Managing chaos

When you are in the middle of change that happens to be on a vertical and horizontal level in the organization and your project is to be a change agent, how do you manage without getting insane? One way is to start to structure things up. A psychiatrist once said that we have schedules in order to get rid of our inner chaos. So that's why we aim to structure things up by writing and documenting what we do. Words on a paper give us structure by leaving things out and by trying to diminish the number of different interpretations. Another way is to try to figure out which milestones and modes of operation we should emphasize. Dates could even be pretty useful in that sense. They help you to structure your time and prioritize. As long as you know what to prioritize. In a changing environment it is definitely the prioritization that is so hard. You want to show you have been working, something visible and even tangible. The operative work is good in that sense and helps you with your chaotic feelings. But to really try to be part of the change and acting as a change agent you have to discuss with different actors, reflect, write it down and reflect again. The results don't come straight away but notes are real. But remember, never to work without a deadline as that easily makes you polish your ideas eternally.

But what happens when you add an inner emotional chaos that people as a matter of fact can experience in their personal life at the same time? Inner chaos in combination with an ever-changing context? How do you find your way without loosing your mind? My recommendation is, schedule routines in your calender: Breakfast at 7.00 a.m., lunch at 11.30 a.m. gym or jogging at 6 p.m. These help you structure your life and helps you in coping with turbulence and chaos. There is nothing as comforting as a bus coming to the bus stop every morning at the same time. They come in spite of what you are experiencing.