Some days, the large tasks can overwhelm. You stare at the total workload and enter a melancholic fog. In my experience, the only way out is to focus on the completion of small tasks. You run off that document, prepare that file, and identify the first task of the project itself. Do that and then another and another. Stick to small things. Work slowly, with deliberation. The fog may not lift entirely but it will lift.
As a zen saying goes: When you are happy, sweep. When you are unhappy, sweep.
3 comments:
This reminds me of the first time I conducted a group of 350 students.
There was so much sound I froze.
I knew there were mistakes.
Being observed by a conducting guru friend wasn't immediately helpful. Instead of focusing on the group, I second-guessed myself, wondering how he would react. I learned to spot this later, as observations of my direct reports were often met with a statement, then an immediate glance in my direction to see if I winced, or smiled.
So what did I do? Exactly as you wrote. I concentrated on the flutes, then the clarinets. Re-ran the section. Heard a percussion issue. Stopped the band and addressed it. Suddenly the words flowed, instruction took place, and the big picture improved.
Many times, the correct notes were being played, but the wrong sections were being heard, like a house having the roof underneath the foundation. The saxes or trombones, typically the bass instruments, were playing too loudly, and the flutes and clarinets, generally melodic and harmonic instruments, were being drowned out or camouflaged.
I am certain the same thing happens in business. People do their jobs correctly, but fail to see how their blending of sound, in this case, their brand, benefits by each dept. doing not only the task (the notes), but doing it in the proper context (volume, layering of sound from melody-harmony-bass-percussion, intonation, etc.)
CJG
Michael - great advice, thanks for sharing.
It's easy to be overwhelmed. Too much e-mail. Too long a to do list. Too much going on.
Focusing on one thing at a time is so important. It helps you get things done, not just worry about getting things done. :-)
Christopher,
I think Drucker said that management often resembles conducting a symphony orchestra. [Stalin also made a comment along those lines!] Others have described it as leading a jazz quartet.
Richard,
Thanks! It is amazing how well one step at a time works.
Michael
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