Working to get more organized.

This week I had multiple conversations with my coaching clients about organizing and scheduling their work and life. It is a common problem that plagues everyone, including me. We want to be more organized and efficient with our time, but somehow our thoughts, life challenges, and procrastination often get in our way. 

Most of us struggle with organizing because we have so many thoughts. The human brain is a busy place, and studies say that the average person has over 70,000 thoughts per day. With all those thoughts, many of them negative stories that we tell ourselves, we are distracted by the sheer volume of things on our minds. Until we learn to sort through our thoughts to separate them into "true and useful" or "untrue and distracting," we will struggle to organize our days.

Start by focusing on your priorities and understanding how you work best. If you become overwhelmed by complex tasks or are quickly bored when unchallenged, you must design your schedule to keep you in your best frame of mind to stay productive. Make lists of things that you want to accomplish, and notice when your thoughts tell you something negative or distracting about your list. Work within your strengths, not against yourself. 

Be sure to use a planner or calendar that works for you. I like an old-school paper calendar where I can see the entire month laid out before me when scheduling my week. For my daily schedule, I use a bullet journal to prioritize and plan each day. Some people use whiteboards, index cards, post-it notes, color coding, or planning apps. The system is not important as long as it works well for you. Try several different strategies until you find one that feels helpful.

Stuff happens to us, humans. Keep in mind that when you feel most organized, something will happen to pull you off task. You cannot keep life at bay; you will experience car trouble, pet vomit, family illness, and work troubles. The way to stay organized while working on your life is to plan for disruption. I try to schedule "catch-up" time in my calendar to allow for "stuff" to happen. If I need to edit a podcast, I will schedule it for one hour Monday morning. If something happens during that Monday hour, I have another hour planned in the afternoon to edit. If I get it done in the morning, I have a free hour in the afternoon to rest or do something else on my list. 

Here are some other ideas to help you become more organized and get things done.

1. Delegate what you can to help simplify your life. If you can get someone to clean your house once a week, do so.
2. Schedule email and social media time to keep it limited.
3. Reduce the clutter on your desk or workspace. Throw some stuff out!
4. Choose one or two daily priority tasks - do not overestimate what you can do.
5. Give yourself time limits to get each job done. I like to set my timer on my phone to keep me focused. 
6. Schedule breaks, family time, and self-care into your day. 
7. Get someone to help you work through your mind clutter and sort it all out.

We all struggle with organization, so remember that you are not alone. We all have days when nothing seems to get done. Remember that it is all ok, and you can start to organize your day again tomorrow. Cut yourself some slack because part of the problem is you believing your brain's negative thoughts that tell you how organized you should be. 

Look forward and not back as you work to organize your life.

Dr. Julie Cappel

"Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can." - Arthur Ashe.

"It takes as much energy to wish as it does to plan." - Eleanor Roosevelt.

Love and Football

Today is Valentine's Day, and this past Sunday was Super Bowl Sunday.  

I started writing this blog on Sunday to get it posted, but I stalled. I stalled physically and mentally. Stalling sometimes happens when we feel overwhelmed or distracted with life or just forget to concentrate on our goals. In the interest of becoming un-stalled, I am finishing this writing today. 

I decided to combine my thoughts from Sunday with my thoughts today, Valentine's Day. I finish this blog by concentrating on one thing we can learn from each of these "holidays." 

Persistence. 

When we are faced with something big, a big ambition, vision, or goal, we are expected to face obstacles that may test us in our pursuit. Stalling is common, and quitting is easier. To succeed, we must push toward that goal with patience and perseverance.

Persistence is "the obstinate continuance in the course of action despite difficulty or opposition."

Football players who make it to the Super Bowl exhibit a level of persistence. The Super Bowl is the single most significant event in the history of a football player's life. They start as young children in the game, play high school and college ball, and a select few make it to the NFL. Even fewer make it to the Super Bowl. As I watched the pregame show before the Super Bowl, they did story after story of great athletes competing at the highest level and told of their struggles before reaching the pinnacle of their chosen sport. The athletes have experienced many opportunities to give up and stop pursuing their dream, and they dealt with many failures along the way. They are the select few that faced challenges and decided to keep working anyway. They are one of our most remarkable examples of persistence.

Much like it is with love. (Bear with me here, this may be a stretch.) Love of our spouse, family, veterinary team, and even the profession as a whole. Love does not come easy. People are people, and to love them, you must work to cultivate that love. You have to persist with choosing to love despite the challenges people bring. You can also choose to continue to love your team and profession with a little focus on your original passion for veterinary medicine. 

How do we develop persistence in ourselves?

Be sure your pursuit is in your area of passion and interest. To push through when things are tough, you have to have a passion for the things that you are pursuing to stick it out. You must have a reason for doing what you love and loving those you choose to be spend your time with. Find that reason, and everything will feel more manageable.

Get some support. No one can do anything alone. That is true in love or football. It takes someone to throw a ball and someone to catch one. In the love of another human, it takes two. So when you want to give up, get someone to help you garner the fortitude to persist. You may choose a therapist, coach, family member, or friend. Reach out and ask them to help push you to your end goal. 

When you feel stalled, ask yourself, "Do I need a break, or do I need to quit?" Most of the time you will want to quit, but there is always a way to start again with a goal you are deeply invested in. Rest may be needed, and a break may be in order, but do not quit. Like anything else that is valuable, your goals are worth the wait.

When you commit to any goal, be prepared to stall and fail. If your goal is grand enough, focus on persistence to bring it to life.  

Dr. Julie Cappel

"Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not: nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not: the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent." - Calvin Coolidge.