Procrastination Station

Are you a planner or an instigator?  Do you think through possible scenarios or do you trust your gut and go?  I’d like to believe that I’m inclined to go both ways depending on the situation, but there are two schools of thought in the world right now that are diametrically opposed - Seth Godin’s Poke the Box and Charlie Sheen’s #planbetter.

This week, Seth Godin and the Domino Project released Poke the Box, a manifesto about taking action and experimenting/failing along the way.  His previous title, Lynchpin, made the case for being indispensable to the tribe.  In other words, service your community or organization by functioning as a leader, a connector, a problem solver, and an artist.  Poke the Box takes this a step further by urging the reader to act on these principles NOW. 

To those who are inclined to say, “BUT…” or “What about….” or “Can’t….” his response is the following:  

“This might not work” isn’t merely something to be tolerated; it’s something you should seek out.

And so there you have it. Poke the Box: Seth Godin’s plea to trust our gut and go even if it means failing along the way!

Enter Mr. Sheen.  

Charlie Sheen was God’s gift to the media this week, making several television appearances that featured notable quotes such as “I am on a drug. It’s called Charlie Sheen. It’s not available. If you try it once, you will die. Your face will melt off and your children will weep over your exploded body.”  He’s also responsible for the following memes/trending topics that include “winning”, “tigerblood”, and most recently, ”planbetter”.  

In a tweet sent around 1 AM EST on Thursday, he wrote:

“Ready for my next fastball, world? PLAN BETTER Applies to everything where an excuse now sits. Try it. U won’t be wrong. Ever. #PlanBetter”  

Call him crazy, but the man has a point. How many times have we jumped the gun too soon and found ourselves back peddling?  How many times has an outcome not been what we expected?  It goes back to something my dad taught me years ago, which was to plan for the worst.  

Whether you’re in the Seth or Charlie camp, both sides present valid arguments.  The question is whose advice do we take?  Does planning = winning? Does poking = winning?  

Seth Godin vs. Charlie Sheen. Only time will tell.