plane only to sit there while you wait for the plane to take off. Sometimes this waiting seems to take forever. Flight delayed again! Waiting for clearance to use runway 223 …
Then finally the plane races down the runway and into the air you travel. Up and up. And then there it is again. The waiting.
You wake up to the captain announcing that you have started your decent and that you should fasten your seatbelts.
The next hurry up is about to hit. The plane lands and taxis to the arrival gate. Everyone anxiously waiting for the seatbelt light to go off and then the hurry up begins. Jump up, grab your bags from the overhead locker, stand up and wait.
Finally the aisle starts to move and you hurry off the plane to get to baggage claim, customs and immigration and then you wait while you are processed.
Out the other side, find a taxi and race to your hotel. Check-in and hurry to your room and then finally you can rest.
The hurry up and wait game has come to an end. At least for now.
It seems that life can be like this at times. It’s all about hurry up and wait. I certainly see it in business all the time. And if you understand this game it allows you to pace and position yourself so that you know when it’s time to hurry up and when it’s time to wait.
This pulsating theme occurs naturally in all areas of nature. Each time your heart beats, blood races through your body and then everything stops for a moment and waits for the next pump, the next big push.
I think this natural rhythm occurs in business all the time. Some entrepreneurs understand this rhythm and can judge when it is time to hurry up and when it is time to wait. Like a master surfer positioning himself for the perfect wave. He waits until he can see a set coming and then he hurries up to get himself into the perfect position to catch the wave. Then he waits for the wave to arrive and then he hurries to get on the wave so that he can enjoy the ride. Enjoy the blissful moment where all the hurrying and waiting comes together.
What are you hurrying to achieve in your business at the moment? Have you got yourself in the right position? Is it time to wait for the wave or go looking for it? Or, what are you waiting for in your business at the moment? Will you be in the right position when it arrives?
Hurry up and wait becomes effortless when you know the rhythm.
If you know where you are going and you know what the rewards are then it is much easier to hurry and get into position and then wait for the magic to begin.
Sitting here in Bali and watching my kids enjoy the moments has been magic. No more hurrying and only me waiting for them to get out of the pool and have some lunch.