Category: Coaching

Refresh: Back to the Basics

Published on by Kim

You know the feeling when your plate gets too full? Does the new year look this way? “Just one little thing” adds up. Legitimate priorities need to be handled. Projects are pending.

So what do we do? Panic? Shut down? Keep going until we collapse? No. No. No. It’s time to go back to basics.

  1. Take a deep breath. Panic never makes anything better.
  2. Speak truth to yourself. Now is not the time to forget what is true. We have been called by God to this day. He provides what we need to live as we are called to live today — bringing glory to God in all that we do. He is with His people as we live the life He has given us (Heb. 13:5-6).
  3. Get a handle on your responsibilities. Now look at what you have to do. Knowing ‘what’ is half the battle. An important part of that “knowing” is having it recorded. Trying to remember all the little things are driving you crazy. Pull out your to-do list and capture what is buzzing around in your head.
  4. Now map out a plan. Look at the priorities and put them in order. Cut out what doesn’t need to be included. Look at your available time and block out sections to tackle what you need. Knowing ‘when’ to do  ‘what’ is another huge part of the battle.
  5. Do it. This is the final key. Work the plan. Follow the steps you have laid out. Get it done.

We can do this, in the grace God provides. Stay calm and confident and get it done.

Know What Bugs You

Published on by Kim

A friend left something at my house one day. No big deal — except when she realized it, I had left the house and couldn’t go back for a while. So I had to remember to get the item when I got home and put it right by the kitchen door to take when I saw her the next morning. No big deal, right? Ha! It was pretty much guaranteed that wouldn’t happen without some help.

What irritates you? To what will you pay attention without effort? Know what bugs you and leverage it.

In the instance above, I asked someone nearby to text me a reminder. I then ignored the text. For some, that would not work. For me, it worked like a charm. Those notifications BUG me. The little red badges must be addressed. They are turned off for all but a select few apps, forcing me to pay attention to what I value but allowing space to address everything else at the appropriate time. Because I didn’t “read” the text, the notification stayed on my phone until I could take care of it. Yes, all went back where it belonged because I knew what would bug me.

How might this work for you?

  • Do you need to trip over stuff? Some people walk around anything without noticing it, so putting something in the car to leave the house works better than by the door. Some of us will take care of what is in front of the door before we walk through it or what is on the table when we sit down.
  • Do you listen to input? It may be helpful to have someone verbally remind you. I’ve used children’s memories for last-minute lists in the store. (All that unused real estate…) It needs to be the right person, yes, but asking someone to frequently or specifically ask you a question — or remind you to do something or stop you from feeding a bad habit — can be quite effective.
  • Do you read the sticky note on the door? If you can blissfully ignore the neon square and bold marker writing, don’t waste money on those. But if the note-on-the-door trick catches your eye every time, use them up.
  • Do alarms keep you on track? Set them. They don’t just work to get up in the morning. Your phone can be a great tool. Even kitchen timers are valuable.