Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he looked intently and his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.—Mark 8:25
I am blessed to be actively involved in so many interesting visions in life that it does present a challenge in the management of the 24 hours per day allocated to me. I believe that vision and action induce synergy and hence I try to be action oriented in terms of sleep, nutrition, exercise, peace of mind, touch and conversation in an effort to address the challenge of the management of time.
Pat Okonkwo, in an article “Success is a Function of Vision” argues that the first enemy of your vision is your character. The truth is that character is like a magnet. A genial, friendly and socially acceptable character with a broad mind may take you far. Pay attention to your character!
He argues that the second enemy is procrastination. Indeed, I am reminded of the proverb “Procrastination is the thief of time” which has been accredited to Edward Young (1683–1765), a British poet. Gina Mostert, a business success strategist adds that, in business and in life in general, it is also the thief of energy, enthusiasm, creativity, productivity and ultimately money and success. Do not procrastinate, act now!
Okonkwo concludes that the third enemy of your vision is the way you relate with those who have trodden the same path you are treading with a measure of success – you must learn to study how others before you had done it. However, I believe that you should not ignore your own ability to innovate, especially where your local knowledge might be an advantage. Of course, determination and persistence are major factors of success. Keep thinking “outside the box and persevere”. What are these interesting visions? Well, I can immediately think of seven in the week that has just passed.
(1) Martin Carstarphen’s vision to partner in the development of the value added West Indian Sea Island cotton industry. Why have several Ministers of Agriculture procrastinated in making a policy decision to mobilise resources to implement a vertically integrated plan to capitalise on this competitive advantage industry which constitutes part of the family silver of Barbados? The longer they take the more difficult and the more expensive it will be to convert this vision into reality.
(2) The Barbados Light and Power Company’s (BLPC) vision to provide for the electrical power needs of Barbadians through engagement with internal and external stakeholders as they develop their power generation Integrated Resource Plan for the next 25 years. Why have successive Governments procrastinated in recognizing their role to invest in renewable energy technologies, in partnership with the BLPC, the return for which would be a reduction in price of electricity to the consumer, a positive impact on the environment, employment generation and foreign exchange savings?
(3) The vision to develop an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between the EU and African, Caribbean and Pacific countries to promote trade. Why have the Barbadian negotiators procrastinated in recognising that trade under the EPA will likely come from “sunrise industries”, the major constraint to the development of which is timely access to seed/venture capital finance; and in recognising that they have the opportunity to include access to appropriate finance as part of the trade negotiations?
(4) The vision of Caribbean countries to increase their tourism industries. There is a large segment of potential Brazil, Russia, India and South Africa (BRICS) tourists who are neither subject to disposable income nor distance of tourism destination constraints, but who are indeed seeking new destinations to diversify their traditional tourism experiences. Why have the Caribbean Ministries of Tourism, with few exceptions, procrastinated in establishing relationships with the BRICS countries, which are driving a dramatic increase in global tourism?
(5) It is understood that the vision of the present Ministry of Agriculture is to mobilise the 27, 000 acres allocated to sugar cane production so as to cost effectively optimise the output of sugar, molasses, rum and electricity. Why is the Cabinet of Barbados procrastinating in restructuring the sugarcane industry to arrest the haemorrhaging of the industry caused by Government involvement in businesses that should be private sector run?
(6) The vision to grow the economies of small island states and emerging economies is through the advent of “sunrise” industries and not the traditional “sunset” industries. Why are the powers that be in the Caribbean procrastinating, in contrast to their counterparts in Trinidad and Tobago and the Bahamas, in ensuring that enterprise development is the stimulus for economic development and that shepherding and timely access to finance are essential elements of the system?
(7) The vision to restructure West Indies cricket so that the global West Indian cricket supporters are not disenfranchised. Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves of St Vincent and the Grenadines gave the 17th Frank Worrell Memorial Lecture last Thursday night and part of his thrust was the Governance of West Indies Cricket. Why has there been procrastination, at the Heads of Government level, to provide incentives to the six regional cricket boards of control to restructure West Indies cricket to the benefit of all stakeholders?
As has been published as a daily inspiration from the Daily Word: “When I clean a window or mirror, I am instantly amazed at how clear my view becomes. The same principle applies when I remove obstacles in my mind. If I am unable to see my way through troubling circumstances, my perspective may be clouded by uncertainty, negativity or self-doubt. As I remove these obstacles, my vision clears, and I more readily see the truth of the situation”. Let us act now; procrastination is the thief of time!