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It seems as I am getting older, there are more and more demands on my time. Keeping an organized schedule is essential to making sure commitments are honored and I show up at the right time and place for myself and the folks who are counting on me. Staying on track with personal and professional goals, projects around the house, day-to-day errands, things I’d like to be doing, etc. Perhaps you can relate?

Over the past few months, I’ve had moments of of sheer excitement and energy stemming from these activities. And I’ve had a few moments of feeling scattered and stressed from my perceived weight of it all. The key here is my perception of my schedule and how I derive energy or stress from it.

The list is perpetual. It’s evolving. It’s like a living, breathing organism that expands and contracts, grows by leaps and bounds, and then contracts down to virtually nothing…until it starts all over. Then again, it’s just a list. The point, it’s not the list that matters, not even the contents of the list. It’s how we perceive the list that causes stress and at the same time offers incredible freedom. What I have found is an amazingly simple way of thinking about things that all ties back to imagination and perspective.

Here’s how it works. Imagine your to-do list and picture the issues and activities that need to get done today. Some of them are must-do, anchors in our day or week. Meetings, appointments, pick up the kids, etc. Are they really anchors, do we absolutely, positively need to be there today? In many cases, yes, we don’t want to leave the kids waiting at the bus stop. But often times we may add undo stress to our lives by insisting it has to be done today or right now. Perhaps there’s some flexibility. Have you asked? Don’t assume what we perceive to be as urgent, may in fact not be quite as urgent in someone else’s mind. Another example would be going to the store for groceries or household stuff. Is everything on that list a “must-have” item? Or do you have everything you need right now at home, to make dinner or get the job done.

Sometimes we get so focused on one way of looking at things, our intensity and sense of urgency prevents us from seeing any alternative. When you relax and take a step back, your imagination begins to flow, feeding you with alternatives and options that were there all along. Most of the time, you have everything you need, right now, at your disposal, to be satisfied. This applies across the board from tangibles like food and money, to less tangibles like love and satisfaction. Help your spouse or partner with this too – it makes the process easier for everyone, especially if you both agree on what is a priority and what is not.

And finally, when you are busy taking care of the must-do activities on your list, focus on the one activity you are involved in at that moment. When you’re in a meeting, be there with that person or group. You may never see them again, ever. When you’re driving, enjoy the drive. Be amazed at the technology that allows you to get around by simply pushing a few buttons and pedals. When you’re in the shower, enjoy the warmth, the steam, and appreciate actually having a shower and hot water and a place to call home. When you are picking up your kids, imagine the joy and and sense of wonder and how they make everything else seem rather, insignificant. Get the picture?

Use that head of yours to create positive images of anything and everything. Relax and slow down with your lists and self-imposed pressures. Most of it can wait or be done more efficiently. When you relax, even for a moment, your imagination will flow. It’s all a matter of perspective…your perspective.

Be Free!

Ken Budka
Training Coordinator

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