Big Red Car here watching the meltdown in the Asian markets. Yawn! Oh, excuse me, I almost fell asleep. Sorry.

There are two days that don’t mean anything to us — yesterday and tomorrow.

Not suggesting you disregard them; they are, in fact, very important days but their older sister, TODAY, is way more important and lovely.

Let me tell you why.

Planning

The Big Red Car preaches the catechism of planning and can get pretty damn tedious with his mantra of Vision, Mission, Strategy, Tactics, Objectives, Values, Culture, business engine canvas, business process graphic, and dollar weighted org charts.

“Give it a freakin’ rest, Big Red Car!” you may be tempted to say.

Please do, knowing you will not dissuade the Big Red Car from cajoling you to eat your freakin’ vegetables though you will never get the Big Red Car to extol the virtues of kohlrabies. They are a turnip too far.

You have to have a plan though the Big Red Car will constantly remind you, “The first casualty after contact with the enemy is the plan!”

The Big Red Car will also remind you to pay careful attention to your “sell by dates” and your “shelf life.” Revise your damn plans, y’all. That’s all we’re saying.

Execution

Execution flows from planning and that is why today is so damn important.

Think of yesterday, tomorrow, and today as three beautiful triplets. Tall, leggy, shapely, and with black, blonde, and red hair.

Today — the redhead — is the only one who will actually kiss you back.

Yesterday — the brunette — won’t do anything but inform your today’s and tomorrow’s. She is lifeless, immovable, and whatever lessons she carries are there forever.

Tomorrow — the blonde — never shows up for your date. She promises you greatness but like a county commissioner running for re-election, she never actually produces. She just keeps running and running and eluding your grasp.

Today, on the other hand will meet you for breakfast, lunch, dinner, a late night snack, a massage, a pedicure, and will work you like a rented mule.

Today is the day when you make a checklist and begin to check off real accomplishments. Today is your bitch — if you will make it so. [Let me apologize right now for that. Way out of line. Sorry. Not the least bit PC.]

Plan. Execute. Make love to today. Give that little minx a checklist filled with check marks.

Living in the moment.

But, hey, what the hell do I really know anyway? I’m just a Big Red Car.