I like this. Chicken soup for the busy person…
The express train to get through your day:
- Solve it, decide about it, or cope with it. Don’t whine, don’t let it fester. Either correct what’s bothering you, make a decision about options facing you, or simply live with the issue. “To fret” is a rather archaic verb and a rather archaic response.
- Never allow someone to claim “an hour of your time,” or “20 minutes of your time” for that matter. Agree to talk to them, but don’t commit to arbitrary time frames or the conversation will ineffably expand to fill the void.
- Learn to say, “Sorry, no.” If someone says, “Got time for a quick question?” respond, “Sorry, no, bad time, try me later.” They’ll get their question answered elsewhere.
- Never schedule back to back social or business meetings. You need time to reflect, to allow for traffic jams or surprises, and to prepare yourself for what’s coming. Endless meetings form a cincture that can squeeze the life out of you.
- Do things when the spirit moves you whenever you can. If you feel like writing the article, or reading the book, or paying the bills, do it. You’re better, more motivated, and more efficient when you’re doing things “in the mood.”
- Act only on patterns, not random events. Once is an accident, twice a coincidence, three times a pattern. Whether positive or negative, don’t bounce around in the feedback pinball machine. There is usually a systolic cadence to reliable issues and events.
- Perform an act of unrequested good will. Hold a door, give up your seat, put $10 in the charity box, buy the coffee. Like working out, you’ll feel emotionally better for having done it.
- Prepare yourself for experiences you know will be painful. It’s never going to be fun to call a credit card company’s customer service line, or to deal with the electric company, or try to cash in frequent flyer points. We all know this. Have a drink, get something to read, use your cell phone, and make the best of it. If you’re still getting upset at immigration procedures or airport security lines, it’s you who have the problem.
- Ask yourself how your day went. Did you learn anything? Is the end of the day one of accomplishment and happiness, or frustration and lassitude? What should you change in the patterns?
- Remember that the test of a true friend is that they’ll tell you when you have lettuce stuck in your teeth, as well as when you look better in an outfit than they do!
From Balancing Act: The Newsletter by Alan Weiss., PhD.