Just One of Those Days

“I’m late, I’m late for a very important date.” – White Rabbit, Alice In Wonderland

When was the last time you had one of these days? The alarm doesn’t go off, the kids are late to school and your late to work. Or you’re headed to a play date but can’t find your child’s shoe, the car needs gas and now you’re stuck in awful traffic. As they say, sh*t happens. It’s never fun, but what’s most important is how you handle it.

You could spend the whole day worrying about how late you’re running and how you just wish you could start the day over. But that will get you nowhere. Instead…

Focus on the future.

Spend the remainder of your day focusing on what needs to be done at that moment, not what you fell behind on or missed earlier. Reframe the situation, refocus your energies and get the day back on track. Dwelling on the negative will not get you anywhere.

Respect Others.

If your day included you had lunch plans with a friend or a meeting at work and now you’re running late, let the others involved know. Be respectful of their time and understand that now you may be effecting their day. Sometimes it’s better to reschedule the lunch or meeting for a different day and try again.

Learn from the Situation.

If you notice a pattern of looking for your kid’s left shoe every time you’re trying to get out the door, then it’s time for a change. Create a stopgap system to head off the preventable delays. Such as, setting two alarms instead of one or having a designated place for shoes. This can reduce morning stress and allow you to focus on getting out the door.

Roll with it.

The number one thing to remember is that you can’t recoup the lost time so just take a deep breath and keeping moving forward. It happens to the best of us despite careful planning, it’s called life and you just have to roll with it.

Do you have any other tips for dealing with running late?

Photo Source: haikuninja