Don't Worry About The Mule Going Blind - Just Load The Wagon
By Rick Segel

That expression is my all-time favorite and I have used it consistently over the past 35 years.

The reason is that it addresses an issue that every manager has had to address and something that all of us have done at some point of our career: worrying about issues that might never occur. Yes, I know it’s important to be concerned about details and cover every possibility but sometimes I see projects or ideas that never materialize because someone was concerned about an issue that might never happen.

For example, when an employee would get into the “what if” scenario. Such as, if we move that merchandise to another location and it doesn’t sell well there, what should we do? I would quickly use the line, “Don’t Worry About The Mule Going Blind — Just Load the Wagon”. It would get the employee back on track in a fun non-threatening way.

The amazing part about this expression is that it applies to so many situations. Let’s face it, the biggest problem today with productivity is that we are multi-tasking way too much. We are juggling projects and not focusing on anyone thing long enough. We are time starved. This expression gets us back on track and focuses us on what needs to get done. Try it.