3 Tips To Stay Sane & Productive In A Chaotic World

Become friends with chaos

The reason we make plans is straightforward: We want a specific outcome in our lives. As we mature and experience more, we’re able to see patterns that teach us how to anticipate something.

We become better planners as we grow. But the world is full of surprises, and most of us eventually learn shit never goes according to plan.

There’s no going around it. Your plans, goals, and routines — they will all come crashing down in the face of major unexpected events:

• The untimely death of a beloved family member, partner or friend
• Pregnancies
• Accidents
• Obsessive love affairs
• Global pandemics

When these things happen, the world won’t stop turning and our problems won’t just suddenly vanish. No matter how experienced we become, there will always be things we can’t foresee. Many times, they aren’t even under our control. When your normal flow is disrupted by chaos, there are two ways to handle it.

1. Accept that there will always be chaos in life, and adapt.
2. Refuse to adapt and become miserable.

I don’t know about you, but I’ll certainly take the former every time. Of course, the unpredictability of life comes with its own rewards. Chaos isn’t always bad. Sometimes, these disruptions can help us go beyond our daily routine.

But how do you adapt when the disruption is very negative? How can you maintain your productivity when you’re facing problem after problem that never seem to end? I’ve got 3 ideas on managing these challenges.

1. Don’t Give Up Your Important Tasks

When something interrupts your life on a major scale, it’s very tempting to develop tunnel vision. Since your thoughts are clouded, you can’t think of anything else.

This is problematic because fixating on a single problem can keep you from seeing other factors that may actually be more important. As you ignore these elements, you compound your problems.