Productivity Amid Chaos
The book The Bell Jar, written by – Sylvia Platch, is about a beautiful, talented woman slowly sinking into insanity.
“I felt very still and empty, the way the eye of a tornado must feel, moving dully along in the middle of the surrounding hullabaloo.“
The quote above may seem like a strange quote, but it resonated with me as I struggle to grasp the swirling chaos of the world around me.
So many events are out of my control. People are dying, many unjustly. Businesses are struggling due to COVID-19. Some are being looted and destroyed.
How do we move forward? I feel paralyzed. I have so few answers and so many questions. Much seems uncertain right now.
Today, let’s focus on being productive even when chaos is all around us.
Here are three thoughts to provoke you,
two ideas to inspire you,
and one item to act on!
Three Thoughts to Provoke
Number One. Pledge. Pledge action. Don’t stay stuck. Pledge to move forward. Even if it is just one baby step a day.
“Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.” – Robert Collier
We are stressed and overwhelmed. Pause, take a step back. Acknowledge your emotional exhaustion. Assess your workload. Do you know what will move your business forward? Those are the tasks that need your focus.
Number Two. Plan. You know the tasks that need your focus. Now you build a strategy. It is easy to become immobilized in the swirling chaos of the political and economic storm. You have pledged to act, but how do you move forward?
You are probably wearing multiple hats. Those hats may include:
- Running your home
- Taking care of children, parents, or even extended family
- Operating your business or non-profit
- Volunteer or charitable work
Look at the hats you wear. What is the task you need to do to move forward?
I have a free planner that you can download today. Visit olindaservices.news/plan to download your copy today.
Number Three. Produce. The best way to get you psyched about the work you are doing, personal or professional, is to see forward progress. That means you have to build on that pledge, plan, and then produce.
If you pledge to write your newsletter for the week, plan what day of the week you will do it, decide when to upload the content, and then get to work writing.
Two Things to Inspire
Number One. Zig Ziglar says,
“You were born to win, but to be a winner, you must plan to win, prepare to win, and expect to win.”
Are you expecting to win during this chaotic time? Set your intentions now.
Number Two.
“Even if things look very precise and very organized, chaos is always there. But I like the moment of chaos to be at the beginning. I cannot deal with the chaos at the end.” – Italo Zucchelli
Don’t look at others and assume they have everything all perfect and organized. We all have chaos. Choose what you will do with the disorder.
Your Action Item
Stop everything you are doing. Quiet the noise around you. Take 15 minutes to pause, think of something that will move you forward, draw you out of your funk, and energize you.
You’ve got this. Act!
Do you have any comments or questions? Please leave comments below.
Additional Resources
Subscribe to my Chaos Busters 3-2-1 Action Podcast today and receive notifications when new episodes are available.