save yourself
One of my very first posts was entitled “carlotta’s wisdom.” In it, I shared three of the best pieces of advice I’ve ever heard or given. If you have not yet read it (or haven’t read it in a while), I highly recommend doing so.
In response to yesterday’s post, “hitting the wall,” Dibby responded with a comment containing some more wonderful wisdom passed on from her mom and my friend, Carlotta. I just couldn’t pass up sharing it with everyone as a post proper:
“When you are feeling crowded and think your upcoming schedule is too much, chances are that something will get cancelled.”
[My thoughts: Where “chances” don’t take care of it, choices will.]
“Nothing is ever as good or as bad as you think it’s going to be.”
[My thoughts: Expectations are powerful. Both of the truths contained above result in enjoying everything more.]
“If you wait long enough to do something, sometimes the need to do it goes away.”
[My thoughts: While this hails a certain benefit of mindful procrastination, it also supports the finding that 80% of the things we worry about … never happen at all.]
And this post’s namesake:
“Save yourself.”
[My thoughts: If you don’t, you are in no position to help anyone else. As the kindly flight attendants instruct, “Place the mask securely over your own mouth before assisting others.”]
I don’t believe I can add much more. As Dib astutely assessed, “My mother was brilliant!” And that she was, in all senses of the word.
Thank you, Carlotta. Your spirit and wisdom are still very much alive.
She would be so honored…….
I have started a new system that includes writing everything down on index cards, with categories like ‘agendas’, lists’, ‘todo’ and even ‘possible projects’. This includes everything from thoughts I want to share with my team at work during our meetings to my grocery list to that whitepaper I want to write about outcomes and pharmacoeconomics. By doing this, it gives me permission to take it out of my brain so it is not as overwhelming. It also allows me to get more merciless about what I really need to do, what I can delegate, and what is really worth doing, but not now. This is loosely based on “Getting Things Done’ by David Allen.
Glad to know of another person who actually does this and can vouch for its effectiveness!