Someone probably made a lot of money putting “Shit happens” on a bumper sticker, even long before the slang phrase was featured in Forrest Gump. It is a well-known phrase because a) everyone can relate to it and b) it’s true. Bad things happen all the time and often for no apparent reason. Not every day is full of rainbows, sunshine, new clients, promotions, and revenue increases. Some days are loaded with computers breaking down, cell phones falling in toilets, children getting sick, and client meltdowns. Life happens. Sh!t happens! Are you able to stay on track toward your goals when it does? Or are you thrown off course and it takes several hours or even days to get back to the level of focus and momentum you were at prior to the unsolicited event that led you astray?
Most people are also familiar with the adage, “Anything that can go wrong will,” because they’ve experienced times in their lives when nothing seemed to go right. That paraphrase of Murphy’s law speaks to the fact that life is full of unwelcome surprises that people struggle through and live to tell about. Too many otherwise productive entrepreneurs don’t just invite Murphy in for coffee when he comes knocking; they invite him to shack up in their spare bedroom for a week. If an unexpected event occurs that threatens your productivity and all the tasks you had planned for your day, don’t allow yourself to become stressed out and frustrated to the point you lose sight of your goals for the day. Don’t allow one screwed up hour to become a screwed up day. Fight to get back on track as soon as possible so your whole day, or even your whole week, is not ruined. Here’s how:
How To Kick Murphy Out
1.Stay calm. As they say, This too shall pass. When you’re in the thick of a mess, whether it’s losing your wallet, getting in a car accident, or failing to close a deal, it’s hard to see the rainbow just beyond the storm. You feel down and out and tend to make everything seem more complicated. Choose mind over matter and handle whatever obstacle falls into your path knowing it’s just a temporary setback. Then return to your work.
2.After handling an unexpected surprise, a few minutes, an hour, or even several hours may have been lost. That doesn’t mean you have to throw in the towel and give up on your whole day! Clear your head of whatever drama just unfolded then re-evaluate where you are. What had you been doing before XYZ happened? Could you still complete that task? Is it even a priority anymore? Re-examine your to-do list and identify which tasks are still priorities. You’ll find their order of importance may have changed. You might also find you can’t complete one of your tasks anymore because you lack the resources. It’s hard to print handouts for a presentation if your printer broke down moments before. You may need to add new tasks to your list as well, such as Errand: Buy Printer At Best Buy. The key to being productive after such an occurrence is to acknowledge an unfortunate event happened, assess the damage, then redesign your plan of attack.
3.Focus on accomplishing one activity at a time in order of priority for the duration of the day. Again, ONE activity at a time. The temptation to multitask will increase when you realize how much you still want to get done. Don’t! Multitasking is unproductive. Remember, shit happened that was out of your control and it stole your time. You may not get everything done but that’s okay. Even if you only have an hour left in your day after having coffee with Murphy, as long as you work toward accomplishing your top priority, the entire day is not wasted. Keep plugging away at your tasks in order of priority with utmost effort and efficiency. Even more so now, every minute counts.
4.Stay positive and focused. That may be hard to do when your whole world might have seemingly crashed along with your computer, but you are breathing and you are alive. No matter what obstacle jumped in your path, you’re fully capable of shimmying around it, crawling under it, gliding over it, or plowing through it. You’re an entrepreneur after all. You didn’t take the easy road to begin with. You chose the obstacle ridden road less traveled because it’s the most rewarding path, not the safest. Tomorrow is a new day to start fresh. Take your negativity out with the trash and start fresh with renewed focus and determination.
Every time an unexpected event occurs and throws you off course, it’s likely not the productivity gods testing your ability to stay on track. It’s just life happening. And undesirable life events are inevitable. It’s what you do after you fall in a muddy puddle that matters. You can sit there and sulk, cold, wet, and dirty, or you can jump out, shake it off, change your clothes, and get on with your day. Don’t let Murphy become a long-term house guest. Have a plan for the unexpected so next time he comes knocking, you can show him the door right after coffee and get on with your pursuit of success.
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