What To Do When Interruptions Come

One of the major ways I’m working at getting back in shape is by running and walking. Unfortunately, it’s raining and I can’t do either without getting wet. Yeah, I know, I could carry an umbrella and walk, but it just isn’t the same.

No matter what we do, interruptions come into our lives. They interrupt our exercise, they interrupt our meals, they interrupt our work. They even interrupt that sweaty wild monkey dance you had planned!

There are some things you can do about it though.

Before I get into that, let me ask you this. How do interruptions affect you? Do you get angry? Does your blood pressure go up and you feel like your day is ruined? Wouldn’t it be nice to not feel that way?

Okay, so here’s a few things you can do when interruptions screw up your day.

Look for the opportunity.

There is an old saying that goes something like,

“God never closes a door without opening a window.”

Now whether you believe in God or not, there is something to this. Whenever something happens, there is always something else you can do.

Right now, I’m watching my granddaughters. I would be doing something else if I wasn’t, but I am. Now they are watching a movie and so I have a perfect time to write this post. If they weren’t here, I might be outside pulling weeds or something.

There is always something you can do when you didn’t get to do what you wanted! I didn’t get to run this morning due to the rain, but that doesn’t mean I can’t do something else to get my exercise later on.

Try to see the humor!

Okay, so this sounds trite! The thing is, if you can’t see the humor in the interruption, you’re just going to get pissed off. Being upset gets you nowhere. This was usually my first reaction and I have to admit, it still is sometimes.

What does getting upset get you? Nothing. You spend the time you could use implementing the first suggestion, looking for the opportunity, by feeling sorry for yourself. Nothing gets done other than blaming the situation for your own lack of control. Is that what you want?

Seeing the humor in the situation allows you to not lose control and to see what else might be done. It is the catalyst for action.

Let go of the attachment to whatever goal you have in mind.

This is probably the hardest for me. What I mean here is to do whatever you want to do with all your might, but do it for the joy of doing it, not for the end result.

In our goal oriented culture, this seems like a big no no. We are told over and over again that we have to reach our goals. Letting go of the results doesn’t mean we don’t try, it just means we are open to how things turn out.

Think of all the times you have tried to accomplish something and it didn’t turn out the way you intended. You felt upset and angry. You felt like a failure. All the while, something did happen. Something did turn out as a result of all your work. The problem is, you are so distracted by being upset that you miss the result.

Letting go of the results means you work toward your goal and accept however it turns out.

I know this is a hard concept and it is even harder to do, but it really works for the best. Next time an interruption comes, let go of the goal, see the humor in the situation and then look for the opportunity.

Interruptions are inevitable. What you do when they come is up to you.