Frustrated?

Lots of us are frustrated.  I know I am.

For some, the weather is frustrating for certain.  School closures, potholes from salted roads and being teased on Tuesday with abundant sunshine and a warm breeze only to find ourselves bundling up for a brisk wind and snow flurries yesterday is driving us all to say – enough with winter already!  If the weather doesn’t have you frustrated, basketball just might.  While what lies ahead for the Kentucky Wildcats is a big unknown, the good news is that a number of other colleges and universities in the Commonwealth are celebrating conference wins and looking forward to tournament play.  Add these frustrations to the ups and downs of the legislative session and the general roller coaster often associated with being a nonprofit executive and you’re likely looking for relief – anywhere you can get it.

One way I try to manage stress and frustration is by making lists.  And the more I am procrastinating or overwhelmed, the more elaborate my lists tend to become – categories, color coding and more.

For most nonprofit leaders, one of the major causes of frustration is the fact that there’s just too much going on (or maybe I’m simply not doing so well at managing it all?).   Those who know me know that in addition to lists, I try to practice “cautious optimism” and to that end, I try to remember that Spring will eventually arrive; there is a glimmer hope for a strong finish to the basketball season; KY Gives Day is coming up; and I am slowly but surely marking things off the color-coded and categorized list.  Now if only to stop adding new items to it!

How about you – how are you handling your frustration with this never-ending winter and the hundreds of other things on your desk,  in your inbox and on your to-do list?  I’d love to hear from you with your suggestions – maybe we can all learn some new strategies!

Danielle Clore

Executive Director