What to do when your day is off to a rough start
First step? State the facts to yourself.
Your day isn't off to a rough start. Your car battery died. Your baby didn't sleep through the night. Your dog woke you up every 2 hours. You spilled coffee on yourself on your way out the door. Get clear on the facts first. Take a breath.
We want to make all of these things mean that we're having a bad day, we're off to a rough start, and we definitely can't get all of the things done that we said we wanted to get done. None of that is true! That's just what we're making those neutral circumstances mean. Now, I'm not saying you want to be thrilled that you spilled coffee on your outfit, but it's available to you. What if you thought, eh, didn't really love this outfit anyway, what a great excuse to pick out a cuter, more comfortable outfit now. Just imagine how you would you show up to the rest of your day if you could choose that thought instead.
Just play with that idea here. Don't try to force yourself to think positively - that's what mantras are #donotrecommend What CAN help is just letting yourself be curious and open about what you're thinking. If I'm up for it, I get curious and wonder what it would be like to think the opposite thought. Again, not in a forceful, it's bad to feel negative emotion, kind of way. Just curious. It helps me to realize that my thoughts are optional and if I choose differently, I'll have a totally different experience.
The second thing I like to do, is give myself 30 minutes to sulk. Seriously. I set a timer and I let myself go to town. But, when the timer goes off, I'm all done. Usually what happens is about 5 minutes in I start to think it's funny and ridiculous. I can laugh at myself a bit and then I'm ready for step numero three:
The turnaround. I tap into determination and badassery and decide: I'm going to get. shit. done. I can do this. I'm a badass. I can still have a productive day! Let's go, lady.
I then decide, ok, what do I most want to get done today and I will re-write my schedule accordingly. Usually for me, thought downloads are a non-negotiable. If I have a human morning and the train is off the tracks, when I recalibrate, thought download is number one. I don't put anything on my calendar that I don't 100% want to do. Remember, there's nothing you have to do. You don't have to pay rent. You don't have to take care of your kids. You don't have to buy groceries. You don't have to do anything. Sometimes that reminder is enough for me.
I used this yesterday when I "had to call Comcast." No, I didn't have to call Comcast. I was choosing to call them so I could negotiate a lower bill. That was my plan, at least. They won yesterday because the lady made 17 equally terrible offers to which my reply was, "no that's insane'." After a fruitless 10 minute conversation, she transferred me to someone else and after 30 minutes of hold music I decided my time was too valuable for that shit and hung up. I'm still formulating a plan because I'm not about to spend 4 hours on the phone to save $240 in a year. BUT I DIGRESS.
THE POINT IS. We always have a choice. So, decide what it is you most want to do and adjust your calendar to make it happen and kick ass the rest of the day.
To recap:
- State the facts
- Notice the thoughts you're thinking about those facts
- Play around with the opposite thought if you're feeling up for it
- Give yourself time to sulk, set a timer and go to town
- When the timer goes off, or when you feel the shift, decide again. Remind yourself that you're a badass for flipping this day around.
- Ask yourself now, What do I WANT to get done today?
- Arrange your calendar to make it so.
- GO GET IT DONE, LADY! You've got this.
Ready to learn how to implement structure your days and actually follow through with the plan you've created for yourself? Book a call with me today. I help women create the structure they love and help them learn how to follow through, every single day. The result? They get to do more of what they love every single day.
