Yesterday a client (who agreed to my writing this) came to me with a lot of emotion around work. In fact, the communication was so urgent, so emphatic, that I might have thought the client was in danger of being fired.
As we talked it became clear, little by little, that the work issues were not nearly as dire as they seemed. In fact, the client was using the work issues as a distraction. The client had agreed to a daunting health improvement plan. And as our discussion went back and forth, I recognized a telltale and common response to challenge: Avoidance.
Have you ever found yourself getting embroiled in office politics, making an issue of a simple misunderstanding with a friend or family member, or, even more tricky, reaching out to help someone who may be more appropriately helped by someone closer to them? These are tricky. Unlike surfing the web or chatting with a friend when we should be working, these scenarios are rich with emotional intensity. They can seem urgent, unavoidable.
My suggestions are first, to know yourself. What kinds of situations draw you in? And second, know your projects. What thing that you want to be doing keeps getting pushed aside? Is it too hard? Do you need to break it down? Do you need to tackle it in a different way? What can you do to make you keep your focus?