Urgency

Are you often in a state of urgency? This week's video helps you respond to urgent requests without losing your sanity.

What do you do when the question or the problem requires an immediate response? I'm in Florida, but let's talk about the state of urgency.

It's relaxing and tranquil here, yet life can be hectic. Urgencies demand your attention, yet they don't always elevate your life. Like playing "whack a mole," it can be satisfying to clobber what pops up. But does it serve you in the long run? When you're under pressure to decide or you’ve just been handed a ticking project, what's your response? Well, here are five suggestions.

1. Stop the clock. Reject the invitation to urgency. Now, this doesn't necessarily mean you reject the ask, just the obligation to freak out about it. Instead of racing your brain, relax, relieve the pressure, and simply evaluate what's happening. Just because it's someone else's emergency, doesn't mean it has to be yours.

2. Decide. Is this important to you? Is it your obligation? Can you accomplish what's been asked? And will it improve your life or take you closer to your goal?

3. Clarify. If you accept the urgency, gain clarity about exactly what is expected.

4. Prioritize. It's almost impossible to respond urgently and handle everything perfectly. Decide what's most important and accept that you'll need to flex elsewhere.

5. Process. See every urgency as a chance to learn and prepare for the next such occasion.

If everything in your life is a brand new emergency, you'll just continue to create more urgencies. When surfing those waves of chaos, sometimes you just need to let one go by, and watch. When you can recognize the repetitive nature of uncertainty, you can better anticipate, prepare and handle what's coming next. Until next week, stay Off Balance On Purpose.