I wasn't going to write a blog post this week. Well, that's not entirely true. I was going to post a very short one in about choosing to say "no" to writing a blog post this week. It's been a very full week, filled with expected and unexpected things (including a relative finding out he needs bypass surgery next week.)

But something happened today that in a very practical way, was helpful in my own time management challenges, so I want to share it.

I've been on a quest to reach a certain goal at our YMCA for a holiday initiative they've been doing. So, I planned to go to Zumba this morning after getting a little work done at home first. My computer did not cooperate, and I lost most of my Outlook files. I've been able to restore them, but the process carried close to the time I would have to leave to get to class. I was torn between leaving this "open clutter" and being gone for two hours, or staying home. So I did what I often do. I called my husband.

Keith is good at talking me down from the tree when I feel backed into a corner. (Mixing metaphors?) With the right thoughts and questions, he helped me step back to evaluate priorities and in the process, another option came to mind. The solution? I passed on the morning class, am working through the day leisurely but steadily, and plan to attend a class at 5:30 instead. The bonus of that is I have somewhere to be at 7:15, and the Y is halfway there. So, I'll also be saving time and gas since I'll be doing two stops in one trip rather than going out two separate times today. I'll stick with my goal, hopefully get things done at home, and not go crazy.

So, today's strategy is simply a reminder that when you are feeling overwhelmed, take a breath and a step back so you can see the bigger picture of the day. Are there tasks you can drop today? Could you rearrange your schedule a bit to fit things in more smoothly? Are you pressing for a goal that isn't worth the stress you are putting yourself under to achieve it and thus you should step down, or away from it?

Effectively stepping forward, or stepping up, sometimes requires stepping back, or stepping down. Print This