My week in pictures (L-R): Fun times with family at the Jays game, maximizing Labour day weekend on the roof, more rowing, green smoothie casuality, ‘Spark your G.E.N.I.U.S.’ workshop with some inspiring women from iaap Southwestern LAN, opening night at tiff watching London Road!

Flying by the seat of your pants? Don’t apologize, just manage! 3 Tips to do just that.

Yesterday morning, I spilled my green smoothie. And I’m not talking about a little spill, I’m talking about a vitamix blender pretty darn full with a green concoction consisting of kale, celery, a small carrot, blueberries, greens plus, and almonds… knocked off the counter and ALL OVER EVERYWHERE!

You see in an attempt to multi-task, (never a good idea!) I was unloading the dishwasher as I was waiting for my hot water to boil, putting away the smoothie ingredients, and listening to a webinar in the background.

I opened up the cupboard to put a dish away, stupidly failing to see the tall blender was right in the line of fire of the cupboard door. Suddenly, BOOM! In an instant, the whole thing was on the floor, baseboards, walls, cupboards, oven dials, and way too many cracks and crevices all over the freakin’ place.

My first reaction? ‘OH NO! MY GREEN SMOOTHIE!’ And then of course I was kinda sad. And then upset. Mostly because it now meant I had to waste precious minutes (more like almost half an hour!) mopping and cleaning up this mess. However, it didn’t take long for me to start laughing at myself. (See picture above!)

You see, stuff like this seems to happen to me a lot. Perhaps because I sometimes try to do too many things at once. Perhaps because I am often go-go-go at a pace I can’t always keep up with. And perhaps because I am just a girl that flies by the seat of my pants, which means I am often rushing and running around like a crazy chicken.

It’s been a theme that has come up a lot the last little while ~ in discussions with my friends and family, with my own coaches and mentors, and with my coachees and Mastermind members.

And while it seems as though us ‘fly-by-the-seat-of-our-pants-ers’ need to apologize for it, I am going to stand up and say NO MORE!

Instead of apologizing for it, let’s start embracing it. And yes, perhaps learning to manage it. Here are 3 ideas to do just that.

1. Encourage some type of self-care ritual

Often us go-go-go types do need to ensure we have some habits or rituals to ensure we slow down every once in a while, and take a moment to breathe. I have reinstated my 10 minutes of yoga every morning, followed by 10 minutes of meditation. And then of course, my green smoothie (so long as I don’t spill it!)

I have given up trying to do it at the same time every morning (see next point!) however even when I have a full day and wake up already feeling behind (especially when it’s Friday and I haven’t even begun writing my Happy Friday blog yet) I make sure I do this. If you don’t have 20 minutes, do 10. Or 5. Even slowing down in your chair or your car, taking a few deep breaths, can slow you down and reset your mind.

An extra few minutes won’t kill anyone, and it can make all the difference in setting up your day.

 2. Rather than fight for structure, embrace spontaneity

I can’t tell you the number of different personal development courses, conferences, workshops, seminars, webinars, teleseminars, telesummits, teleseries, masterminds… you name it – that I’ve taken when it comes to mastering productivity, scheduling, and time management. And I’m likely not stopping anytime soon. AND, I need to recognize that no matter what processes, protocols, or procedures I have in place, they are likely to be broken! And not necessarily because I am failing. It’s because I place a higher value on experiences than I do routine. Because I like saying yes when an exciting opportunity comes my way. And because I value flexibility and freedom over routine and regime.

One is not better or worse than the other, simply embrace what you are.

3. Make communication your friend

You likely have some people in your life who know you and love and accept that crazy chicken side of you – and some who may just not quite get it. Be open in your communication. Take ownership for your behaviours, AND don’t be afraid to talk about how it may be affecting those in your life. I get comments from my lovely family members all of the time… ‘Slow down! You rush in and out like a ship in the night!’ Why are you always go go go all of the time?’ Unless it directly affects them (you are constantly late, or are not totally present with them ~ both of which I have been ~ and am constantly aware of and continue to work on) it is not their concern.

Be open and honest with who you are, and don’t be afraid to talk about it.

When is comes to flying by the seat of your pants, there are both pains and pleasures. It’s not always easy, and, it does keep life mostly exciting.

Flying by the seat of your pants? Don’t apologize for it;  rather embrace it, and learn to manage it. (Click to tweet it out!)

Have a FAB week!

Are YOU a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants person? What tips resonated with you the most? Do you have any other ways to help manage? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below.