The Best Laid Plans
6:59 AM |
| Willis doing her gargoyle impression in the dark of night |
Because even the best laid plans go awry and my carefully planned week did just that with a phone call early Monday morning from my dad. He needed my help with several pressing issues and just like that, all my plans went out the window.
It took 9 phone calls and a visit to my parents' home on Monday.
Oddly, this article came up in one of my feeds on Monday afternoon. It talks about only scheduling yourself to 80% capacity so you have room for the unexpected and for creative, unscheduled pursuits. Who doesn't have the unexpected coming up in their lives on occasion and who doesn't want time to pursue those unexpected glimpses of creativity?
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| Joey on the "traveling tree skirt" back during the holidays |
Since I know this isn't going to be the last time I'll get a call that will take my day (or week) in an unexpected direction, I'm going to try leaving room for the unexpected so that I don't panic when I see my plans going off the rail and to give me more of a chance to pursue my muse when she dances off in a completed new direction.
Another article that Kathy from Catching Happiness shared with me is about learning to stop doubting ourselves, giving in/up and looking for quick-fix solutions. It resonated with me as I recognized myself and this is an article I'll need to revisit more than once as the year and my plans go in directions I never anticipated.
One of the things that helped me get back into the swing of my week was having clearly defined goals for the week. I may or may not get everything done. I'll make note of the things that came up that kept me from meeting my goals, but the week won't be a total waste because I was able to get back on track fairly easily. Without a written plan that said go here, do this, I'm pretty sure that wouldn't have been the case.
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| Moby lounging in the shipping supply box |
So what does this have to do with cute cat photos? I have a log of posts to develop for the blog, but my research time is one of the things that went out the window on Monday after the phone call came.
I could have stayed up on Monday night trying to do the research. I could have posted the article in its half-baked state. I could have not posted at all. Or I could choose to give you a glimpse into the a life that's doesn't always go as planned...kinda like yours...and not stress over the article I had originally planned to post.
Someone had commented back during the holidays they'd like to see my other cats and here they are. Willis likes to hang out on top of the file cabinet in our office and to me, she looks like she's one with the shadows.
Joey's hanging out on the "traveling tree skirt" in our living room back during the holidays. We never knew where the skirt would be when we awoke each morning. (Well, we knew it wouldn't be beneath the tree.) The cats, mostly Moby, decided it was too much fun to leave it beneath the tree.
The last photo is of Moby hanging out in a box where we keep bubble wrap and air bags for things we need to ship out. Maybe she thinks she's going somewhere?
What about you? What do you do when your plans go off the rails? I hope you'll share your methods for salvaging your day or week as it may be a great help to the rest of us still looking for ways to cope.
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4 Creative Thought(s)
I just go with the flow. No need to stress out. I figure people will understand. If they don't I still don't worry about it. Your cats are so cute. I am sure they bring much joy to your life.
ReplyDeleteWhat a truly excellent post you managed to produce during your off-the-rails time. Not only is it useful to me, it has pictures of cute kitties. A great way to start a rainy Friday.
ReplyDeleteBeing semi-retired (I'm a homemaker so just because my husband retired doesn't mean I ever get to really) I don't have to meet many deadlines. I dread them. Always have. I've been putting off scheduling a dental appointment because then I'll have a deadline! When most things derail I don't worry much. I only stress if it includes my husband because HE derails and I don't want to deal with him when the derailment really means nothing when you don't have a schedule.
ReplyDeleteI like the 80% idea. I do think I did that over the holidays. I set up a schedule of things that needed baking and doing and then I sat down and tried to get them done. It helped a lot to have a plan even if I didn't stick with it totally. At least I could see I was marking some items off!
The kitties are cute. I always love to see animal pics. Great save using them!
Dear Laure - I so understand about plans going awry. I think you recovered the blog post quite well with these lovely kitty photos. I am so glad you did. They certainly made me smile. Hope things go better next week. Hugs!
ReplyDeleteLet's talk!