“Whatever You’re Doing, Do it Faster!”
by Drew Holmes
At the beginning of every month, I must do one of my least favorite tasks in the world: file the sales tax reports for the store. Until I owned a business, I never stopped to consider this process. The merchant collects sales tax on transactions and the files a report with the city, state, county, etc. and forwards that money to the proper agency. Incredibly dull task but it is required. The trick is to get in the right headspace to sit down and just do it. Fortunately, this is not a life-threatening situation so finding that motivation can be a gradual process.
Back in college, my roommate Geoff and I found ourselves in a far more urgent and potentially deadly situation.
Late one night we had a McDonald’s sized hole in our stomachs which needed to be filled immediately. It was midnight and since we had already burned the bridge at the 24-hour McDonald’s at St. Barnabas Hospital (a story for another day) we were left with only one option: the Vauxhall Service Area on the Garden State Parkway. Unfortunately, it was located on the wrong side of the tollbooth, but $0.35 (at the time) was a small price to pay to have access to nuggets, fries, and a vanilla shake. Geoff volunteered to drive, and we arrived and got our food without incident. The return trip was something else entirely.
If you have never navigated a Garden State Parkway service area in the middle of the night, it can be a bit baffling. There are various entrances and exits heading both north and south and, with an abundance of cars present at all hours of the day and night, getting turned around is easy to do. Imprecise signage and bright headlights are a recipe for confusion, and this night was no different.
Full of delicious food, Geoff drove to the Northbound Garden State Parkway exit so we could head back to campus. Only something did not feel quite right. While bright headlights were abundant, there were more than normal. Way more.
Now, we all know that feeling when something goes horribly wrong, and the world seems to slow down. A glass of water slips out of your hand and you are helpless to stop it from shattering on the floor. Or you throw a baseball to someone you are certain sees it coming only to realize it is about to connect with their jaw and they are still not aware. This situation felt more like the guy in the crow’s nest on the Titanic when he comprehended that the ship was, in fact, about to collide with an iceberg.
My brain managed to process that we were not on the exit *to* the Garden State Parkway, but rather the exit *from* the Garden State Parkway. From. As in cars leaving the Parkway at highway speeds and heading right for us. Geoff, like any reasonable person would, froze in disbelief. As the car sat motionless and we awaited the clarity on the mysteries of Life, the Universe, and Everything about to be revealed to us in the hereafter, something clicked in my brain and I was able to shout one sentence.
“Whatever you’re doing, do it faster!”
This snapped Geoff out of his trance, and he quickly threw the car in reverse, turned around, and headed for the correct exit. I can only assume the ladies in the vehicle that nearly hit us head on were equally as impressed with his maneuver as I was, since they gestured with their hand that we were number one. Though I always thought that sign was made with the thumb, not the middle finger.
So why did filing sales tax reports remind me of this? Other than the imminent threat of death, there is a lot of similarity. Both situations required deliberate action. The sales tax reports must be filed and must be filed by me. Like Geoff turning the car around, no one can do it for me so I must decide to act. I have heard it said “If you’re going through hell, keep going” but I like my turn of phrase better. It speaks more to being intentional with our time and the importance of choosing to take action.
Being deliberate with what we choose to do is one of the best ways to stay productive. Rather than wait to act (and likely be forced to react, now with less time and options) we can decide and follow through, especially on the less desirous tasks. Some days it will simply save your sanity but every now and then it could save your life. Or at least get you some tasty fries.