Wrapping Things Up? No Ribbons & Bows Required

For me, today is the end of my work week.  I generally take Fridays to focus on personal matters.  I used to call it a day off, however, it’s not really.  Between all the laundry, groceries, cleaning, etc; that I do on Fridays, calling it a day off seems like an insult to the term.  All that to say that Thursdays are often my “wrap-up day” when it comes to the professional side of my life.

Here’s the challenge, especially of late, when things are morphing and evolving rapidly in my business.  It’s almost as though projects are taking on a life of their own and, as a result, there is SO much to do — always.  Things are getting done, for sure, and still the to-do list never ends.  Which is not a complaint at all; it is, however, an observation and one that poses a bit of a challenge to say the least.

You see, I am a person who prefers — like so many people I know — to wrap things up neatly and start with a clean slate each day.  Wrapping things up neatly means reaching the end of the day with each and every project or task on my to-do list having come to a natural stopping point, if not being completed in their entirety.  Lately this is becoming less and less possible.  I’m having to carry things over to the next day, unless I’m willing to work into the evening hours, which I’m not, due to other commitments.   Which means “wrapping things up” isn’t happening in the way I like to see things “wrap up.”  So I’m having to find new ways and attitudes for successfully leaving projects at the end of the day, and returning to them at the next opportunity, without guilt or pressure arising from the fact that it didn’t get “done” the day before.

My sense is that this is a good learning moment for me.  I’m discovering (actually, I’m re-discovering) the art of pushing myself to complete something while simultaneously allowing myself to let a task go when the end of the day hits, knowing that it will be waiting for me when I return.  That is not to say that I can ignore deadlines in any way.  When a deadline is looming, I may well have to extend my work-day to meet said deadline.  In order to avoid this sort of circumstance, I do have to be organized, plan my time well, and be focused while I am working.  Assuming all of these things are in place, then I can rest easy each and every day, knowing that while I might not be able to put a metaphorical bow on each and every project come day’s end, I can let said projects go from my consciousness once my internal time-clock beeps, and continue working on them with a fresh outlook and perspective when I return.

Bottom-line:  pushing to complete to do lists in their entirety everyday is an admirable objective.  And, you’ve got to balance your drive with an acknowledgment of when it’s time to rest.  Wrapping things up with ribbons and bows is lovely; and it doesn’t have to happen everyday.  Some things can — and must — wait until tomorrow.