Gang: This post is just the latest in the series for the newbies.

Today someone said to me so what, I cant do anything about Y2K, besides the whole thing is so scary and even if I do some things it wont make any difference.

They understand enough about Y2K to draw the conclusion that some preparation is necessary, but fear of failing is preventing them from trying. This is like acknowledging that you must go to war and then deciding your first and only move will be to surrender.

Fear can be an appropriate and healthy response (even life-saving), in some situations. Failure can be just as important as success. Combine them though and you may have trouble.

Sometimes you have to fail in order to know that failure wasnt worth fearing. If you were afraid of failure, would you try difficult things? Trying is important, as is keeping at it - for winners never quit, and quitters never win.

So it is also with preparing for Y2K. It can seem overwhelming - just the part of seriously considering what needs to be done given the continuing uncertainty. This has caused some to 'freeze' and not prepare, even though they have concluded that some preparation is necessary. They resign themselves to failure and are afraid. Fear of failure is only one excuse for this, yet it is one that can be overcome. Indecision is another.

Dont be afraid of failing in your preparations. Be fearful of not getting started. Even if you do not get everything right, you still will have learned something, possibly something valuable, and you will be better prepared for adversity. Instead of being frozen with fear, do something positive that will reduce your fear: Make a decision. Get moving in your preparations.

-- Rob Michaels (sonfodust@net.com), June 07, 1999

Answers

If you have just discovered the implications of Y2K, you unfortunately now need to convince yourself that you do not have the luxury of "fence-sitting" or anything else that s going to take away the most precious commodity: time. You must act, you must do it now. You are not only racing against the clock to 2000, you are also racing against the unknown time when John Q. Public at large will figure out what you have, and en masse attempt to prepare, essentially choking out your ability to.

The ship is sinking. There are not enough lifeboats for everyone. Y2K CANNOT BE FIXED!

-- Jack (jsprat@eld.net), June 07, 1999.