Finding Time When Someone Else's Crisis Calls!

The Time Finder with Paula Eder

The way you use your time is the way you live your life.

Finding Time When Someone Else’s Crisis Calls!

Posted on October 22, 2008, under Time Management Skills.

Change is a fact of life.
Sometimes it is predictable, and sometimes it comes unexpectedly and you need to “drop everything” in order to deal with it. There’s another category of change that we haven’t discussed yet. That’s the change that is introduced to your life through someone else’s crisis.

Others’ crises can appear in many guises:

The costume that your frantic child forgot to tell you about and needs for a skit TOMORROW!

The big project that your boss procrastinated about and that you suddenly learn is due on Friday!

The dinner guests that your spouse springs on you just 4 hours before dinnertime.

What do you do, when confronted with one of these crises?An important first step is to recognize that the crisis is not yours. It may feel like it’s yours, because of the urgency with which it’s shared … but it isn’t. Seeing this gives you some space to further assess the situation.

Don’t “leap into the fray” until you’ve explored the terrain more thoroughly!In my article titled Finding Time by Clearing Crisis Clutter – 7 Tips to Handle Crisis Junkies and Safeguard Your Time I explore ways to manage crises you’re presented with in the workplace. With some tweaking, many of these suggestions can be used at home, too. The crises that others present can really test (and expand) your skills around time management, boundaries, and communication!

How do you manage when others introduce crises into your life? What’s the hardest part? Do you have some success stories to share?

Click where it says “Please Leave a Comment” below. I’d love to hear from you!

What if you could find another hour every week? You can! For more Time Finding resources, you are invited to sign up for my free, twice-weekly Finding Time Tips. Each Tip is paired with a practical action step that you can use IMMEDIATELY … and as a bonus for signing up, you’ll also receive my free, monthly Award-Winning Finding Time E-zine!

Let’s explore time together …

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