Balancing Act
By Edel Jarboe

When life calls a time out...

Last week, I was unable to use my computer for an entire day due to the network crashing.  As a writer/publisher who sometimes spends 10 hours a day working on the computer, I was devastated. At first.  Then I realized that this was the perfect opportunity to catch-up on all the non-computer work I never seemed to get around to doing.  What do you do when you've been derailed from your carefully planned schedule?

Choose to Take Control
If you are running behind schedule, what can you do to make up for it?  What can you do differently or better?  For example, do you sort your mail according to who it is from, then once you read it, you sort it again according to what type of action is required?  How about eliminating a step?  Open your mail, read it and then designate it to the proper action pile.

Another strategy you can use to salvage your day is to honestly assess what needs to be done, compare this to what you can realistically get done and then reschedule the rest.  In other
words, focus on taking action instead of on the damage done to your schedule.  Grumbling and complaining, looking to blame anyone and anything for what went wrong with your day, does not
change the fact that the situation needs to be dealt with.  You have a far better chance of dealing successfully with the snag in your schedule when you choose to take control of your day instead of just reacting to it.

If you know that you have a busy day ahead, instead of lounging in your bathrobe while you eat breakfast and watch the morning news show, why not shave 15-20 minutes off your morning routine by taking a shower first and then eating breakfast without the television on?  I find that I am more awake and less tempted to turn on the television after I have showered and dressed.  I then use the extra 15-20 minutes to get a jump-start on my busy day. In other words, pad your schedule with extra time so that small changes don't throw you completely off-track.

Examine Your Habits
Do I have to do all my work on the computer?  Probably not.  There's filing, researching, offline marketing, legal business, etc. to take care of as well.  Spending the majority of my working hours on the computer is simply a habit.  It took a network crash to make me realize this.  Now, I add more non computer-related tasks to my workday to give myself a breather and to get more things done.

Is your computer your best friend?  Do you spend more time with this machine than you do with your mate or kids?  (Test: On the weekend do you have to sneak in to "just check your email"?) Every relationship needs some breathing room.  Take a break from your habits whenever you  can.  In your job, what can you do to let some fresh air into your daily routine?  How about this? Instead of emailing a co-worker on the other side of the building take 5 minutes to walk over and deliver the message in person. And, while you're up, get some water for that plant on your desk
too.

Shaking up our routines is important because we all grow a little bored with doing the same old thing day in and day out. In addition to giving us room to grow, a small change in our routine can add a sparkle to our eyes and a spring in our step.  How can you make positive change a habit?   At least once a month, examine your daily routine and look for ways to add more interest to what you do.  What would make you feel more alive, happier even?  Take time to discover whatever this is and commit to incorporating it into your daily life.

Adjust Your Attitude
You're waiting in line at the bank or grocery store, when the person in front of you has a long drawn-out transaction that even involves the manager.  Suddenly your whole day is ruined just because it took an extra 15 minutes to complete your errand.  Get real.  Sure, you'd rather be  doing something else than standing in line but stop catastrophizing every little thing that happens to you.  In other words, adjust your attitude.  Let's be honest here.  We spend most of our time complaining instead of making the best of the situation because it's easier to gripe than it is to switch gears.

Remember when you were a child and how excited you were when school was cancelled due to severe snow or rainstorms?  It was a chance to curl up with a book, play board games, or help around the house.  You were happy that your routine was disturbed.  Now, that we are adults we act as if it is the end of the world when everything in our life doesn't go as we planned.  Yet, at the same time, we complain about the dreary sameness of our days. Sigh.  What happened to our sense of adventure?  Our sense of fun?

Play hooky from your every day routine.  No, don't quit work. Rather quit working the same old way.  What's the point?  An escape from your routine is the chance to create something new in your life.  It is the opportunity to realize that things don't always have to be the same.  You have the power to create the joy in your day.  You have the power to create the life you want - every day.

Take Time to Reflect
In our go-go world of busy days and nights, the hours seem to fly by.  And when your routine is thrown out of whack you become even busier trying to catch up to your schedule.  Stop stressing yourself out.  Let go of that tight grip you have on your schedule.  Take the opportunity instead to be flexible and to learn something new about yourself.  It is at times like this, when everything seems to be going wrong, when we need our strength and resiliency the most.

Moreover, take a moment to reflect on how well you are using your time.  Are you making the most of it?  For example, while waiting at the doctor's office do you bring a book, make lists, or write notes or letters?  Without counting last minute disruptions in your schedule, are you accomplishing what you want and need to get done on a daily basis?  If not, use time outs to re-evaluate your goals and to improve your time management techniques.

In other words, take advantage of your time outs. Time outs are not a penalty but a reprieve from your daily routine.  Look for the lesson in them and use these deviations from your schedule wisely.  Having a routine is important but so is the ability to be flexible and to be able to adapt to change while keeping a positive attitude.  When life calls a time out use it to not only give yourself some breathing room but to breathe new life into your routine.  In fact, call your own time outs.

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