There are days when I am particularly busy, facing down some imagined tiger, when I catch myself humming the Indiana Jones theme.

Because when you are facing down your average 600 pound imaginary tiger, you have only two choices. Recognize that the tiger is imaginary, or not!

Sometimes, you can look your imaginary tiger in the eye, and see that it is only a snarling bit of your to do list in front of you. Just another email message. Just a meeting requiring a bit of theatrics on your part.

And then, there are times, when no matter what you do... those tasks won't shrink down to what they are. They stay big and scary, with teeth and a threatening demeanor. At those times, there is only one way to handle it.

Grab your hat and your bull whip!

I've found that the key to summoning my Inner Indiana, is not the belief that I can throw a well landed punch. At five feet tall and a bit over one hundred pounds, soaked to the skin with crocodile infested river water, I'm not likely to be able to impress any evil doers with my imposing self.

No, my Inner Indiana, is revealed in recognizing the attitudes that we all can carry in our rucksack and put to good use in any dicey situation.

- Mistakes happen. If you happen to poke at something that trips a boobytrap, you don't really have time to be second guessing your whole decision making process. Your first order of business is to not let whatever you've unleashed squash you. Don't waste a second in self recrimination, just run like heck!

- Always assess your situation. You won't find your way out of the locked room if aren't looking for the secret passage. Be on the look out for opportunities and resources at all times. Answers will present themselves. You are never as trapped in real life as you are in your own mind. Your knowledge, creativity and resourcefulness can get you out of a pickle.

- There will be snakes. Lots of snakes. Or Rats. Whatever your aversion, you will find it in your travels and adventures. You can't always avoid what you don't like.

- Take the leap of faith. Most of the time, we don't know what outcome to expect from our actions. We have to hope for the best. We also can't just hope, we also have to act for the best. If there is a positive enough outcome to be gained, stepping into what looks like mid air just might work as well as standing on the ledge worrying about it.

- Choose wisely. Don't be distracted by glitzy superficial stuff. Not everything is worth having or doing. Be willing to let go of an idea or even a long cherished goal that isn't working out in order to keep a firm grip on what really matters to you.

So, the next time you happen to find yourself under a bit more stress than usual, why not convert all that energy into writing yourself into your own adventure story. Find a way to make it fun and as exciting as an archeological expedition to someplace you've never been.

Finally, remember that even Indiana Jones is not required to be a hero every day. Adventures end. Horses ride off into the sunset. Once the artifacts are safely on display in the museum, don't be surprised to find that it is "back to the classroom, Professor Jones."

Copyright @ 2008, Catherine E. White, permission is granted for this article to be redistributed and shared with others in its entirety as long as links and attribution are maintained.
Catherine E. White is president of Llamagraphics, Inc. developer of the Life Balance software. Life Balance provides a structure for your goals, projects and tasks that is priority driven, so you can to make better decisions about how to use your discretionary time. To learn more about the software, please visit http://www.llamagraphics.com/
The movies and characters in the Indiana Jones series belong to LucasArts, of course.