In This Edition:
1. Avoid the Holiday Rush -- Shop All Year Long
2. Dealing With the Aftermath versus Managing the Beforehand, You Decide
3. Is Arranging the Beforehand More Work?
4. Historical Humor?
'Tis the season to be.... jolly or stressed out? I've never understood
why people put themselves under such hectic conditions, all to celebrate and
give gifts for a known event. I mean, come on, due the dates of the
holidays change from year to year? Is it sane or even reasonable to attempt
to buy gifts in the 20 to 25 days when everyone else is?
Avoid the Holiday Rush -- Shop All Year Long
I have a wonderful time every December. I have already purchased
and wrapped all of my gifts, and they're hidden in a closet. I don't wait
until Thanksgiving or any other traditional time of the holiday season to
begin my shopping. I buy gifts throughout the year. When I see something
for someone on my gift list, I buy it then and there, knowing that it will
be much more work to return to that store or vendor later.
Shopping throughout the year provides other benefits. I'm able to
take advantage of bargains when they arise. Also, shopping a little here
and there makes it far less of a burden; shopping in this manner is often
fun. There are virtually no crowds, and I don't feel like I'm under any
pressure. I can make purchases as my budget allows. I can wrap the gifts
intermittently, never being overwhelmed by the enormity of the task. This
type of shopping strategy is part of a process I call "managing the
beforehand." It's the opposite of dealing with the aftermath of an event,
which is what most people do.
When we manage the aftermath in our work lives, our file cabinets
are overflowing, and our desks are piled high. When we manage the
beforehand, we clear away space in advance because we know that more
information is coming.
You can apply managing the beforehand to work, shopping, and nearly
every aspect of life. The chart below shows a handful of the various
situations in which you can put managing the beforehand to work for you. By
doing so, you'll have a greater sense of time and space, less hassle, more
energy, and more preparation to meet unexpected challenges.
Dealing With the Aftermath versus Managing the Beforehand, You Decide
Not knowing where to put things and hence creating ad hoc piles.
or Creating space in advance of the arrival of new information or items in
your life.
Returning home from a meeting lugging mounds of new information.
or Returning home from a meeting with a thin, highly potent file of key
ideas.
Continually battling to maintain positive cash flow.
or Maintaining a 12 month cash flow analysis and pinpointing cash needs in
advance.
Leaving for work in the morning in a mad rush, forgetting things and feeling
stressed to
start the day.
or Leaving with grace and ease because you have already assembled
everything by the
door or in your car the night before.
Heading into the city without the change needed for parking meters.
or Having at least a roll of quarters and a roll of dimes safely and subtly
stashed in your car.
Figuring out how you're going to pay for your child's higher education when
you have no
savings and he or she is now in high school.
or Initiating a fund, and adding to it so it will grow enough to pay for
college and even
graduate school, 15 years in advance of your child's graduation.
Trying to quickly handle the follow-up correspondence to a meeting.
or Handling the follow-up with a fax, modem, pocket dictator, or
stationery.
Grimly being told by your doctor that it's time to get serious about
starting a diet and
exercise plan.
or Staying fit and trim on a regular basis, having short doctor visits, and
being asked how you
stay so healthy.
Panicking when a key employee calls in sick one morning and no one else is
prepared to
handle the job.
or Having already cross-trained your staff so they can ably fill in on
short notice or having
good relations with many temps.
Filing your income taxes just before the deadline or late every year, and
not undertaking any tax planning or claiming all allowable deductions.
or Filing your income taxes well before the deadline because you establish
a tax log at
the start of each year.
Having a pile of magazines and other publications stack up because you can't
keep
up with them, let alone identify relevant articles or information.
or Having no piles because you've dropped most subscriptions, and you
quickly strip
those you receive to get the few relevant pages before recycling them.
Visiting the dentist when you're in great pain or have an urgent need.
or Visiting the dentist frequently for regular checkups.
Buying expensive birthday and holiday gifts at the last minute.
or Obtaining gifts well in advance of known dates using bulk and off-peak
buying.
Is Arranging the Beforehand More Work?
Some people protest that managing the beforehand seems to be more
work than
handling tasks as they become important. Actually, the opposite is true.
Because I'm
always in a "buy" mode, when I see a reasonably priced item that will be of
great value
to my intended recipient, the feeling is rather joyful.
Contrast this technique with that of waiting until one month or
less before the
time by which gifts need to be acquired and you have the recipe for being
unhappy.
You'll find yourself jostling through crowds, making quick, stressful
decisions, and
paying top dollar. Then, you have to cart the stuff home and handle all the
wrapping.
Luckily, there is another way to proceed besides doing things at
the last minute!
Historical Humor?
A young man was sitting in class when the professor asked him if he
knew what the Roe vs. Wade decision was. He sat quietly, pondering this very
profound question. Finally, after giving it a lot of thought, he sighed and
said, "I think this was the decision George Washington made prior to
crossing the Delaware."
