Trent, affectionally known as “T,” stands up on the table at the small cafe, his friends are having breakfast for dinner, after a night out at the bar, and starts celebrating that his friend, “Mike” (Mikey), “Is all ‘growed’ up.”
Mikey was coming off a long and depressing period of his life, trying to get over his ex-girlfriend (Michelle) of six years, while simultaneously looking for a rebound, and finally met someone who genuinely made him forget about Michelle. So, when Mikey confesses to his buddies that he’s got it all figured out with the new girl he met while dancing (Lorraine), “T” is so excited he jumps on the table to start shouting (while likely still a little drunk) how proud he is that he is “all growed-up.”
I love that movie, and even though I’m a sucker for a great metaphor, I’m hesitant to use them lately, considering everyone and their brother uses metaphors to explain a lesson they can now apply to business. It’s gross, and without asking you what you think, I’ll assume you agree with me because well...it just is.
But in this case, I can’t help myself, because before the LinkedIn Influencer stole this concept for clickbait engagement posts, artists like LL Cool J and every rap artist from the same generation mastered the art of the metaphor.
I write this because I’m a nineties kid, born in the 80s with an appreciation for a great story, who once upon a time was forced to grow up all of a sudden. I had to manage my priorities, had to manage my finances, and had to learn to become reliable for those who depended on me, not only for accountability but also because there were things I also needed from them in return, and if I didn’t come through, how could I ever expect them to do the same?
I had to grow up, but I didn’t have anyone jumping on a table, celebrating my adulthood (as if managing our time constitutes maturity), and the most impactful thing I ever did for myself was protect my time. I can remember the moment I heard the quote. I can even remember where I was as this guy got on stage to accept an award we both had received, as he said to the audience, “If you don’t protect your time, someone will steal it.”
I immediately grew up that night. It was a call to action, and I haven’t looked back. I started managing my calendar like a hawk. I was obsessed with it to the point that I started color-coding my obligations by topic, even to the point I was including afternoon naps, and blocking off the time to and from my kid’s practices, not just the practices themselves. I didn’t just grow up; I went pro at managing my time. And while all of this was happening to me, there was an adverse effect brewing in me where I started getting triggered by those who don’t manage their time, and to this day, I find myself wanting to ask others to see their calendar because I’m convinced they’re just “winging it.”
A friend of mine once told me, “If you want to be successful, you need to learn how not to sleep.” Point being, there will be times you have to get shit done, and the only option will be during the middle of the night when you know the world won’t be reaching out to you for something. I hated that advice, but as life got more and more full, it rang true, and although I believe that being busy is dumb, it’s not because being too busy isn’t the reality for people, it’s because when they say they’re too busy to get something done, I’m wise enough to discern that there’s a possibility they didn’t make it a priority, and that at some point in time, they’re going to come to the crossroads and realize, they wasted so much time figuring out what to do next, because they didn’t take the time to prioritize.
We’ve officially entered a culture where being too busy is no longer a good enough excuse; we’re all too busy. In fact, I’m trying out for the Olympic “Busy” Team because there’s never a day I don’t have something to do; the difference is, all of my priorities are already on my calendar.
Thanks,
Derek
P.S. You don’t have to share, or comment. I wrote this for me, but if you feel compelled I won’t complain. Just make sure you’re not sharing it in place of soemthing else you should be doing.
