Sometimes life throws us a curveball almost as if the Universe were screaming “PLOT TWIST” with our lives. This can be exciting such as that amazing opportunity to travel the world and getting paid to blog the experience. Then there are those curveballs which have more bite, such as an unfortunate illness or death in the family.
These curveballs are often the prequel to whatever breakthrough you’re about to experience. Unfortunately they’re also disguised as breakdowns and often times they will turn your world upside down and sideways.
When this happens we have a choice – cower in a fetal position binging on ice cream and leading the woe is me pity party (by the way, these pity parties are often part of the process and totally necessary), or stand up, say f**k it and keep pushing towards your vision.
The best way to know if you’re following your bliss or aligned with your purpose is to see how you respond during these life defining experiences. How badly do you want to do what you do? Over the course of life we’ll be tested on this question so it’s a good idea to have it answered.
Once you decide that come hell or high water, you’re not giving up on your big picture vision, then the real work begins.
VISION vs EXECUTION
You can have a big picture vision to be an A list celebrity. Your execution is what will change as life throws curveballs your way. One way to stay focused is to have kickass time management skills. I’m not talking about using Hootsuite to schedule your social media. I’m talking about having a game plan in place for your life as well, so that when the zombie apocalypse equivalent strikes your brand + biz, you’ll be prepared.
Optimize your energy
When do you work best? AM? PM? Are you great at tasks in the wee hours of the morning or creative projects at night? Knowing how you work is key to creating a schedule that allows you to perform your best work when you’re at your best. We all have different rhythms and rather than change your stripes, play up to your strengths.
Batch your mindless tasks
Whatever drains you needs to drain you once a month, not daily. If you hate marketing, then spend one day a month to batch your marketing efforts and pre-schedule what you can. If you hate doing laundry then batch your laundry so you’re not spending weekly visits at the dreaded stop and wash.
Organize your chaos
When life hands you lemons, put them in a bowl. Take advantage of apps such as Evernote and Todist to micro-manage your day-to-day tasks. This way if you need to outsource something like grocery shopping or printing out headshots, you can do so at the drop of a dime.
Know the difference between need and want
We want to have a website. We need to make ends meet. While creating your brand is definitely an asset when it comes to your career and projects, many of the strategies and tactics are not in the “needs” category. Before the Internet we all got along pretty well when it came to monetizing our craft so when push comes to shove, don’t over-prioritize a “want” over a “need.”
Once in a while life will remind us that we are not in control. When you have to deal with a new normal, approach the sudden change with as much ease and grace that you can muster. Having a contingency plan in place for your brand + biz’s version of the zombie apocalypse will keep you in a solid position to either pick up where you left off or restructure everything to work in your favor.
Change is the only constant in life. Plan in advance for the unexpected disruptions so that you don’t lose all the momentum you’ve created thus far with your big picture vision.