"لن يفعل الرجال أي شيء إلا إذا اضطروا إلى ذلك، ولكن بمجرد أن يضطروا، سيفعلون أي شيء."

People tend to avoid action unless it's absolutely necessary. But when the situation demands it, they'll pull out all the stops. It’s a basic truth about human nature. We’re wired to conserve energy until the stakes are high. This might sound lazy, but it's actually a survival instinct.

Think about the historical context. This idea isn't new. It's been around since ancient times, when people only hunted for food when they were hungry or built shelters when the weather turned harsh. The same principle applies today, though in different ways. We procrastinate on work assignments until the deadline looms, then suddenly, we find the motivation to get it done.

Take, for example, the story of Aron Ralston. Remember him? The guy from "127 Hours"? He was out hiking in the Utah canyons when a boulder fell, trapping his arm. Talk about a dire situation. Aron didn't do much for the first few days, probably hoping someone would find him. But when it became clear that he had no other choice, he did the unthinkable. He amputated his own arm to survive. That's a gruesome example, but it shows how far we’ll go when we absolutely have to.

So, how can you use this idea in your own life? First, recognize your own patterns. Are you waiting for a crisis to act? If so, set smaller deadlines or create artificial pressure. Turn a "want to" into a "have to." Maybe set up a reward system or get others involved who will hold you accountable. Sometimes, we need a little push.

Imagine you’re a student. You've got a huge project due in a month. It’s easy to put it off—plenty of time, right? But as the deadline gets closer, the stress mounts. Finally, the night before it’s due, you pull an all-nighter. Why do we do this to ourselves? Because we didn’t feel we had to act earlier. If you break the project into smaller tasks and set mini-deadlines, you'll trick your brain into thinking each step is urgent. You’ll spread the work out and avoid that last-minute panic.

Let's say you're trying to get fit. You know you should exercise, but it’s easy to skip when there’s no immediate consequence. Now, imagine you’ve signed up for a marathon in six months. Suddenly, you have to train. That race isn’t going to run itself. Having that goal creates a sense of urgency, turning your workouts from optional to essential.

In essence, the key is to create circumstances where you feel compelled to act before things get desperate. Don’t wait for the boulder to trap you in the canyon. Anticipate and plan, so you’re ready to face challenges head-on. This approach doesn’t just apply to life’s big hurdles, but the everyday tasks that can pile up. Get ahead of them before they become overwhelming.

So next time you catch yourself waiting for the last minute, remember—people do anything when they must. But you can choose to act before you reach that point of no return. Create your own sense of urgency and watch how much you can accomplish.