The Need to Pivot
Fencing and pivoting and bears, oh my! (okay, there were no bears...yet)
Best laid plans are only that, right? A plan? As a person who both enjoys making a plan and seeing it through, it’s sometimes hard to remember things won’t always work out quite that way.
We woke up early this morning with the joy that only two people with two terriers full of muscle, energy, and enthusiasm who are getting a fence could wake up with. And we are still super excited about that fence! But the day has (not-so-shockingly) required flexibility and pivoting.
Within about ten minutes of starting the fence - despite utilities being marked - the gas line was hit. My husband came in and said “get out of the house” and so…we each grabbed a dog or two and got out of the house. Safety officials and the gas company were all here quickly and despite the extremely hot day, the gas is reconnected. And are well on our way to a fence! Stuff happens.
Most days, no one will tell me to evacuate my house, I hope, but the point is my workflow was interrupted. Naturally, I expected that to some degree today with construction noise and three terriers in my house at once! Today, I thought I would share some thoughts on advanced planning and last-minute pivoting when trying to get stuff done.
Pre-Pivot
Plan for the day you anticipate as best as you can. Knowing today would include noise and distractions I planned work that was easy for me to get done despite needing to stop/start. I made sure I had no meetings on the schedule.
On days when I’ve included a writing/research block, I’ve learned to have some tasks under writing, some tasks under research, and some tasks under organizing the two to help me still have capacity to work when my energy shifts or my focus wanes. Options matter!Plan for something to be easy. We have both leftovers and meal kits in the fridge, so lunch included choices and easy options. I did not need to do much to get ready this morning, so easy joggers and a tee were the easy choice. (That might be more mornings that not, but that’s hardly the point of this post!)
Think about the others impacted. The others here mostly being dogs - the need for extra noise, puzzle toys, and attention has been vital today to their happiness and ability to settle. No word yet on if they understand how the noise outside equals a fence!
Assume something won’t go well. That’s not really being a Debbie Downer, it’s the reality of digging in an area where gas, water, internet, etc. are buried. I figured something like this might happen and it did. Again, I planned a day that could adapt to pivoting. In day-to-day work, it means acknowledging the realities of relying on others, having limited resources and time, and budgetary constraints.
Expect things to take longer than they should and build a buffer. Ideally this is a one or two day build. But, it might take longer based on X (gas line break, plumber now needing to come out, weather, etc.). Assuming the worst and hoping for the best is sometimes good advice! For example, my goal each week is to have my grading done by Wednesday at about 4 p.m. Most weeks that’s doable and I never try to get it all done on Monday! This week I planned to get only the one assignment graded, so I have buffer Tuesday/Wednesday to finish the work and it still feels doable. I’m a little ahead despite distractions, but it’s not stressful with a hard or unrealistic deadline looming.
Pivoting in the Moment
When someone says “get out of the house,” listen. Well, yes, that seems rather obvious, but the point here is to listen to critical information and adapt accordingly. In the classroom this sometimes means I find out 20% of the class has book delivery days and need to shift a timeline. In my past life as manager, it means if someone is reaching maxed out, shifting a project’s load or bringing in resources before it gets to burn out.
Pick something new to regain focus. I try to have multiple priorities each day because I thrive on being effective and efficient. I also know that sometimes my energy will say “meh, not that yet” or I may have a hard time focusing on certain tasks due to say, a loud construction project outside my window. For example, today, I focused on grading a quick assignment that was for complete/incomplete grading and did not require as much of my brain’s energy. Post-lunch when I was struggling to refocus myself on grading, I spent some time following up on other projects and writing this post.
Ask for grace - you’re only human. This one is hard for a great many recovering perfectionists, but it matters. I said something in an email today like “I think that’s right, but my brain is not it’s best after dealing with our fence building team hitting the gas line.” I’m human, it’s been a stressful day, and quite frankly it is hot as all get out in Georgia. The heat alone could be reason for grace!
The key to asking for grace is to be upfront. It hardly means you need to share all your personal drama with others, but a fence and a ruptured gas line aren’t really a private thing to me. When I had Covid last summer, I told my students what was up and that grading would be delayed, they were 99.9% kind, concerned, and flexible. I call that a win!Take notes and make plans. One thing I am really trying to get better about in middle age is assuming my brain is not capable of remembering everything. I use Todoist, Notion, and very newly a Kindle Scribe to organize my life. If I need to remember something about where I’m at on a project I either leave a file comment or detail the follow up in Notion. I use post its for quick notes during the day, like telling a student “I’ll review that.” And I use Todoist for allllll the things (more here)
More to come on the Kindle Scribe I think, it just arrived. All my posts on productivity live here.Use the buffer you built. Again, we’re humans - at least I for sure am! I could keep pushing myself till 10 p.m. tonight and get another assignment fully graded. That would not be my best work and it would be mentally and physically exhausting. Instead, I will end my day on time, knowing I got things done to the best of my ability. And I will rest - which deeply, deeply matters. More on living well here and here.
Post-Pivot
After an experience like this, I think reflecting on what you learned about yourself and your work can be a useful exercise. For example, for me, this day has reinforced some of my priorities for flexible lists, multiple options, and paying attention to my human body that has limits. What about you? What have you learned about pivoting and being flexible that has stuck with you?
Excellent advice!!