Preparing for your day: When you think about your day, have an idea what your top priorities are going to be. Planning for what absolutely has to happen that day first can help you feel better about fitting other things into that day. If you have an appointment at 2pm that cannot be missed or rescheduled, then plan your day around that. If you know the kids get home every day at 3pm, plan what can wait until after they get home and organize what has to be done before they get home. Doing that planning the night before, might even help you to fall asleep easier, as you have eliminated most of the "unknowns" for the following day. Your mind may be eased, simply by doing a little planning.
Preparing for a major event: You are moving. You are in charge of a major event at your company. You are planning a wedding with your child. Defining the major outline of projects or areas to be addressed first, then the details that support those areas will help to eliminate the larger unknowns first. For example, you have a major project due at the end of the month; first, define the major parts of the project, the support services you need to accomplish those parts and the timeline for completing each task. Create a checklist of what you need and mark off what you already have and what you have yet to acquire. Be sure to set aside time to review your progress on a weekly or even daily basis if you need to in order to stay on track. As you get closer to the due date, be sure all the major pieces are falling into place. Do you have to alter your plan at all due to new knowledge of any kind? Do it with plenty of time to spare. If time gets tight, make a decision regarding any possible pieces that could be eliminated or provided in a different, less stressful way. As the event draws near, give yourself credit for what you have accomplished. Have you truly given 110%? Remind yourself of the things you can control and the things you cannot control. No sense in being frustrated if the weather or other conditions that are out of your control cause things to change. Do your best to alter what you can. When the event is over, take that well-deserved sigh of relief and take time to rejuvenate for the next big challenge.
Preparing for the unexpected: Do you have a plan "B" in case you need to use it? Have a backup plan ready just in case something goes wrong with plan "A". Look at some of the factors that have a high possibility of changing and have tactics ready to put them into place should you need them. This procedure can reduce your stress significantly. Enlist the contribution of others to help anticipate any of those possible factors as well. Who do you know who has planned this type of situation or done this type of project before? Consult with them.
Stay tuned for next month's continuation of this topic. As always, thank you for looking at this topic
Stay well.
