There’s No Emergency #186
One of my colleagues was having a tough time with overcommitment and she felt completely swamped. She was chatting with several of us and asked, “who will I disappoint today?”
What a rough question. No good answer can follow it. It suggests there is no way to honor my commitments, so I accept there’s nothing I can do. It wreaks of resignation.
What can you do when your promises and commitments compound to a point where you feel like you’re drowning in a sea of loss?
Step back, gain perspective – literally and figuratively – and adjust. You’re not failing if you adjust expectations, reprioritize and recommit. Most times, when you communicate your way through the complexities of it all, you’ll find there is flexibility with people and events.
Unless you’re saving lives, there’s no emergency happening. Ask yourself what great would look like, adjust, and remind yourself it can all be done, just not all at once and not all by you.