Last Week:
My dry cleaner called because I had items to pick up before they were going out of business on Saturday. A nearby university purchased the land... "What?" I said, "Wow, I had no idea. THANK YOU for the call." I intended to pick up on Wed after my Rotary meeting. Wednesday came and went quickly, as I had clients reschedule, and I did not make it to the dry cleaner. I intended to pick up on Fri between appointments. Friday came and went. I realized on Sunday that the neon Post-It Note reminder was no longer visible on my desk and I had utterly forgotten about it, and that I may never see my clothing again. I was quite peeved with myself for totally blowing it!! It didn't help that my husband teased me about it relentlessly all day Sunday (Thanks Honey!). Finally, I put a reminder for Monday 8am in my planner (what I should have done from the start) so I would at least attempt to get my stuff back. Oh, and I hadn't paid yet- so certainly if they were going out of business, they would want their money, right? Hope swelled.
Today:
Before I headed out to the dry cleaner in rush hour traffic, I made coffee as usual, but in a bit of a rush. I filled a travel mug and raced off to rescue my clothing. The heavens smiled upon me (aaaaaaaaaa); they were open and waiting for me. I paid my $13.51, hung the clothes in the back seat, and felt oddly like I just won the lottery!
I headed back to resume work at my desk. I was refilling my cup and noted the coffee was rather light. For a moment, I thought "hmmm, it's not as dark as I like it. Oh well." But wait!! I realized in a flash that I had total control over this. I poured the rest out, and re-made a pot properly, then enjoyed the rich coffee in my mug. Much better.
Silly stuff? Yes! But illustrative of how every one of us can just go along with what's easy, what's right in front of us, what doesn't require thought or effort. OR- we can think a second and decide to live to the fullest, and not accept something that doesn't meet our expectations.
This morning's no-brainer tips from one busy professional to another to take charge of your life:
1. It's best not to rely on memory or sticky notes when you already have a brilliant digital calendar in your smart phone that reminds you to do stuff.
2. When it seems you've utterly blown an opportunity, consider why it occurred and what can be learned. Think rationally instead of beating yourself up. Laughing about it helps too.
3. Never say "Oh well, I guess I messed up" without at least considering what can be done...you probably have nothing to lose at that point. Take charge in that moment: "What can I do about this right now?"
TRY IT NOW:
*Schedule something that you relegated to "memory" or "intention" (such as your workouts or calling someone important to you).
*Look for an opportunity this week to raise the bar- decide in a moment to do it better, even if it means a do-over.
Yours in success,
Heather A Legge