Remember that paperwork has no feelings, but people do!

Before I get started on this Tip, I want to give you a heads up.  This is one of the most important truths I have ever learned in my entire life.  It affects me daily and I imagine it does you too. 
 
We often create "to-do lists" of all the tasks we need to do on a daily basis.  The truth is that we do not have to look for things to do; tasks will look for us.  The grass lets us know that it needs to be cut.  Bills scream that they need to be paid.  It will be obvious that the furniture needs to be dusted.  The refrigerator will tell us when it is time for groceries to be bought.  The list never ends.  And, I am not saying that in any negative way.  I am so grateful that I live in a free country where I have access to do all of those things whenever I want to do so.  But, there is one issue that always comes with them and that is the fact that daily chores will hang over our heads until we get them done.  Responsibility does not simply evaporate with time.
 
The reality is that none of those tasks have feelings associated with them.  They are all just things that need to be done.  In the process of doing all of those activities, you will encounter people, and people have feelings.  Just because you have a lot to do does not give you the right to be short or unkind to another person.  It is important that you remember that people have feelings and all of the other tasks and activities that you do each day, for the most part, are feelingless. 
 
Let me give you a personal example that happens to me weekly.  My desk accumulates tasks that need to be done.  I can leave my office for just a minute and when I come back, there will be mail or notes on my desk that need my attention.  I honestly think that I could shut the door to my office and live in there for five years and still not get caught up.  The tasks on my desk are always yelling at me, demanding attention RIGHT NOW!  I have actually, at times, taken a moment to look at all of them and speak to them.  I usually say something like, "I know all of you want me to work on you and I promise you that I am planning to, but, right now I am dealing with a situation that involves a person and that person has feelings.  You do not.  You will just have to sit on my desk and wait until it is your turn!"  It always makes me feel so much better to have that conversation.
 
How many times have you, as a mom or a dad, been right in the middle of something very important when one of your children interrupted you at a very inappropriate time?  Children should not be rude, but I noticed when raising four children of my own, that some of the most important, teachable moments in a child's life come at the most inopportune times.  That is just the way it works.  You must ask yourself the question, "Am I more interested in building a relationship with someone in my family that I care about and love, or am I more interested in checking something else off my to-do list?"  It seems to me that there is a constant conflict between relationships with people and tasks that need to be done. 
 
I can just hear some of you saying, "But the tasks on my list have to do with relationships with other people," and I want you to know that I certainly understand.  I am just saying that at any point in time, when you are in the middle of doing something important, learn to ask yourself if someone's feelings are involved.  If they are, always adjust what you are doing toward the feelings of that person.  It is never a good idea to put someone down, to be short with someone, or to be unkind with someone simply because you have a lot of things on your plate to do.  Believe me; my plate stays so full that I am constantly looking for ways to get things off of it, but not at the expense of hurting someone unnecessarily.  This may mean that you have to rearrange your schedule, start a little bit earlier, or perhaps make yourself unavailable at times so that you can complete important tasks without being around a lot of people you know.  (I begin almost every day alone in a restaurant where I can focus on my work for a couple of uninterrupted hours.  In that manner, I find myself "freed up" to interact with others the rest of the day without as much pressure to get things accomplished.) 
 
Looking back in my life I wish I had realized this sooner.  Many times when I was out to eat with my family or spending an evening with them, I would have a big pile of paperwork in my lap so I could get caught up.  I now understand how foolish that was.  I recognize the power of relationships and how vitally important they are to my life.  It has been a wonderful truth for me to learn that if I am dealing with a situation that involves someone's feelings, that should always rise to the top of my list.  Non-feeling activities can wait!
 
In the final analysis, you will have to be the one to determine how you are going to live your life.  Tasks will eventually get done and, even if they do not, it may not matter if you destroy another person in the process of accomplishing your tasks!  I have come to see that in the end, things have a way of getting done eventually if they are important.
 
Take a good hard look at your situation.  It may save you a lot of heartache and bring blessing into your daily life.

This information is provided in congruence with Personality Insights USA.