Well, I heard some people talkin’ just the other day
And they said you were gonna put me on a shelf
But let me tell you I got some news for you
And you’ll soon find out it’s true
And then you’ll have to eat your lunch all by yourself‘Cause I’m already gone
And I’m feelin’ strong
I will sing this victory song‘Cause I’m already gone
Woo-hoo-hoo, my, my, woo-hoo-hoo
Already Gone – The Eagles
On New Year’s Eve, 1984, I was at the Enlisted Club while stationed overseas. It was around 20 minutes before midnight when a fight broke out on the dance floor. Not a stretch considering the amount of alcohol and testosterone in the room and the fact there was a three-to-one ratio of men to women. I was one of a couple of guys who tried to break it up, and in the chaos, I pulled one of them off with too much force, throwing him into a bunch of chairs. With the attention on me now, I headed out toward the back door. This guy’s buddy followed me out. He was about 6 foot 3 and North of 220 lbs. I saw him coming at me full speed. Realizing I was about to get an ass-whipping of biblical proportions, I waited until he was in range and planted my size 10 boot into his groin. He dropped like a rock and I escaped out the back. There are no rules in bar brawls. Or honor. Nonetheless I made it out in one piece. And ironically the incident was never mentioned again. When trouble came for me, I was already gone.
The song above is about another guy who’s taking preemptive action. He’s heard through the grapevine that his lady is about to leave him, so to save face, he’s decided to make the first move and move on. He’s feeling strong because rather than be the victim, he’s decided to leave first. By the time she finds out, he’ll be already gone.
Most of us were taught to keep persevering when things go wrong, but occasionally, the wiser move is to be already gone. Here are the three best times to be first out the door:
- To Save Time. If you’ve already decided to move on from something, don’t wait around. Just do it. Be already gone.
- To Save Face. Sometimes it’s best to avoid a situation where you don’t have a chance to win. If it’s important and you’re ok with doing it, move on and try again later.
- To Save Yourself. It’s what saved me back in 1984. Better to move on and live to fight another day.
This week as you’re looking at the things that are stressing you out, keeping you awake at night, or occupying every thought, consider what you can do to preemptively make the first move. Be already gone. Your time, your self, and your reputation will thank you!