Getting Stuff Done – Elaine Tomlinson

I got to the shopping centre early one Sunday (an hour early to be exact – misread the opening time). I thought I’d take advantage of my forward planning and decided to grab a coffee before starting my mission!

I noticed that there was a queue outside the Apple store. I kept checking my watch, as I knew there was still some time to go before the centre opened and even asked the man sat next to me, if we still had 45 mins to go before the shops opened – he said I got the time right!

Not wanting to miss out on a possible bargain (just in case), I wondered round to the store, to see what was going on, only to realise that it was just a normal days trading. Staff were outside taking details of those customers in the queue – eager to beat the days rush -and get seen as quickly as possible.

I’ve been there when one of my devices isn’t working as it should. That feeling of imbalance as the world has somewhat shifted; so I could understand and empathise with the desire to move back into equilibrium – and get my stuff fixed as quickly as possible.

That being said, I also thought to my self, wouldn’t it be cool, to be able to harness that level of motivation…enthusiasm….dedication for wanting to fix other stuff!

I haven’t mentioned sleeping outside the store all night just to be the first person to get the new version of the thing I’ve already got (I haven’t done that!), or be the early bird in the queue on the first day of a sale (I’ve done that!)….

I’m a keep fit goer and try, as much as possible, to do something on as a regular basis.

But no matter how much I’m told, ‘You’ll love how you feel once you’re there’ and no matter how much I sing along to my Beyonce anthems, with those endorphins triggering off; I have a difficult time imaging that I could get to a place, when I arrive at a gym class or run club an hour before it started – to be in the front!

I understand motivation and Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and this thing of self actualisation: People are more motivated to take care of the lower order needs first and it is not until these lower level needs are met and mastered does an individual progress in the needs higher up the pyramid. To self actualisations i.e. a person’s full potential and a realisation of that potential.

So, why don’t I approach the things I want to do for me – the physical and emotional me – with the same vigour and earlybirdness as getting my device fixed or being the first to get that bargain in a sale? Have I prioritised my need to get stuff fixed, get more stuff done or just to get more and more stuff, over looking after my own well being?

Now the lesson for me is: value what’s important and keep things in balance. From time to time things will shift; but at the top of that tree has to be me – that oxygen mask concept!

I gave up on my own personal self actualisation dream to be an alternative version of Beyonce a long, long time ago! Main reason is because I’m tone deaf (I’m accepting). But I’m still motivated by what that represents for me – striving to be the best me – and I crank up the volume each and every time one of Bey’s song comes on.

I may never be that girl at the gym an hour before class but as I make my way to being just on time, I teach myself the lesson of value and to keep things in balance. The rest of the stuff can wait!