Timing Is Everything

 

Few of us have escaped the pain of the failure of a perfectly good idea. Standing there surrounded by the shambles of a house of cards, we scratch our heads in disbelief. As we watch it collapse from the weight of reality, it starts shrinking rapidly like a balloon that should have been popped long ago when it could still go out with a bang.

Next comes the feelings of self-doubt. Mixing the shame of our failure with words like fool and idiot, we begin the assault our own self-esteem. There is no criticism more sharp or brutal than that which is directed towards oneself. It was a good idea. So why did it fail?

I decided the only way I could answer this question is to go back and take a second look at all my great ideas that failed. Most of them remain firmly planted in my subconscious mind just below the surface. I know this is true because they constantly pop up seemingly out of nowhere from time to time.

Much like a porpoise coming up for air, those embarrassing moments make the same funny laugh, flutter around like a kite standing on its tail, and then disappear again when my cheeks turn red. It matters not if anyone else is present in the room. Just the memory itself can cause me to blush.

Now I am returning to these memories that have haunted me all these years to see if there is a way to justify my actions. Was this good idea really a bad idea, or did I just screw up the implementation? I’m old enough to know that it is possible to fail at most anything you try to do, no matter how easy it looks.

All this talk about good and bad ideas has to make you wonder. A quick check with Plato tells us that an idea becomes reality through action, and the ideal is the perfect reality. It’s no wonder we keep screwing things up. There is no such thing as perfect when a human being gets involved.

Getting back to our own ideas it becomes obvious that the two major factors that determine their success are time and space. If the two don’t come together at the exact moment their supposed to, reality flies right out the window. And, there you have it; a good idea gone bad.

Most of my good ideas, and even some of my great ideas have failed for no other reason than my timing was off. Once again we must consult with another famous philosopher, Aristotle, and try to understand the role that time plays in the success of a good idea.

Aristotle tells us that time becomes a reality when something moves. For us, we measure time based entirely on how long it takes the earth to circle the sun once. We call it a year, 365¼ days, 8766hrs, 525,960 minutes, or 31,557,600 seconds, all because we are in motion.

Ready for the bottom line? A good idea succeeds and the expected outcome becomes a reality when we do all the right things at exactly the right time. If your timing is off, your good idea doesn’t turn out so well. There is one thing for sure. Plato and Aristotle agree on this one. Reality is an idea whose time has come.

Once you start things in motion, someone gets to deal with the reality that is created when the hullabaloo is over and done with. Got a great idea? No amount of attention to detail will help you if your timing is off. Patience will often prove to be your greatest ally.