Let’s call the following, “Three questions whose answers are often the same word.”
Q1: Do you think they’ll get engaged?
A1: Eventually.
Q2: Will that kitchen remodel ever get done?
A2: Eventually.
Q3: Can we hire another Project Manager to lighten some of (insert name)‘s workload?
A3: Eventually.

I think we tend to commonly associate the word eventually as a reference to some unspecified date in the future. Rarely do we put (or dare to insist!) that there could be some conditions attached to that eventual point in the future; you know, something that makes you feel like the tin can of complete answers to that question isn’t just being kicked down the street. Because if that eventually moment never comes to fruition, then… I guess it’s just… oh well?

When the word eventually is used in mathematics, there’s no “ifs” (though there might be some “ands” or “buts” ) to be found. What is defined is the potential ‘missing piece’, which – when talking about the eventual fulfillment of some sort of mathematical property – could be described as “when sufficiently large” or “after some point.”

There’s an accountability marker.

You see, even mathematicians realize that all the conditions that this eventually exists in can not be controlled. There is, though, this acknowledgment that the potential exists, that it is possible and perhaps even quite probable — it just needs to be attained.

With those three questions above, there’s no understanding of what the potential element is that would – if attained – fulfill the action of the engagement happening, or the remodel being completed, or the hiring of another Project Manager. The potential factor might have to do with location, or money, or timing. Great, that’d be good to know.

I’m feeling ’tis the season to at least start planning some mid-year activities — vacations, family stuff, career stuff – and if your potential conflict to what I’m planning can only be calendared with the word eventually, well,.. you know what to do with that word.