Planning for the Unexpected
One of my friends subscribes to "Today’s Gift," a daily email from the Hazelden Foundation, which she occasionally forwards to me. She sent me one earlier this week that had a valuable time management tip which I’m going to share with you today.
Recovery works best for me when I’m open to what comes along each day. I used to set rigid schedules for myself, write long lists of things to do, and proceed through the day wearing the blinders of my preconceived scenario. Binges were my way of rebelling against my own rigidity and also a protest against whatever upset my carefully made plans.
We miss a lot when we try to impose our own structure on the events of the day. Perhaps we do it out of anxiety, and perhaps we do it to feel we’re in control, but it doesn’t work.
However hard we try to ignore or prevent the unexpected, the unexpected occurs. One of the things recovery teaches us is that we can trust ourselves and our Higher Power to deal with whatever comes along. Using our inner resources, we are free to respond spontaneously to the real life situations that we encounter.
Today, I will be open to the unexpected. Who knows? It might be fun!
(from the book "Inner Harvest" by Elisabeth L. - bolding added by me)
This advice was written for individuals recovering from eating disorders, but I think most of us can benefit from it. How often have you missed out on a fun activity, or even a work opportunity, because you already had decided what you were going to do during that time frame?
There are clear benefits to having a plan and a schedule, but it’s important that you let it guide your day, not dictate it, and that you are careful not to plan every minute of the day. You need to keep some time open to allow for interruptions, tasks that take longer than expected, possible technical problems, and other circumstances outside your control - not to mention breaks, as well as time to prepare for and get to meetings and outside appointments.
Is there room in your day for the unexpected?
