Managing the Mayhem - July

I Had a Plan… Briefly

July didn’t just arrive... it swaggered in wearing sunglasses, holding a clipboard, and radiating the kind of confidence only a month with absolutely no intention of respecting my schedule can have. And me? I greeted July with a plan. A real plan. A color‑coded, neatly outlined, “this time I’ve got it” plan.

It lasted… approximately 14 minutes.

Because July took one look at my beautifully organized to‑do list, laughed, and said, “Cute. Anyway—” and then proceeded to yeet my plan straight into the nearest metaphorical woodchipper.

And honestly? I should’ve seen it coming. I started the month by taking time off for the 4th of July — fireworks, food, family, the whole patriotic shebang. Then I gifted myself one glorious day of doing absolutely nothing. No inbox. No schedule. No responsibilities. Just me, my porch, and the smug satisfaction of a woman who believes she has earned a tiny slice of peace.

It was lovely. It was restorative. It was also the exact moment July chose to begin plotting. Because the second I stepped back into the office, July said, “Hope you enjoyed that. You won’t be doing it again.”

The Month’s Plot Twists (Because of course there were)

My inbox multiplied again. I swear it’s doing this on purpose now. A tech gremlin escaped containment and immediately started chewing on my workflow. An author emailed me a “quick question” that turned into a three‑act play. My schedule attempted another jailbreak. I caught it. It hissed. We’re still negotiating. A project I thought was done suddenly wasn’t done, because July loves a dramatic twist. And somewhere in the middle of all this, I tried to remember what my original plan even was.

I had a plan. Briefly. I swear I put it around here somewhere...

The Lesson July Is Trying to Teach Me

Sometimes the plan isn’t the point. Sometimes the plan is just the warm‑up act before the real chaos arrives. And sometimes the real chaos is… fine. Manageable. Even a little funny, once the caffeine kicks in and the inbox stops hissing.

July didn’t follow the outline. July didn’t even pretend to follow the outline. But the work still moved forward. The authors still got what they needed. The mayhem was wrangled, redirected, bribed with snacks, and occasionally threatened with exile.

And honestly? That’s enough. More than enough.

Looking Ahead to August

July may have shredded my plan, and August is still more than three weeks away, but I'm sure it will have a fresh stack of surprises and a suspiciously cheerful grin waiting for me when it arrives. It is my birthday month, after all, so why shouldn’t it try to give me the ultimate gift that keeps on giving: chaos.

But that’s okay. I’ll make another plan. It will last slightly longer than the last one. Maybe. Probably. We’ll see…

Until then, keep managing your mayhem — or at least pretending you are.

Pretending still counts. Always.

By Lisa M. Orban