what to do when everything is going wrong

World in a spin. White washing came out pink. Missed the bus. Deadlines moved earlier. Deliveries late. Phone hasn’t stopped. Inbox full to bursting. Headache and neck tension creeping up on you.

STOP!!

When everything is going wrong.

STOP!!

Sit on your hands. Close your eyes. Count to 10 slowly in time with your breathing.
Now run down my checklist to get back on track.

1. Things will change

Regardless of how hopeless, complex or blocked the situation looks, I’m confident something will shift. Large or small. Things will change.

2. Reality check

You might not want to hear this, but…..Not everything is going wrong. Some stuff is ticking along quite nicely. It might not be going great or amazing, but it’s a ticking.

3. Get it on paper

Write down everything that’s on your mind – use different spaces or sheets to denote different areas of your life. For example, are you tripping up on a presentation deck because your mind is elsewhere thinking about finding time to get a hostess gift for that big dinner party.

4. Colour code

Grab your markers, highlighters or pencil crayons. Create a system to identify what’s urgent, what’s gonna cost you money, what’s dependent on others, what is needed by others and so on.

5. Point of control

Time to prioritise, list out what you can take control of the next steps. List out what you need help with – either as an extra pair of hands or some input or knowledge to guide you. List out what is out of your influence and control then work out who you need to pass these to.

6. Break it down

For each item, chunk them up and make each step a bite sized morsel. Set yourself a mini schedule and get going.

Still tough going? Repeat after me.

I’ve overcome bad times before.

Good will come out of this experience. 

I can handle this.

Now go rock it and set the world back on it’s feet.

What’s your way of coping in the manic times? Tell us in the comments.