"Si vous n'avez pas le temps de bien faire les choses quand aurez-vous le temps de les refaire"

Ever find yourself rushing to finish a task, only to realize later that you messed up and have to start over? That's what this quote is getting at. It’s a reminder that if you don’t make the time to do something properly the first time, you might end up having to spend even more time fixing it later. It’s a call for diligence and proper time management, emphasizing that taking shortcuts can often lead to more work in the long run.

This idea probably rings true for many of us. Imagine being under a tight deadline at work. Maybe you’re finishing a report and decide to skim over the details just to get it done. The boss gets it, spots errors, and now you’re back at square one, rewriting the whole thing. The historical context might not be very specific, but it’s something that’s been relevant for ages—ever since people had deadlines and tasks to complete.

Think about the construction industry for a moment. There’s a famous example from the 1980s—the Citicorp Tower in New York City. The engineers and architects were in such a rush to complete the building that they overlooked a critical flaw in the design. A few years after it was built, it was found that the building could topple over during a strong windstorm. The oversight meant that they had to spend a significant amount of time and money to retrofit the building with additional support. If they had taken the time to do it right in the beginning, they could have avoided this massive do-over.

So, how can you apply this wisdom in your daily life? Start by planning your tasks. Break them down into smaller, manageable steps and give yourself enough time to do each step properly. This isn’t just about work, either. Whether you’re cooking a new recipe, building furniture, or even writing an email, double-check your work. Ensure the details are correct before you move on. It might feel like a drag to be meticulous, but it’s a lot easier than having to redo everything from scratch.

Let’s make this relatable. Imagine you’re a student with an essay due. You’ve got a week, but you keep putting it off. Last minute, you rush through it, missing key points and making sloppy errors. Your teacher hands it back with a ton of red ink, and now you’ve got to rewrite the whole thing. Had you started a few days earlier, you could’ve taken your time, done the research, and submitted a polished piece.

This approach isn’t about being perfect; it’s about being smart with your time. We all know the frustration of having to redo something. It’s not fun. It’s stressful. But if you take a bit more time upfront to do it right, you save yourself a lot of headaches. So next time you’re about to rush through a project or task, take a deep breath and ask yourself: if you don’t have time to do it right now, when will you have time to do it over?