We have about 40 business days left before the end of the year. Sounds Biblical. Moses spent 40-year periods on Mt. Sinai. Jesus fasted for 40 days and 40 nights. It seems that 40-day periods appear in the histories of all world religions. My question is not about “glass half empty or half full”; I know the glass can be refilled. But 40 business days left in 2020 is a finite period of linear time, and with time it is always “Use it or Lose it.”

The End Of This Year Can’t Come Fast Enough

I hear this every day, and I have said it a few times myself. At some level, we acknowledge that one tick of the clock on December 31, 2020, will not magically change our current circumstances, but symbolically it does give us something to look forward to. But between now and then, I believe that 8 weeks is too long to sit on my hands and wait for a symbolic new beginning. Does a new employee have 8 weeks to train and get up to speed? Would a billing conflict take 8 weeks to resolve? Would you allow Aptica 8 weeks to figure out why your computers are running slow? (This last question is certainly rhetorical—I know that answer very well.) I’m sure you see my point.

We Set Our Time Expectations Based On Our Expertise

Depending on the job, it could take 8 weeks or even 8 months for a new employee to become proficient. When we hire, however, we already have an idea about how long the right person should need to learn for each position. My larger point is, good business owners have a sense of “time” for all elements of their enterprise, from hiring and training to procurements, to production, to delivery, and collections. If I am good at my IT management and maintenance business, I already know what I should be getting done in the next 40 days, before the arbitrary calendar shows a symbolic new beginning.

Here Is A Challenge: Keep It Granular For The Next 40 Days

Each sunrise is also symbolic of a new beginning. What if we all tried to keep our business life granular for the next 40 days? What if we adopted the stoic philosophy that proposes each day is the only day we have? Would that increase our productivity between now and January 1, 2021? At least emotionally, would that help get us through the last of this emotionally (and fiscally) draining horrible year?

Please! Let’s Move On

We have about 40 days, about 8 weeks to keep working on overcoming our obstacles. When have we never had obstacles? And getting back to business—your obstacles should not include your computer hardware, software, or network configuration. If any of those elements are not helping you work at your maximum capacity right now, give us a call at Aptica. We can advise you. Or we can fix it, and in a lot less time than 40 days.

Jason Newburg, 260.243.5100, ext 2101, is the founder and owner of Aptica LLC. This IT management and support company has been serving small to medium-sized businesses for 19 years in the region that includes Angola, South Bend, and Fort Wayne, IN, Battle Creek, MI, and Toledo OH.