Bad things happen to all of us from time to time, but the world keeps turning, our bosses expect us to continue our work and our appointments and obligations don’t go away. So how do you find time to cope without letting everyone down? Simple: cut yourself some slack, trim your to-do list to the essentials, and give yourself time to reboot.
Over at the blog The 99 Percent, Bernie Michalik has a number of steps to help you get through tough times without giving up your productivity in the process, all of which are great to keep from crashing and burning, but the steps that really resonated with us are to first, cut yourself some slack and understand that the normal rules don’t apply after something tragic has happened. The next big step is to give yourself the gift of a trimmed down to-do list that’s pared down to the absolute essentials.
Ultimately, the key to getting through a crisis with your productivity and motivation intact is to do what it takes to not be overwhelmed by all of the things you have to do in normal times. Giving yourself the emotional leeway and working with the people who have expectations of you to scale back a bit for a while are key to making sure you have the time to take care of yourself without falling into the trap of doing nothing entirely. Keeping just the essentials on your plate will keep you moving while you recover.
That’s not to say there are some times when you just need a break to recharge — I’ve had some life changes recently that have made it difficult to stay productive, but finding flexibility in your to-do list helps. What about you? When tragedy strikes, how do you cope and stay engaged without hiding from the world? Share your tips in the comments.
When Bad Things Happen to Productive People [The 99 Percent]
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