A Stitch in Time Saves Nine
This maxim lays emphasis on the desirability of prompt and timely action. Timely care and attention will save you from great loss. The root causes of all destruction are neglect and carelessness. Therefore, remain ever vigilant, for even a little neglect may spell great ruin— – what could have been averted may have happened for want of a quick decision and its timely execution.
Time waits for none. So never put off till tomorrow what can be done today. It is necessary that one should grasp the opportunity as it comes and set right what is wrong. No amount of repentance will compensate for such a failure.
People who put off things to a later date are lazy and lethargic. Such people keep postponing matters that need urgent attention. Their leaky boat of life will not ferry them to the shores of success. They will regret later their acts of neglect, and pine for the success they have missed. With the golden chance of saving themselves from devastation having slipped through their fingers, they will be left to shed tears of frustration. But what is the use of crying over spilt milk? What is done cannot be undone.
As the proverb indicates, one should be strictly punctual and should do one’s work at the proper time. The habit of postponing things is not advisable, for a thing postponed hardly ever gets done. You say, “Not today, probably tomorrow.” The next day it is, “Positively tomorrow.” The next day it is, “Positively tomorrow.” Then it is, “No time today, let’s see tomorrow.” But tomorrow never comes. Vacillation in this regard may prove disastrous. Many people have faced defeat because they have not taken prompt remedial measures.
A stitch in time leaves you thankful for being averted from colossal damage. A small tear in your dress might become an embarrassingly large and gaping hole in an unguarded moment, only because you failed to mend it in time. Can you imagine yourself flushed and red-faced when someone happens to point out that gaping hole in your dress!
Likewise, neglecting your studies too can land you in trouble. Don’t pile up all your lessons and learning till the last moment before your examination. Cramming at the eleventh hour will definitely not see you through the tests successfully. It is like bolting down chunks of food in a hurry and ending up coughing and spluttering. Do things in a planned way, thus saving time and damage.
A little effort and enterprise on your part will go a long way in paying rich and fruitful dividends. Spare time for matters that need attention, and get down to setting them right. The quicker this is done, the more worthwhile is the effort. After all, it pays to be wise!
