One of the classes I teach at the University of Florida is a freshman orientation class. The goal is to help first-year students make a successful transition to college, which is a difficult process for many of them. Several days before Thanksgiving break last year, one of my students told me she wished she could leave right away and, she said, she might not come back. She told me, “More than anything, I just want to go home.” 

Her words reminded me of Paul Simon’s sad refrain, “Ev’ry stranger’s face I see reminds me that I long to be, homeward bound”…Homeward Bound.The Beatles also sang a few sweet words about home which remind me of my wife singing softly to the kids at bedtime and I can easily recall her early morning pancakes served with smiles, “Once there was a way to get back home. Sleep pretty darling do not cry and I will sing a lullabye”…Golden Slumbers. I know this, for sure, “There’s no place like home whatever it be. A cave, a hole, a nest in a tree” – Dr. Seuss, Cat In The Hat.

We don’t hear much about gumption anymore but most of us still know what it is. To me, it’s internal motivation, showing the inclination to do things without having to be told or reminded or prodded or begged. Somebody observed, “Too many people are ready to carry the stool when the piano needs to be moved.” There’s some truth to this and that’s why we need more gumption than ever these days. I’ve noticed that people who have their fair share of it plan ahead, avoid procrastination and stay alert for opportunities to help others and get things done. At work, when a person with gumption sees something that needs to be done, she does it. No need to be asked about it or told to do it.

People with gumption don’t say: “I didn’t know” or “It’s not my job.” People with gumption never leave good enough alone. People with gumption find jobs that need doing and dig right in until the tasks are done. People with gumption choose difficult jobs because progress and satisfaction are found in challenges. People with gumption never grow weary of doing what’s right. People with gumption have energy that rubs off on others. People with gumption start jobs with confidence and finish strong. People with gumption create work for themselves rather than waiting for it to be assigned. People without gumption seldom do any of these things. This short poem might describe some of them:

“A sad employee left his job of many years
Most days he worked were like the day before
He wasn’t disliked by colleagues, but he won’t be missed
And while he made good money, he felt quite poor
He always did what he was paid to do and nothing more
And he did without having any fun
He performed his job the way he lived his life
He did it the way it had always been done.”

Tomorrow is a great labor saving device for today, but don’t use it. Get started, do it now. Always do what’s next.