“Ask yourself this question: ‘Will this matter a year from now?’ –Richard Carlson, American Psychotherapist, and writer. Author of Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff.
Mel finished a Cryptid of the Month today. I thought we were going to post it on the blog, but she had a different idea. That’s okay, I can adapt. If there’s one thing I’ve learned how to do when life, or simply the day, throws a curve ball, it is how to adapt to my surroundings to maximize the moment.
“It isn’t the mountain ahead that wears you out. It’s the grain of sand in your shoe.” –Robert W. Service, British-Canadian poet.
Here are five tips I use to adapt to the small frustrations in life:
- Most important, I try not to whine; although, I’m very good at it. Whining only puts off the inevitable and attaches a negativity to task at hand.
- Plan the work and work the plan. When an uninvited change breaks into my day, it can throw me for a loop. I can get easily overwhelmed. In fact, there are some days, I get overwhelmed unloading the dishwasher. When this happens, I try to handle big and small tasks the same way. Start with a plan. That may be a list for large tasks like cleaning the garage (nothing satisfies me more than checking of a to do list). For small tasks like cleaning the bathroom, emptying the dishwasher, or cleaning a junk drawer, I start in one corner and tackle one item at a time. If I try to do the whole drawer at once, my brain shuts down and I feel the frustration until the job is complete.
- Don’t procrastinate. I try not to put off the inevitable because it only ruins the rest of my day as I sludge along anticipating what I need to do.
- Focus on the pros versus the cons. Surviving a negative change is all about attitude. When the toilet overflows in the middle of a good scene I’m writing, I want to whine and throw things. I’m losing valuable writing time (not sure why I chose this scenario. I promise I haven’t overflowed the toilet in a long time). Anyway, when it happens, I try to focus on the benefits of a newly mopped floor or capitalize on the opportunity to brainstorm a scene or sentence that needs fixed. After all, the more mundane the task, the more free the muse is to flow.
- Don’t make excuses. This probably should be number one. If your boss gives you a new task, don’t let frustration be the excuse for not adapting. Coach yourself into accepting what needs to be done. Will the task your boss gave you be good for all? If so, admit it. Mel’s idea for holding off on posting the Cryptid of the Month is a good idea. I can accept that and write the blog I’ve committed to posting on Wednesdays.
Now, that I’ve completed the blog, I can dive back into the short story I’m writing. This is a break/reward from the non-fiction book project since I hit my goal.
For what events have you had to adapt?
Any special secrets that help you cope with the small annoyances of life?
Thank you for reading. Hope you have a great rest of the day!