Nothing seems to happen exactly as planned. Well, rarely. Life happens.
You just can’t control the universe. Bad weather happens. Overpasses collapse. Illness happens. Other people have changes in their schedules that affect your plans. There seems to be daily obstacles to overcome so remaining flexible is key to survival.
Setting up a daily/weekly schedule certainly helps you manage your time. Routines are great! With daily/weekly routines you don’t have to think about every single task you do.
Each morning, as you start your day, look at the big 3 things you want to accomplish and any other tasks that are floating around. Then prioritize and pin actual times down to these tasks. This helps you focus on the important and high priority tasks first. This sets your intention for the day.
Keeping a balance between work, home, and personal health and well being is vital. Times for all these facets of your life should be scheduled and honored.
But at any given moment something might happen that throws that plan right out the window. Someone cancels an appointment with you or someone badly needs your help right now! The cat gets sick and needs to go to the vet. The computer crashes. You get the idea.
When these life events happen, step back and evaluate what just happened. Take a few moments to just breathe into this new reality. Don’t do an immediate knee jerk reaction. What is your priority now? How can you adjust your schedule? How can you keep a positive attitude? Here is where the ability to be flexible can keep your day or week from crashing down around you.
Take another look at your calendar. What can be dropped or moved to another day? If a cancelled appointment opens up time for you, what upcoming project can you work on now that will save you time and stress down the road? Breathe and move into your new reality for today. It’s all going to be OK and another day and opportunity will come tomorrow.
Jonda S. Beattie Professional Organizer