DON’T ‘DO IT’ TOMORROW, ACT NOW. YOU MAY NEVER SEE TOMORROW!

“...show me a Time-waster, I’ll show you a Life-waster. Man’s name attains the pedestal of fame should he prioritizes his aim, but failure to accord primacy to his heart desires leaves his most-feared nightmare untamed...” –O.J.O

Little wonder how time flies.....

An experience is phenomenal in my numerous movements by road. Memory, the stores house of past events replays the footage of this experience with acute tact. I recall hearing a loud gurgle of water descend the dry throat of a young man who doubled as my seat partner in a commercial bus. We were both seated on the two adjoined V.I.P seat space beside the Wheel of one of Lagos popular yellow and black branded buses known as ‘danfo’. Unlike him, I was unstressed. It was one of those exclusive Saturdays spiced with the specialty of a social function.

The sound of his gulps was so riveting that the driver gave him a turning neck. Perhaps to gaze at him or the plastic Can that he fastened to his lips. His black shiny one-botton Suit soaked to the hilt with sticky sweats like someone beaten by Rain. And in case you’re puzzled that his outfit misfits a public transport, I'm glad to announce to you that it is nothing of astonishment. In Lagos, men in shirt oft-pay the salaries of men glamourously decked in suit. An eerie paradox sort of!

Still amazed at the swiftness of his gulps, I gaped at his bobbing Adam's apple, transfixed. I was quick to draw an analogy between the warm salty liquid that cascaded his face and the moisture that trickled freely around the plastic can of frosty water he held in his left grip. His situation was not only beyond the control of just a square pair of handkerchief but also competitive in a way that makes it difficult to ascertain which expended sweat the more between himself and the 50cl Can of chilly water in his grip. He had joined the fourteen passenger bus some seconds after I came on board. It was on a summer afternoon: the sun was out in its full regalia. Her radiance was of distinct brilliance. She shone in full capacity magnetizing up invisible waters. Her flaming face heated the earth with no mercy. Her polishing hands painting skins within its reach with black liquid paint, dutifully. No wonder folks living in northern Nigeria have Sun-burnt skins!

The bus fainted slowly to a brief halt on the prior notice of the bus’ second-in-command that a male Passenger was to alight at the next approaching Bus-stop. And as the vehicle jerked back to life, my sweat-soak-to-the-skin seat-partner opened his briefcase which sat shakily on his laps and brought out a diary.

“I’m tired. I’ll do this tomorrow.” he mumbled as his hands stroked one of the outlined plans in an oblivious manner.

Instantly, my gaze caught the miniature diary he held. My meddlesome eyes caught the sight of hand-written words with the head: ‘The day’s commitment’. A meticulous planner, I applaud, thoughtfully.

And swiftly before he could detect my inquisition, I swerved my head from his direction. And in the inside of me goes a silent self-dialogue. ‘Why on earth should he postpone a supposed activity scheduled for the day to another? It’s just noon.’ I ruminated.

Dear friends, a lot of us are like the young man above. We are blameable of procrastination. We are fond of adjourning doing specific obligations under the guise of “I’m tired.” We dedicate serious duration of time to frivolities while we neglect priorities. We snore in sleeps almost eternal. We forget that ‘tick say the clock’. We live as though we know cock-sure when the gate of fate will open-up to make us late. We keep postponing, postponing and postponing!

Frankly speaking dear friends, it is time you started putting your intentions to actions. You need to know that the time between your birth and your death is what is called your life-time. And what shall be said of your life-time if you sleep eight hours each day for thirty years? Haven’t you slept ten years of your life? No wonder people are succeeding and you’re receding. No wonder people are progressing and you’re regressing. No wonder people reap leap while you sleep deep. The ‘No wonders’ are inexhaustible should I go on listing.

Interestingly, Successful people sleep four to five hours max daily. They spend time acquiring Life-changing information. They spend time strategizing, brainstorming, innovating and inventing. So time-conscious they are that describing them as Gurus at time-management is no over-statement. No wonder their names are usually engrave in the sands of times and waters of eternity. Nigeria’s own Aliko Dangote qualifies as an example of such ‘gold names’. A quintessential lion-hearted investor ranked lately by Forbes Magazine as the 25^th richest man on earth and Africa’s richest man of the era. His business tentacles spread across fourteen African countries with a personal net worth of 20 billion U.S Dollars. His business conglomerate spans across commodity trading, to agriculture, manufacturing, textile, telecommunications, real estate and transportation. He’s a night owl!

Though, it’s of no doubt that uninterrupted sleep is a prerequisite for good physiological and mental functioning in healthy individuals especially in its energy-recycling ability, but excessive weariness on the bed of “I’ll do it later” displays laziness. And to put it pointedly, it’s pertinent we shun this slothful lifestyle if we are to maximize our potentials to the fullest. Show me a Time-waster, I’ll show you a Life-waster. Man’s name attains the pedestal of fame should he prioritizes his aim, but failure to accord primacy to his heart desires leaves his most-feared nightmare untamed.

Dear friends, time is an irretrievable asset.  Treasure it. A lost gold may be recovered but not a lost second, minute or an hour. The more you say: ‘I’ll do it later’, the more you pile up straws of duties on latter days. And who knows if you may never see tomorrow. It’s not a curse. It’s a statement of fact! The terminator of all times may call at anytime.

May I drop this on you. Procrastination denies one of quickly reaching self-desired destination. It is a thief of time and a fertilizer that makes difficulties grow. Why postpone what can be accomplished today to the morrow? Why wanting to do tomorrow what can be done today? Stay awake to your obligations. You’re journeying beside a lake called life. Prioritize your aim. Stop paying lip-services to things that deserve your active service. Gather Gold before old age get hold of you. Know what to run from and what to run after. Be regular at your curricular and you’re just a stone’s throw from being spectacular. Remember: If you’re not organized, you’ll agonize.

One thousand good intentions is not as good as one action.

The best time to start is now!

Don’t ‘Do It’ Tomorrow, You May Never See Tomorrow. Act now!

Enjoy your day!

…Kip da Optimism Alive

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