Life hack: push through upset

You had a great plan for the day ahead. You even went to bed early so you could wake up with a little more energy to put to your project du jour, but something happened. Somewhere in the night, upset struck your unconscious, or perhaps you got an early- morning phone call or nudge, and a problem you had not anticipated occurred. So much for your best-laid plans.
When the unexpected happens, we usually get a little anxious; sometimes we totally freak out. Again, this is pretty human stuff, but the problem is that whenever most people get derailed, their confidence is shaken, and they can change direction (or just get lost) and have difficulty getting back on track.
Here’s an alternate way to keep your focus and move forward in the process: Instead of putting your project aside to deal with the problem that’s trying to get your attention, take the time to do what you were going to do in the first place. By not allowing yourself to be thrown off course, you are keeping control. If you can sit down and complete your goal, despite your current circumstances, you will build your self-confidence and won’t lose any ground.
Being able to focus, even though you are stressed, and get the job done gives you the knowledge that, no matter what happens, you can avoid internal musings and excuses. Doing what needs to be done, regardless of temporary setbacks, will make you proud of yourself. It also produces a secondary positive outcome, which is a greater ability to focus on the problem that caused the upset, because you won’t be thinking of what you haven’t gotten done.
You will also gain more clarity, and maybe even some additional ideas of how to deal with your dilemma while finishing the work you had planned to do. Any time you can use your unconscious to help you create some problem-solving skills, do it. We have all experienced getting better ideas once our minds are actually off a problem we are trying to solve.
In addition, you may be able to channel your nervous energy into something much better. Just being frenetic and ignoring what you had planned to do doesn’t help you or anyone else. But if those around you see that, even though the world is going to hell in a handbasket, you can still get the job done, then everyone involved feels more confident about you.
Sometimes putting out fires can be a way of avoiding what you really need to be doing. So make sure the emergency is real and you truly are needed before you put your priorities on the shelf. The truth is that you do have the ability to get your homework done and save the world.

Keep up the good work!

When you are going through hell—keep going.—Winston Churchill