I Failed
Staying Productive Amid Disruptions
Hello there!
Imagine you're 30,000 feet in the air, your Macbook Pro open, ready to channel a few precious hours of uninterrupted productivity into your internet side hustle. Then the Captain comes on the loudspeaker and announces that the on-board Wi-Fi is a no-go.
Dang it. Because I’ve been hard at work trying to write a free guide for this very newsletter. For you! Hi there! But seriously, in the biz, they call this a “lead magnet” and it’s really important to have a cool freebie as an incentive to subscribe. Hmm It’s probably a good time to drop this:
I don’t have a lot of free time for this side hustle right now. So what do you do when the precious time you've carved out for your dreams suddenly seems lost to the whims of technology?
Hey, at least I had my SteamDeck and Detroit: Become Human. (Great game BTW)
But there I was, with my laptop open and fingers poised over the keyboard, I was ready to make the most of this time. But, fate had other plans. Just like that, the time I had earmarked for writing this productivity guide was stolen by a mere technical glitch. Curse you United.
As someone who meticulously plans every hour using tools like Google Calendar and a Full-Focus planner, these disruptions are more than annoyances - they feel awful. But I gotta say, this experience served as a stark reminder of my need for adaptability.
This is my gameplan:
So, how can we pivot effectively when our well-laid plans go awry?
1. Build in Buffer Time: Incorporate 'buffer' periods in your schedule. These blocks can absorb the shock/frustration of unexpected events
2. Have a Backup Task List: Prepare a roster of micro-tasks that can be tackled offline or in shorter time frames. These should be meaningful yet fit into unplanned gaps in your schedule.
3. Sometimes, You Just Gotta Give Up: My priority last weekend was to have an amazing time celebrating my friend Baily and Lori’s wedding in Colorado! I got to hang our with my Sister and her husband and take in the beauty of Estes Park.
Here’s some pics:
I’m hoping to offer a strategy for dealing with disruptions but also I’m trying to tell myself say it’s ok to give yourself some grace. Live to fight another day as it were.
Also I do have the 1st chapter of the ebook done! It’s called “Find Your Focus: A Beginners’ Guide to Defining Your Priorities.” Reply to this email and I’ll send it to you!
MTFBWY!
-Riley