I pity Dave Crenshaw.
He’s going to be a featured speaker at LTB 2014 and will be flying into JFK from far-flung Utah.
The man will spend five hours sitting in a narrow economy-class seat surrounded by violent turbulence, screaming babies and frazzled parents. He’ll then be forced to take off his shoes and socks while passing through TSA security as a group of giggling Japanese tourists look on gleefully. He will cap off his ordeal by dragging a bulky American Tourister suitcase through a maze of endless terminals and hallways in search of the elusive Budget Rent-A-Car desk.
But that’s not why he’s earned my sympathy.
My heart goes out to him because of the ominous topic he’ll be speaking about: Time management. That’s a very scary subject for somebody to be preaching about and here’s why.
You’ve got to be on time to your own lecture – no excuses allowed. The audience doesn’t care if your flight got delayed or how your suitcase got lost or why the guy in front of you at airport security mixed up his fungus-lined footwear with yours.
No airplane excuses, no baggage defenses, no Dr. Scholl’s footpad apologies. After all, you’re supposed to be the time management authority, right?
I can only imagine, after traversing this murky ordeal, what will be going on inside the weary brain of Dave Crenshaw as he finally exits the JFK parking lot driving a puny Ford Focus with an empty gas tank.
The pressure is on.
I already feel the throbbing heart palpitations that Dave is going to be experiencing as he speeds madly toward The Rockleigh, a full twenty minutes behind schedule, gripping his TSA-approved wingtips in one hand and a pair of Dr. Scholl’s footpads in the other.
Uh oh, I’m beginning to pant.
Better start those deep breathing exercises. Inhale. Pause. Exhale. Pause. Grab brown paper bag. Check WhatsApp. Repeat cycle. That’s better.
As the oxygen begins flowing once again, I abruptly bring my train of thought to a halt.
Why would Dave Crenshaw be late to his own speech? That’s blasphemy. The fellow makes a living developing simple systems that fast-paced businesspeople can use to improve focus, structure, and stability.
His helpful time management strategies have been featured in Time Magazine, Forbes, The Washington Post and BBC News. Dave Crenshaw knows perfectly well how to schedule his day in advance, plan for unexpected surprises, and make it his intended destination ahead of time.
Hmmm.
Maybe speaking about the topic of time management isn’t so risky after all. If you know about the necessary techniques to streamline your day, you won’t ever have to worry about showing up late.
I’m beginning to find this whole idea rather intriguing. Perhaps, I’ll even meander over to Dave’s talk and learn more about increasing my daily productivity levels.
What a pleasant thought.
I will never again stumble into a boardroom meeting right as it comes to a close. Or speed like a maniac through the clogged arteries of New York City in a desperate bid to salvage my 3:45 appointment. My days of tardiness and delay are about to come to an end, all thanks to Dave Crenshaw’s insightful focus session taking place at LTB 2014 on July 8th.
That is, provided I show up on time.
