It’s easy these days to get all caught up in what’s going on in Washingto
n.
Lots of changes, that’s for sure. But if you ask people about earlier times in our democracy, they’ll tell you there was no shortage of drama then, either.
Still, many people find cause for concern. So what are we to do? (Hint: “Sorry, was watching the latest news” is not likely to cut it with your clients, your team–or, for that matter, your family and friends.)
Here are some ideas:
1. You probably already know your most productive time in the day. (If not, keep a diary for a week and see when in the day you were able to accomplish the most important things.) Avoid likely sources of contact with media, including social media, during that time. (We don’t need to add, “Avoid calling Joe to commiserate about the latest news,” right?)
2. Choose a time for news consumption.
3. At the appointed time, consume the news in your customary fashion, with one addition: open a file in your favorite word processing program, or just take a couple pieces of paper to–this is key–comment on what you just read or heard. (Hint: Not “We are doomed!”, but “What do I think the goal is here?” Try to think a couple steps ahead. Also: “Is this a concrete action, or simply an idea being floated?” George Lakoff is a wonderful guide to decoding communication, especially political use of Twitter. Here’s a recent interview he did with Brooke Gladstone of WNYC’s “On the Media.” http://www.wnyc.org/story/taxonomy-trump-tweets/, and a related graphic. https://twitter.com/GeorgeLakoff/status/823327931145416704)
4. Ask yourself “What do I want to do about this, if anything?” Somebody wise once said, “Choose your battles.” If this seems to be something you want to address, take a moment to consider (and do some research about) what the most constructive action(s) would be, and who may already be working on this.
5. Note the indicated action(s). Choose one to do immediately. As Wes “Scoop” Nisker likes to remind us, “If you don’t like the news, go out and make some of your own.”
Speaking of which, a great step after this one is:
6. Take an action on one of your top priorities unrelated to the news, remembering the words of that old song: “Keep your eyes on the prize.”
7. Resume work on other projects. Or, if it’s the end of the day, take a deep breath and resolve to enjoy the evening. There’ll be more news tomorrow. Count on it. But don’t be defined by it. Don’t let yourself be consumed by it. As I always tell my clients, “There may be more than one life, but why not assume this is it?”
©2017 Laynie Tzena. All Rights Reserved.
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