What do you do when your to do list is getting longer and many of the items seem like top priority? And then to top it off, your organization or customer changes the deadline?
If only things could get done as quickly as sending out a 140 character tweet.
The challenge is that so many things take more time than you think while priorities seem to collide. I hear things like:
Are you often shifting priorities?
“I had it all planned out and then the deadline changed.”
“If I go and visit my ailing grandfather then I won’t get to spend my precious Sunday with my kids and husband.”
“If I take the time to research _____ properly, then I won’t be able to get dinner made tonight (and it was my turn).”
Here are some TIPS to deal with shifting priorities and change.
- Be willing to readjust your expectations. If you keep your expectations fixed on what should be done, then it’s hard to shift being frustrated and frazzled.
- Find the silver lining in the changing priorities. You may learn something really helpful and unexpected.
- Build flexibility into your schedule. Stop scheduling everything so tightly that you don’t have a minute to spare.
- Find the fitting environment for you. If you don’t work well under chaos then get things done ahead of time, or acknowledge that this environment isn’t right for you. If you thrive in hectic and frazzled workplaces, then it helps to make peace with what you can and can’t control.
- Find a support person with whom you can express your inevitable frustration. After all you are human, and a high percentage of us are simply not fans of change.
Life is filled with change and we can choose to embrace it or not. Finding ways to adapt and be agile will go a long way to reduce stress.
Leave your thoughts below.