Arriving at the station at 9:50AM for a 10:00AM train, chasing the last bus at 9 in the night hoping to not get late, urging auto drivers to speed up to reach places on time – I’ve often found myself living on the edge.
I often wonder who would win the debate about whether being a night owl or a morning person is better, or whether planned versus impromptu approaches are more effective. Similarly, what about debates between latecomers and punctual ones? Is there a clear right or wrong in these situations? Some people who are consistently late still succeed in their fields, just as some punctual individuals do. What really makes the difference between those who thrive and those who struggle?
Just because I thought that I can be at station at 9:50AM for the 10:00AM train and still catch it, I was able to keep that remaining food which I cooked in the morning into the fridge so that it doesn’t get spoilt till evening even after rushing back from the lift lobby as I had forgotten to keep it before leaving the house.
I had a choice, either to let the food spoil and reach station at sharp 9:50AM to catch the train with a still breath or to go back to the house, open the lock, keep the food in fridge, lock the house and then reach the station at 9:55AM and catch the train with a heavy breath. Since I have been in this situation many times before, I knew I could tap every minute of those 10minutes. Hence I chose to reach station at 9:55AM. I mean, anyways you only need to be at the station at 9:59AM to catch the 10AM train. Isn’t it?
Hear Me Out!
I know, this all is very debatable and let me just clarify that I am not here to justify being late at all. But, coming exactly at the hour is something which can be considered. I believe, working on the edges gives you ‘those’ extra 10 minutes to get done with ‘that’ extra work.
Let me share an example. In the past few days, I had planned several tasks for my day, but suddenly a few unexpected ones came up that I couldn’t ignore. I needed to complete everything by the end of the day. Now I could have chosen the possibility of postponing a few of those for the next day. But this possibility might turn into disaster in case I fail to do all within the day. So, I thought to not toy with that possibility but rather hustle a little trying to aim for all of them (of course, there’s also the fact that all of this excites me!).
I hopped on my bike and started addressing my tasks one by one. Riding at 60-70kmph instead of the usual 40-50kmph so as to avoid being late, I felt a thrill as the wind rushed through my hair. Visiting places and meeting people, along with the routine work was now an adventure, a quest! I planned my day and spent a little less time than usual there. “Are didi… aap humesha hi jaldi me rehte ho.” Hearing the usual dialogue from the shopkeeper while rushing to another place.
The Juggler
As I juggled these tasks, I often worried I wouldn’t be able to finish everything in a single day. But I didn’t lose hope and as I mentioned, the possibility was unacceptable to me. I rushed through and completed nearly all my tasks, except for the routine ones. When I was working on the last task of the day, I realised that all this effort had been worthwhile. Just when I thought I might not accomplish much, I ended up completing more than I had expected.
So ‘that’ extra task which I completed out of my hustle was from ‘that’ extra 10 minutes which I had saved. And this brings me a deep sense of satisfaction, making it all worth it.
On the flip side, there are certainly other consequences to consider. There have been instances where in the greed of completing ‘that’ extra work, I jeopardise the effort I put into my other tasks. Some days, this approach pays off; other days, it doesn’t.
The Rickshaw Adventure
Picture this: I had to hop on a bus to Pune at 9:10PM from Indore. The same day I was travelling from Kota to Indore by train scheduled to arrive Indore at—guess what; 9:10PM! Trust me, I was very nervous at the moment. But the adventure was only about to begin. My previous experience with the train says that usually it arrives the Indore railway station a little early than the scheduled time as it is the last stop. I decided to roll the dice and book the bus, banking on the train arriving ahead of schedule. I spent the journey jittery and every time the train stoped I prayed for it to speed up. As the clock hit 8, I was on the edge of my seat wishing I had booked another train.
But as the train pulled into the station at 8:30PM, I heaved a sigh of relief. Now I had 40 minutes, almost enough time, to take an auto ride for 8km from the station to bus stop. I challenged the driver to get me there before my bus left. What a guy! He embraced my madness and drove like the wind, assuring me, “madam, don’t worry, I won’t let you miss your bus!” The ride was a thrilling blur I’ll never forget.
I reached the bus stop at 9:03PM and it was 7 more minutes for the bus to leave. As I boarded the bus I thanked myself for dodging the fate of sitting on the broken chair kept on an uneven surface covered with the pebbles while waiting for the bus. And to all those who showed up 10, 20, or 30 minutes early, let me just say—you missed out on a once-in-a-lifetime auto ride!
Now, I may not be exactly proud of my risky decision that day, but I had more than enough fun.
Reflection
Living on the edge often reveals surprising results, both positive and negative. The essence of this lies in balancing between urgency and mindfulness. Being early and being on time, or ability to plan and seize fleeting moments. It’s about making choices that align with our priorities and passions. These edge-of-the-seat moments have helped me push my boundaries and discover my potential. What I would like to know is, where do you stand on this? Living life on the edge, being late or being early?
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