Everything I need to know I did not learn in Management 101

In a management course in college, we learned about Just In Time (JIT) business. Need a quick refresher (or you're too lazy to follow the link I provided to wikipedia, that's okay, you can admit it)? Essentially, JIT is an inventory system that drives the production process by signaling when a part or parts are needed--no excess inventory sitting around. You get what you need just in time.

This process is, apparently, great for business, reducing storage costs and production inefficiencies. However, I'm not sure it's so great as a lifestyle. I feel as though I live my life JIT, and I don't think I like it so much.

For a long time I've considered myself the "right-on-time" girl. If there's a meeting, or if I have an appointment, or even a date, I will time everything to be there "right-on-time." Try as I may to be early, something will always come up that will inhibit me from being there early, but right on time, oh you betchya. Don't get me wrong. I'd rather be right-on-time girl than perpetually late girl (yes, I admit, sometimes I can run late... but the reasons why will be explained below). I like to think I'm the perfect blend of my parents, my mother who is always 15 minutes early to everything and my dad who is constantly running late.

You see, I have this JIT lifestyle down, but it leaves little-to-no room for error. There's definitely something addictive and stressful in that, and I think I thrive off of it. The best example of my JIT life in action is my morning routine. I have every morning activity broken into it's time allotment and there's varying degrees within that. For example, if I want to do a quality job and put good effort into the activity (i.e., showering , shampooing my hair twice as directed, and shaving my legs) versus I just need to get it done (i.e., not even showering, but turning on the tub faucet full-blast and getting down on my hands and knees to position my head under the water getting my hair wet enough to fix the "bed head" look I woke up with). After my alarm goes off in the morning (which by the way sounds like the most obnoxious flock of angry geese), I actually lay in bed thinking about how much time I have until I really need to get up, and if I got up at that time, what do I really have time to do. This of course takes precious minutes away from my morning routine (well, forget shaving the legs).

Once I'm finally out of bed, it's a scramble for me to efficiently and effectively complete all necessary tasks before I'm out the door, and usually on my way to meet my vanpool. I even know exactly how long it takes to drive to the vanpool meeting place and more often than not, I pull up about 15-30 seconds before the van does.

Were I a business, this would dramatically impact my quality and efficiency in a good way, but in all honesty, it stresses me out. Because everything has to be just right, there is no margin for error. And I also think I use the JIT philosophy as justification for procrastination. If I can create enough urgency and muster up enough adrenaline to get a job done, I can do it and do it well. If I those two things aren't really present, then I'll just put it off until they do exist--eventually, they'll be there.

So there's my nasty procrastination habit but I don't think that's the only reason I feel trapped in my JIT life. But that, my friends, is the making of another post. Why? Because it's 11:45, and I have two loads of laundry going so that I can have enough underwear and socks for the conference in Vancouver that I'm driving to from work tomorrow afternoon, of course. And yes, that means I'll need to get up early and actually pack for it. Just in time, baby, just in time.

Note to self: Tomorrow may be a wet-the-hair-to-get-rid-of-the-bed-head kind of day.

Eh, I can deal with the procrastination habit later.