Sometimes we need to do work or other tasks that should have already been addressed.  That is things that should have been completed earlier than now.

When this happens the descriptive term we apply to ourselves is “falling behind”.   In these situations, do not despair the light can always shine on, figuratively speaking.

You can take control. The point is, recovery is always possible.  Although, planning and work effort may be required, no need to panic.

Gaining Ground

The key to progress is recognition there is always a balance between tasks that are underway, future and completed.    Depending on the overall objective and supporting goals the balance between what is done and what is not done varies.

Most importantly, having uncompleted work is a normal state of affairs and should not be of concern.  Worry and frustration about being behind can do more harm than benefit.

Keeping track of things you want to do, understanding the priority and value equation of each enables logical analysis to be applied.  Actions fraught with emotion, fear, and anxiety can be avoided.

Impact

Falling behind in and of itself is not an issue, the impact of falling behind is the concern to focus on.  If no impact is confidently forecast, there is nothing to worry about.

The need to catch-up is driven by negative impacts.  If it’s anticipated bad things will occur unless the backlog of activities is resolved it makes sense to plan to do so.

The plan should be a reasoned effort to define what is feasible by when.   This approach allows us to understand where we are relative to progress (at any given time) and calmly adjust the plan or take actions to avoid negative outcomes.