Summer's Urgency: From 1964 Master's Prep to Today's Fires

The author begins by noting the arrival of summer fires following the football World Cups, a period complicated by the appearance of Zapatero, and a general sense of urgency as July ends. This prompts a reflection on the nature of urgency, contrasting the author's own experience in 1964 preparing for a master's program at IESE in Barcelona. Back then, without mobile phones or the internet, the challenge was to coordinate documents and preparations for a September 15th start date, a task achieved through sheer determination and the efficiency of the era's secretaries.

“

I have a friend who completes the above by adding a daily reading session. He does so with critical sense. He classifies books as essential and expendable. Over the years, his critical sense has sharpened and the shelf of essential books has shrunk.

Recalling the first master's program in Spain, which began on time despite the logistical hurdles, the author remembers the 27 students and the single woman in the cohort. This personal anecdote serves to highlight a different kind of urgency – one driven by a clear and positive objective. The author distinguishes this from "nervousness for its own sake," which often leads to rushed, subpar work.

“

We are at the end of July and this brings with it a sense of urgency with the impression that what is not finished before July 31 will never be finished.

The piece concludes by observing the prevalence of "shoddy" work in contemporary society and the author's learned ability to differentiate between beneficial and detrimental urgency. The underlying message is that urgency, when tied to a meaningful goal, can be a powerful motivator, but when it stems from mere anxiety, it often results in poor execution.

“

The mobile phone does not exist. The Internet does not exist. Photocopiers do exist. And the mail, with the corresponding postage.