That makes you a member of a very large club. Many of us can get overwhelmed by the enormity of a task. It is hard to see where to start. We might look at it and see a huge ball of string with no tail sticking out to aid in the unraveling. Do what’s a person to do?

We know that answer to the question: How do you eat an elephant?  Answer: One bit at a time.

We hear this and we all laugh but don’t implement it as oten as perhaps we could. My clients often tell me that they tend to just jump in and struggle trying to find that elusive starting point. And they say that the closer the deadline, the more anxious they become to get started. No time to do the heads up prep work.

The stress level usually builds as the timer ticks on. Sometimes the anxiety turns to panic and with that comes difficulty focuing, staying on task and even sleeping or eating. Instead of stress de-escalating as the work comes together, it elevates as the deadline looms.

These 3 steps can make the difference in how stressed you are when the task is completed.

Take a Bird’s Eye View of the Task

What do you see? What is the overall objective and result when finished? Stephen Covey says to start with the end in mind. Knowing why you are doing this work can cause your appoach to be more creative and align with your work style. This planning can take as much as a day but will save you time in the long run. Don’t rush to get started. Stay calm to plan it all out.

Chunk the Task into Manageable Bites

Yes, the elephant adage is not just a fun thing; it is a critical tool to use in addressing the bigger tasks. We usually know way more than we actually implement. This is one of those often forgotten lessons that fail to make it to the production site.

How can you piece this into smaller bites to accomplish one at a time? With that comes the sense of accomplishment of actually getting somewhere. This goes a long way to balancing the amount of stress involved. Instead of it building, it will stay level or in best case scenario, decrease.

Break Down the Deadlines to Match Bites

Once the overall task is divided, then divide the deadline date into the appropriate timelines to match the bites. You allot a certain amoount of time to accomplish each and work to meet that deadline. For the time being, forget about the final deadline. If you meet each of these, you can’t help but meet the final one.  Don’t forget to add the final review time when the task is completed. You’ll want time to go over your work rather than just rush to push it out without another glance.

I guess a final word could be added here…okay, maybe two!  Don’t forget to breathe. Don’t forget to balance your work with leisurely time with family and friends, or maybe even some self-care alone time. Defeat the stress before it defeats you.

Coypright 2019 Merri Macartney. Merri works with organizations that want to merge laughter and learning to boost morale, reduce stress and enhance the wellbeing of their staff.

Email: Merri@merrimacartney.com

Twitter: @Speaker_Merri

Phone: 519-881-6339

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/MerriMacartneySmartyPants

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/MerriMacartney

For more information on Merri’s business check out http://www.merrimacartney.com

There are those who believe that being planned is the most important way to live life. From the time they get up to the time they go to bed, they are focused on crossing their tasks off the To-Do list. If something comes up suddenly, they are more inclined to say no because it would cause too much upset to rearrange a scheduled agenda.

Those who live spontaneously – “on the edge” so to speak – can’t imagine having things so tightly controlled. They are what they like to call free spirits. They want to be able to go for the gusto when it happens.

So which is better? Is one better than the other?  There are benefits to both but the key is to make sure there is a balance. People who plan things usually get more done than those who don’t. Those who are more spontaneous usually live with fewer regrets in their old age.

Perhaps a blend of both would be in order. Some things are better planned and then plan to leave some time for spontaneity. Be balanced.

Zig Ziglar says that you will either say, “I wish I had or I’m glad I did.”

Live life in such a way as to grow old without regrets. Wouldn’t this be an amazing goal?

Coypright 2019 Merri Macartney. Merri works with organizations that want to merge laughter and learning to boost morale, reduce stress and enhance the wellbeing of their staff.

Email: Merri@merrimacartney.com
Twitter: @Speaker_Merri
Phone: 519-881-6339
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/MerriMacartneySmartyPants
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/MerriMacartney
For more information on Merri’s business check out http://www.merrimacartney.com

Then why do we need a dictionary you might ask. Isn’t that so we all have the same meaning in order for us to communicate – to exchange our thoughts and ideas from one to another.

That is the ideal however some have had some experiences which change how they receive the words. It’s not just a matter of having different meanings but of having different experiences. Take the word should for instance. This word is often used to advise someone of how they “should” or “should not” be doing something. If used repeatedly, an aversion to its use might be made. It can be seen as a judgement as if what they had done wasn’t good enough.

If we listen carefully, we will hear this word used often in conversations. Many times the speaker of the word might just be suggesting that there is more than one way to do something. If this lands on the person mentioned above who has been told many times how they should have acted, then it might cause some unintentional ruffling of feathers.

The word but can often have the same kind of uncomfortable effects. In most cases, but is used as a way of suggesting that the aforementioned part of the statement isn’t exactly true. For instance, if the statement is something like, “You did a really great job, but it would have been better if you’d added more detail.” Then the question calling out is whether or not the job was good after all.  Once more judgement rears its ugly head causing an already sensitive listener to feel that they have not done well at all.

It is said that the word but negates all that has been said previously. Pay careful attention to how you use this word and watch to see the reaction of others when you do.  They might be telling you that they get the real meaning of what your statement says.  Is it what you really mean?

After all, we use words to communicate what we think and feel to others. Is yours doing what you intend?

For the past couple of years I have been the 24/7 caregiver for my husband who had a rare neurological illness – Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP). He passed away last year.

It was my privilege to care for him. Joe was my third husband and I, his third wife. We shared so much joy and laughter after our practice marriages and finally getting it “right”. It was a no-brainer to shelve my career in order to care for him. Rather than spend my days somewhere entertaining and educating others, I got to share those final days with the love of my life.

So today I begin anew. I will not fall prey to any perfectionist thoughts that say I have to catch up for missing time – the missing blogs. There are no regrets which haunt me. Instead I have incredible memories.

Are you struggling to catch up? Are you buckling under the pressure? Do you wonder what others will think if you simply let go and move on?

It isn’t about what others think. It’s about what you can live with. I believe that sometimes we are the only ones who place these outrageous expectations on ourselves. So to you I say, let it go.

Shed the regrets and get busy making memories. Store them up for when you need them most.

In so many ways, we also learn that asking for help can be seen as a sign of weakness.  In so many ways, it does help us to do a lot of personal development.  We struggle almost continuously.  And all the while, we are at the ready to lend a helping hand to any who ask.  

Isn’t this rather crazy?  We consider it a privilege when someone reaches out to us and asks us to help them with something.  We like how it makes us feel; first to be chosen and then the sense of pride as we are able to complete something that makes someone’s life easier.  Our helping others enriches our lives, validates it and makes adds to our happiness.

Am I not right?  Think back to the last time you helped someone.  What did you help with?  Help with a move?  Fixing something?  Sharing your expertise to get something to work properly?  How did you feel when you were done?  You might have been tired to the bone but my guess is you also felt elated.

So tell me then, why is it we don’t let others help us?  Why do we deny them the same experience by not reaching out and asking them to help us?

For some, that is a very hard thing to do. As we grew up, we learned that we needed to be independent, to be able to manage our own needs or perhaps that people couldn’t be trusted and wouldn’t be there for you.  All of that might be true, but there comes a time when we need to admit that we can’t it alone. How much stress do we pile onto ourselves because our egos demand we have to be strong in all things?  And yet, the real strength comes in admitting we need help and it’s okay.

Can you imagine anyone in your sphere refusing to come to your aid if you asked for help?  Me neither. What do you suppose would be there response to your request?  Would it look like this?

I do think that is so.  Yet it has taken a lot for me to reach out and feel okay with it.  Even if my husband couldn’t (or wouldn’t) do something in what I considered to be a satisfactory time, I would jump in to do it myself.

Well, now that my hubby is ill and can no longer do his customary jobs around the house, I have had to take them on. But only because I deemed it so.  Finally when I was burning myself out and getting beyond my skill level, I had to ask others to stand in the gap.  And you know what? They were thrilled.

You see, they knew the situation. They wanted to help but didn’t know how and didn’t want to intrude. When I finally asked, they were happy that now they could actually do something to take some of the pressure off me.  I have to admit that I didn’t realize the toll it was taking on me.  I was acting like Superwoman; like the old song, I am Woman Hear Me Roar….

The truth of the matter was that I was putting myself at risk and possibly jeopardizing the care my husband needed. My perception of being strong because I didn’t need anyone was wrong.  I wasn’t being strong.  I was being foolish and weak. It wasn’t until I swallowed my misdirected pride and reached out that I realized that that was where the real strength was.

How are you doing?  Are you living a myth thinking that the courage it takes you to manage on your own is your strength?  Are you actually burning yourself out by adding unnecessary stress?  Consider letting others help; consider letting them experience the same joy and privilege you feel when you get to help others.

When you help others you give the gift of yourself.  Letting others do the same for you allows them to give their gift to you.  We are always better at giving gifts than receive them. But it is something we can all learn to change.  It all starts with the decision to make that change. When will you make your decision?

If you like what you’ve read, why not sign up for The Smarty Pants Way?

We talk about the speed of cars in terms of how fast they can get from zero to sixty and that is measured in seconds. After all, it is so really very important that our car will spring us into action at a stop light so we can be first at the next one. Is this a status symbol? For some it is.

Is the crux of the problem with road rage why people are demanding to get to where they are going faster?

What else has to go faster? Download speeds, when we want the next hit song or movie, become part of the negotiations in purchasing new computers. It used to be that we had fast food but with the increase in choices now the delivery has not sped up but rather slowed down so that it is no longer fast but merely FUN or convenient. And of course all of our communications have become faster as we no longer need to wait to connect with someone as they are simply a text away.

One of the aspects of our lives that has sped up and it is not a good thing is how we have a tendency to lose our cool. Rather than try to remain calm and ask for clarification, emotions get riled and we spring to our defenses. Often this done without taking that pause to see just how a statement might have been meant. Thinking the worst right away and reacting badly has caused many broken relationships.

For one of my seminars, I illustrated an experiment. I took a pot and put a couple of cups of cold water in it and put it on the highest setting on my stove. Then I timed how long it would take for the water to boil. The result was 8 minutes. Twenty minutes later I took the same pot with the same water which was not merely hot not boiling and put it on the same stove at the same setting. How long do you think it took to boil? You know this, don’t you.

The result was 2 minutes.

It is clearly evident by this that if we are going around all the time being a little “hot under the collar” it will be much easier and will be considerably faster to boil over and really lose our cool. Hence the tired old phrases about staying cool, keep your cool and cool off are so important. We need to cool down before we boil over. And speed is of the essence.

Have you ever said things you didn’t mean but said in haste when angry?  I think we all have done so at one time or another.  We were too anxious, angry, agitated – hot under the collar – to think carefully and slowly.  We spoke too fast and blurted out things that ought not to have been said.

The sad part about these hastily spoken words is that you can’t undo what damage they might have caused. No one can unring the bell; repair what has been broken; or forget we ever saw the dimming of the light in someone’s eyes.  Fast doesn’t count here.

For the sake of the people in our lives, we must tend to the fires that keep burning and keep us just on the edge of boiling over.  The trick here is not let ourselves get so hot in the first place.  Wouldn’t it be safer for all  if we would monitor our core temperatures?  When we find our temperatures rising how can we best turn down the thermostat?  That will be different for each of us.

10 Tips to Lower Our Temperature:

• a cold shower is always a good choice
• read something meditative/inspirational/comedic/etc
• setting regular routines to acquire sufficient sleep
• take up drinking – water that is to stave off dehydration which can seriously affect moods
• find time to play again
• hang out with friends and don’t talk shop
• get outside for some fresh air and go for a walk
• eat so blood sugars are stable and there are no crashes
• sit where the scenery is breathtaking and awe inspiring
• your favourite pastime hobby

These are just a few that could work for most of us.  Find a couple that you could turn to immediately if you need to. Sometimes we need to drop that temperature in a hurry; other times we’ve got some leeway.  It is important for us to know ourselves and how best to handle our inclinations. Maintaining a lower range of temperature is the healthiest choice for ourselves, our relationships and for our careers.

If you like what you’ve read, why not sign up for The Smarty Pants Way?  

Our days tend to look like this; get up, go to work, come home, go to bed. Rinse and repeat day after day. With little to no time to unwind, there is little opportunity to minimize the stress from the hectic schedule. One day quickly melds with the next and suddenly weeks and months have passed. The intent to address the stress never gets implemented but should be. With a mere 15 minutes each day, and with discipline to be consistent, stress can be significantly minimized. How easy does that sound?

For those of us who are not great at being disciplined, adhering to this program could take some time to get into action.  However, once the habit of setting up the 15 minutes on a daily basis is set, there is often that sense of disappointment at not starting sooner.  Have you ever felt that way?  You finally get around to doing something that you’ve been putting off only to realize how much better off you’d have been if you’d have started sooner.

So what kind of things can be done in only 15 minutes that will make a difference? Before I share that let me tell you a little about Harriet Beecher Stowe. She lived in the middle 1800s and was married to a preacher. Together they had seven children so you know how busy she was.  Harriet was also known as an abolitionist.  Her biggest contribution to the abolition of slavery was the novel she is best known for: Uncle Tom’s Cabin, although she did write 30 books.  It has been said that Harriet wrote this novel writing 15 minutes a night by candlelight after the children were tucked in bed.

So if she could do that nearly 200 years ago, what could you do with your 15 minutes?

Be sure to set a timer to make it an easy thing to do…more only makes it stressful to try to fit into your schedule and then it seems like work rather than enjoyable.

Writing:

In today’s world, this might simply be journaling, depending on your intentions.  Some of you may want to be authors and get published either on or offline, traditional or ebook.  The rest of you might just want to add this type of writing for the express purpose of logging your own journey or to leave some form of memoir for your family.

Whatever your reason, the very act of writing, because of its pensive nature, will allow you to turn down the notch on the stress meter.  The very thoughts which you pen will often evoke an emotional release such as laughter, joy, appreciation and gratitude.  This type of writing rarely if ever evokes the negative therefore your writing will uplift your spirit and release the thoughts that cause stress.

Meditation:

This usually occurs in a favored quiet place with eyes closed and aiming to clear the mind of thinking.  Obviously, this means no activity such as writing or recording audible thoughts.  The notion of repeating sounds such as “ohm” type chants which don’t require thinking is often found to be useful for clearing the mind.

The purpose of meditation is to give permission to the body to relax for a time.  Breathing slowly, deliberately paying attention to your rhythm, and feeling the stress vacate the body is soul refreshing.  It does take practice but the rewards of persevering is so worth it.

Inspirational Quotes:

It’s always a good idea to get in the habit of collecting inspirational quotes that speak to you.  On days when you feel that you are feeling flat and need a boost, this could be your 15 minute activity.  The best practice with these is to have them in categories like change, courage, faith, confidence and others. When you choose to do this then it is meaningful to have a choice of topics to be inspired by.

The collection doesn’t have to be set up like a fancy book.  The value is in the quotes not particularly in the way they are presented.  Taking the time to make it attractive and perfect only adds stress.  What can you do to put this together simply and easily?  Type them up in a word document, print and put in a binder. Done!

High Power Walk:

Even a 15 minute high power walk can minimize your stress levels. Why high power?  You will need to focus on the high energy required to do this. There is no room left in your brain to worry about anything else. You will asking questions like: Where am I going? Can I get to the park and back?  Can I do this every other day?  Am I going to survive it?

There is a lot of thinking going on but the advice here is to think about the benefits to your body. Think about the fresh air and its benefits. As you become more active doing this notice how much better you feel on so many levels. Healthier body and mind.

Listening to Music:

Get up from your usual place. Go find someplace different where you can escape distractions.  Be comfortable as you don headphones and listen to a quieter type of music.  It can be classical but if you are not a fan then find some quiet romantic music that you’d like to dance to.  You might like heavy rock and in its place, that’s wonderful but remember your purpose here is to relax and de-stress.  What music will do that for you?  Create your own play list.

Choose Healthy Snack:

It is easy to get overwhelmed and overstressed when we fail to take the breaks given to us during our work day.  It just seems easier to stay put and work through them.  It is one of those things we should never do. We NEED to take the breaks. The benefits to our minds and bodies far outweigh loosing the time to take them.

In order to get into this habit, set yourself up with something to look forward to.  Select high energy snacks which you thoroughly enjoy.  Savor ever morsel. Make it an experience. Even it they cost a bit more than your normal fare you will find you don’t have the mid-afternoon carb crash.  Your mind will stay clear and it will be easy to get back into the swing of things and refocus once you get back on task.

Cuddle with Your Fur Babies:

Or someone else’s.  Many of the senior residences, long-term care facilities and nursing homes are realizing the health benefits of having pets come for a visit.  The squeals of delight upon their arrival lifts spirits like nothing else. A lifestyle consultant I know at one such facility takes her dog, Lucky, to work with her.  She says that Lucky makes all the rounds as he knows precisely who is waiting for him to visit.

There is much written about the lowering of blood pressure by those who have animals in their lives.  When the focus is on caring for a pet, or paying attention to one for a time, there is an opportunity to escape your worries and enjoy the moment.

Not fond of furry babies, then find a baby you can spend time with.  Nothing like baby giggles or sloppy licks from dogs or the soft purring sounds of cats to minimize stress. Try it you’ll like it.

Any of these will help you to lessen your stress and allow you to avoid being overwhelmed.  Pick one or two to do regularly or mix all of them up as you feel the need.  Avoid making this another job to do.  Look on it as adding relaxation and fun into your ordinary routine.

Keep to 15 minutes to keep it FUN.  Enjoy the benefits you know you will get.  And then go “git” it done!

If you like what you’ve read, why not sign up for The Smarty Pants Way?  

Because there are so few great listeners, if you develop this skill you will stand out from the crowd. People gravitate towards listeners and in the workplace, those who can do this well will excel. Building relationships with colleagues runs deeper and truer which allows for less friction.

Ever notice how great a listener a dog is.  

They look you straight in the eye and pay attention to every word like it everything matters.  They tilt their heads when they are intrigued by something…like the change in your tone of voice.  Ask questions and you might even get some kind of vocal response.  Dogs are great listeners.

Below are five ways to become a great listener.  Pick one or two to start and practice diligently on a daily basis.  Soon they will be as natural to you as getting dressed. Once you’ve done that then pick a couple more.  In no time you will master the skill of listening.

1. Ignore Distractions

Ever been talking to someone who can’t stay focused on you as their eyes keep darting around the room?  Can’t help but wonder if they are looking for someone better to talk to. There isn’t even any pretense that they are listening.  You are prone to seeing this at networking events where someone has an agenda and it doesn’t necessarily include you.

What does a good listener do? When speaking with someone be sure to engage fully and be there in the moment. If you are not interested, politely excuse yourself. Otherwise, make eye contact, nod appropriately and ask questions.  Don’t get distracted and rush through a conversation. Ignore what else is going on, stay focused and allow them to have their say.

2.  Tame Your Emotions

While listening to a speaker, it would not be uncommon to experience some emotions stirred up by what he or she is saying.  Sometimes our conversations can be controversial and cause reactions.  It can be the topic itself or it may be a choice of particular words that will stir up some potentially negative feelings.  When that happens listening might get stalled as it could be hard to stay tuned in.

It is important to remember that we can agree to disagree.  Staying in the moment allows for a comprehensive exchange of ideas and points of view. Rational discussions can ensue when the emotions take a back seat and logic rules.

3.  Need to Listen

Most of us have had to attend lectures during our formal education.  These were very important and our ability to listen was directly connected to how well we did on our course.  Educators will often tell us that when given a reason to listen, the listening becomes nearly 90% more effective.  So what does that tell us?

It tells us that all our time invested in listening to someone should be considered a need.  What need you might ask. Well, the need could be quite simply a matter of building a stronger more meaningful relationship.  The need might be that the information received will improve your job performance. Whatever it is, consider that having a dialogue is important and skillfully listening is needed.

4. Inspire Openness

It has often been asked of me how I learn so much about a person.  The answer is a simple one. By showing a sincere interest and engaging in active listening by making eye contact, nodding and asking questions, people are more apt to tell you a lot of information. Some of it might be personal and some of it might be more of a mentoring kind of discussion. Either way, it was a win for me.

When people feel that what they have to say has value, they are encouraged to share more.  It is at such times that trust is built into the relationship as you prove you are trustworthy to receive such information.  These exchanges will often make deep connections as similarities are discovered.  Often mutual friends and acquaintances are uncovered.  The more skillful the listening, the more openness is inspired.

5.  Like Listening

Our formal education tends to focus more on the reading and writing of communications.  Less time is spent on the speaking and listening components.  That is so unfortunate as when we enter the world of work, the latter is what is mostly happening and we find ourselves less practiced.

Learning to like listening is  worthy goal.  We always do things better when we like what we are doing. The same would be for listening.  Instead of wanting to always be the speaker, if we instead concentrated on listening, we would learn so much more.  Everyone has heard about having two ears and one mouth for a reason.  We hear that and we laugh. Don’t we realize the enormity of the truth that statement holds? I think not.

What do you suppose would happen if you decided to choose listening as a new self-development project? Do you think you would learn more?  Have deeper and more meaningful relationships? Discover more about yourself and what you want to aspire to?  Develop a great understanding of what makes others say and do what they do?

It could be some or all of the above.  Why not develop a plan to become a better listener and see what happens?  I’ll bet you’ll be surprised at the outcome.

If you like what you’ve read, why not sign up for The Smarty Pants Way?  

No one involved is prepared to deal with this situation at this time.  When it comes about suddenly words might be spoken that were never intended but the heat of the moment bubbled them to the surface. More often than not, this conversation doesn’t bring about the desire results of bringing people together.  On the contrary, it tends to widens the gap.

The second conversation is obviously a much better option at it is intentional and happens with much forethought and planning.  It is one that allows for a needed measure of control not just for the initiator but for all concerned.  With careful planning it usually removes that unexpected “pop”.

So how do we go about setting up this second type of conversation?  For starters, we must realize that we can only control the conversations we initiate.  If others decide that they are going to “pop” and demand a heated conversation, there is nothing we can do other than to disengage in such a way as to not pour fuel on the fire. As the common saying indicates, Keep Calm.  Acknowledge the person needs to talk and suggest a time that would allow some cooling off.  If they continue, listen only until there is the opportunity to repeat your request of setting another time.  Repeat until they agree.

For the conversations you initiate, plan them carefully.  By doing the following you should be able to set up the optimum conditions for a results oriented conversation.

Schedule this conversation BEFORE things get too hot to handle.

Too many people think things will get better if they are ignored and yet they get more distressed – angry perhaps – as time proves that they won’t.  It is necessary to relieve the pressure much earlier in the situation. Don’t let it build; schedule the conversation and deal with what needs to be dealt with.

Schedule the timing of the conversation for optimum results.

In any organization there are good days and bad days.  There are times when the workload becomes some kind of nightmare and there is little time to focus on anything else.  However, there is a natural ebb and flow.  In order to ensure that this intentional conversation gets the attention it deserves, be very selective over the timing.  Be mindful of what is happening around you so your conversation doesn’t get sabotaged.  It is hard to get started; it is even harder to get restarted if interrupted.

Have a clear outcome of the conversation before starting.

Knowing exactly what you want to achieve is critical to the success of the conversation.  Like Stephen Covey always said, “Begin with the end in mind.” Keep to the facts. Eliminate emotions as you stay calm and focus on the end results. As your discussion moves on be sure that it stays on track and don’t get sidetracked by anything else.  If you find that it is going off topic, be diplomatic and bring it back.

Be prepared to offer some solutions as you discuss the problems.

If your intentional conversation is to address problems, concerns or issues then it would be advisable to bring to the table some potential solutions.  Be prepared to offer ideas that will alleviate some of the things that you are intending to address. Showing that you have given this a lot of thought and perhaps have included your colleagues in the pre-planning stage will go a long way to being heard.  And I would suggest that most of us just want to be heard when we are faced with these kinds of situations.

Choose words that are unemotional and neutral.

Believe it or not there are some words that act like the fuel on a fire.  They immediately rile up and cause backs to get  up.  Amazing how the ears don’t work nearly so well when the back gets up.  It is much harder to keep calm and have a conversation focused on the facts rather than emotions.  What words cause people to react?  They are different for different people.  ‘Should’ is one of those words as it implies judgement.  When you say, “You should”  it can ignite a defensive response.

Saying, “You did a great job, but……” suggests that the first part of the sentence is NOT true.  The word ‘but’ negates what came before it.

It is a good idea to observe your colleagues and especially your superiors to determine which words cause them to react negatively.  Once you learn those, avoid them in any and all conversations, intentional or otherwise.

There is so much more to be gained by planning to have those difficult conversations as intentions rather than heated eruptions.  Everyone can benefit by keeping calm and handling things in a win-win manner as outlined above.  The key is to do it early and not wait until you’re ready to explode.  This is also one of the best pieces of advice you can share with your colleagues.  In this way everyone can win.

As a Certified Coach, I can help you prep your intentional conversation.  Take me up on my FREE 30 minute consultation to see how I can help.

http://www.merrimacartney.com

There is something so thoroughly satisfying when all the hard work you’ve done to create and implement a plan comes off without a hitch. However, many is the time when the plan needs to be adjusted at the last minute and how well you can flex and make it work is up to you.  Can you do it?  Can you keep calm and make a change or changes?

This can be crazy-making thinking.  Is this why I have this tendency to do my best work at the last  minute?  For days and weeks depending on the event, I ponder, think, create and envision what I will do.  Even when time starts to run out I am still in creating mode.  Make sense to you?  Yea, doesn’t make sense to me some times when I consider the stress it adds to my life.

I tell myself it brings out the creative side of me.  And then of course, if plans change at the last minute I tell myself I can float the change. After all, not everything is written in stone so I can adjust.

Is it just me or does that sound a bit lame?  I know.  But tell me, how do you make those last minute changes?  Do you grab the opportunity to try something new? Do you tell everyone who will listen to you how unfair that is and how it has taken you forever to set the plan and now someone has taken it upon themselves to ruin it?  On purpose? Just to get at you?

People can learn a lot about you on how you handle those kinds of situations.  Managers are often watching to see how you choose to react when things go awry. If you fall apart, not so good for you.  If you take the challenge and work to make it come together albeit with some unexpected changes, that shouts big kudos to you.  What’s even better is seeing the need to make changes and preempting some potential disaster.  Now that’s a winning move!

What can you do?

•  create some alternatives during the initial planning stages “just in case”
• avoid planning elements that do not allow for any flexibility
• ask yourself lots of “what if” questions and then line up possible alternatives
• get some fresh eyes on it before implementation begins
• breathe and know that no one is out to get you; it just happens

More often than not plans change and just the mention of the word, change, makes people crazy.  You can probably spot them right away.  Their immediate response is to run, hide somewhere and hope it will all just go away.  Nice when that happens; mostly in fairy tales.  However, muster the courage, be strong and face the need to change like it’s your golden key to opportunity.  Jump in.  Get on board.  Pick up the challenge and amazing things will happen.

Just you see.