Play Your Position 2

I enjoy watching sports. However, people don’t always enjoy watching with me. On the outside, I appear to be a rational, funny, slightly excitable human being. That’s not the entire story. There’s also a part of me that’s pretty scary – she’s loud, opinionated, and is always screaming something about how the ball doesn’t lie.

While I understand that referees have a tough job, the scary side of me thinks they should do it better. Yep, I’m one of those people. And while we’re on the subject, Lebron is probably a great guy, but he’s NOT better than Michael Jordan, and he should be up for an Oscar with those flop-worthy foul performances. And James Harden should have to update his passport with all the times that he travels with the ball. Whew. Glad to get that off my chest.

Along with all my thoughts about the NBA, I make time to listen closely to what people around me are saying. From that, I’ve decided that the second quarter is a great time to catch folks who have goals for the year. In my observation, the first quarter is when enthusiasm is high, and we overestimate what our energy levels will look like later in the year. So, we peak too early. Or, either our goals or the steps to achieve them end up being unrealistic. In the third quarter, we look ahead too far and often believe there isn’t enough time to accomplish what we have in mind.

All that said, it seems that maximizing our second quarter is the way to go. However, without proper planning, the first quarter pitfalls are possible in the second quarter also. How then, do we move forward productively? I have three suggestions to help you build momentum during the second quarter of the year.

1. Don’t overbook. 
   Summer is coming. In many parts of the country, that means better weather and more time outdoors. If we build our goals around our more sedentary winter selves, we may plan to work more than is realistic when the weather breaks. Build your schedule taking into account the seasonal changes that will hit midyear and pencil in some rest and relaxation, which is sure to make you more productive.
2. Be flexible and reevaluate.
   Rarely do timelines fall into the pattern established in the beginning before we begin. Once the work starts, there’s an opportunity to understand better how long specific tasks will take. Being married to that original timeline can be a source of unnecessary frustration, like the foul calls that James Harden gets instead of the travel whistles.
3. Play your position.
   When things are moving slower than we anticipated, it’s tempting to jump in and do it all — cut out the middle man. A couple of issues with that: one, just because you don’t see movement, doesn’t mean there’s no activity. However, stepping in someone else’s role could place you in the way. Two, it’s harder than it seems to be excellent at multiple positions at the same time. It doesn’t hurt to learn other roles, but during the game, play your position or find yourself in jeopardy of getting injured or worn out! Three, what if everyone else decides it’s okay to switch roles, too? Something gets missed!

These tips can be rough, especially for type A control freaks (not that I know any of those). They may have trouble being flexible on their plan, but are all too eager to fulfill your role and theirs! A highlight of the second quarter is the ability to use first quarter performance in decision making, while still having lots of time left to get things done. Do you have strategies that you employ this time of year? Share in the comments!