Deadline

Deadline - the time by which something must be finished or submitted; a line or a limit that must not be passed- says many a dictionary. Its a very interesting word used virtually everyday in the corporate world. I suppose the word itself is pretty self explanatory as the word 'dead' means nothing short than a finite end. With it accompanied by the word 'line'... i guess deadline must mean that 'the line ends(dies) here!'

In my line of work, deadlines are imposed on everything you do. Even if u want to take a smoke break - they'll say 'ok.. u have 5 minutes from now'....


In general, deadlines are meant to be final, but many a time, we are accustomed to an art that i have since perfected... i.e. the art of procrastination. Henceforth the need for extensions!

Recently I've been busy at work trying to meet nonsensical deadlines for impossible clients. Everyday whilst eyes glued to the computer monitor, fingers gracefully floating around the keyboard, chorus of 'clicks' and 'clacks' and 'beeps' and 'bleeps' from my (sort-off) trusty IBM Thinkpad; at the back of my mind i hear only the ticking of the clock, reminding me of the impending deadlines. With each 'tick' and 'tock' i see the deadline demon closing in on me telling me better not fuck things up!

Last week was really a very trying week with stupid hours and bosses that knock on your doors at the wrong time (like 5.30pm for an email that needs to go out like by 5.31pm!). I could've taken the easy way out by opting to fly to Phuket and bask in the sun with a nice Singha beer (or 2) in my hands, but i didn't. Instead, i cancelled my trip just to work and in fact, I was stationed at my desk for a full 10 hours with minimal break on a Sunday. Could you imagine that? Me - care about work????????

Speaking about deadlines, DSAI needs to get things right. He shouldn't have used the Sept 16 deadline tactic. To me that really was poor politics. He's smart by perpetual public announcement that he has enough MPs. This info would influence others to defect, however timing could've been better.

To a certain extent, I do agree with Mr Bodohwi that if DSAI wants to form a government, he should take parliament by storm and demand a vote of no confidence. He should do it in the good ol' London all girl punk band (ironically named Deadline) fashion and demand that 'he is taking over'.

However, such Neanderthal methods can be seemed as extreme and I honestly do not want Malaysia to follow in the steps of nations whereby gangsterism and disrespect for democracy as seen in countries like Thailand, Philippines, India, Pakistan, Burma, etc.

Its becoming to be a 'push' and 'shove' scenario here in Malaysia... and its sad that this is happening.

Deadlines are important, yet nothing more than illusions of the human mind. I question myself, why am I so suddenly wary and conscientious about deadlines?

Deadlines are something that my bosses take very seriously; but something that I never did. I'm a born procrastinator, how do I honour deadlines? I think I use work to deviate me from my own internal deadline (non work-related of course). Believe you me, this self imposed deadline is more complex than figuring the the principles of differentiation!

Basically, its a deadline on a decision that I must make and soon. A decision that is made up of a series of decisions, like a real complicated decision tree. Each decision branch with its own deadline let alone consequences, leaving me with headaches upon concluding each and every mini deadline!

At the end of the day, its just a deadline that I must meet for if its passes it means I took the easy way out and chose the negative option,leaving not much to the imagination. In truth, its nothing more than a deadline that requires me to make a tough decision though the reality is nothing short of 'Yes' or 'No'.

As each mini deadline passes and me procrastinating my decision(s), which really fucks up the general scheme of things... I ask myself... Will I?

Tick tock tick tock......