The time to panic is the time when you can still do something about it.

Taking action today on a long-term problem is easier, cheaper, more effective, and far less time-consuming than waiting for it to come an emergency.

Why not start panicking in advance? Why not start taking emergency measures while there’s still a chance that those emergency measures will actually accomplish something?

Every organization that gets into trouble falters because it waited too long to do the stuff that should have been done a long time ago. Panic early, not late, and your fire drills will actually pay off.

(From The Big Moo, edited by Seth Godin)