Turning the Knobs

Adjustments

No matter how hard we try, there will always be unfinished things on the To Do list.  All too often, I encounter people beating themselves up for not getting every single item on their list completed.  Rather than be pleased for the ones they completed, they focus on the ones they did not complete.  I recall reading an article on a time management concept called the desk-less office.  The executive in the article did not have a desk in their office.  Instead, she had a conference table.  At the beginning of each day, she would review her action item list for what tasks to complete for the day.  The associated files and paperwork were placed on the conference table and off she went working down the list.  At the end of the day, all the files and paperwork were put away as the day was complete and so were the tasks.  The reasoning for putting things away was to keep the stacks of open issues from growing on the table.  She has perfected the art of time management, as she knows how to make adjustments as needed.

We all sometimes have stacks, literally and figuratively, growing on our desk.  Whether it is a stack of invoices at the office or a stack of emotional items to handle, the pile can continue to grow if we do not adjust accordingly.  I have seen people run completely off in the ditch because they did not get everything on their To Do list accomplished.  That much structure in your life can be unhealthy.  I am not suggesting blowing everything off or delaying it as procrastination is also unhealthy.  The key is to be flexible enough to review and prioritize your items and adjust accordingly.  Being a former black and white thinker, I can tell you from experience that learning to adjust is quite freeing.  So what if I do not pay my bills today and move that item to tomorrow or later in the week.  As long as they are not late, what does it matter?  Unless specific tasks and events are time sensitive, will it really matter if you let things move a day? 

If you find yourself playing the catch up game as the norm rather than the exception, you may need an adjustment.  If you find yourself consistently working late to catch up on your list from the day due to distractions and time bandits, you may need an adjustment.  If you feel your quality of life is not where it needs to be, you may need an adjustment.

There will always be unfinished things on your To Do list.  The art of working the list is a fine skill called adjustment.  Do what you can do and adjust the rest.  It comes back to my favorite B word: Balance.

Rodney - Tweaking Knobs and Adjusting Accordingly