I figure that the cliche was never, "the last hour," but for a long time, it was, "waiting until the last minute." In our ever-faster society, now we wait for the last second.

Of course we do. Why shouldn’t we? The last second eliminates the need to make a decision, most of the time, because the last second doesn’t arrive, thus saving us the angst. And when we do take action, there’s no penalty (usually) for waiting.

Airlines and others penalize people for planning ahead by instituting non-refundable fares. We don’t get treated like royalty for signing up early, and the penalties for waiting often seem fairly small.

In Florida, on the other hand, where dinner is half price before 5 pm, the restaurants are often packed.

Every time I’ve posted a job or an offer with a deadline, I get amazingly well-written and thoughtful notes one day after the deadline has passed, begging for another chance, or quoting time zones or some other sort of nonsense. Of course, it’s all because we’ve persuaded ourselves to wait till the last second.

With less than two weeks to go, my event in New York has officially reached the last minute. If you want a seat, today is the day, as there are only 38 left. The first five people to buy a seat today (here’s the link) get a free copy of my DVD set. Early bird special, you know.