Artful Diligence at Work

One of the things I am recognizing in my work life is how chaotic it can be after our distribution deadlines. Why chaotic? I think it's because whenever the pressure of finishing a deadline is released, there suddenly emerges a lot of suppressed tasks or meetings that had been put on the back-burner, now suddenly resurfacing. And suddenly, the entire department wants to go out for the celebration lunch, or celebration breakfast, etc. It's during these times that I find the mind will often be prone to distraction and a kind of cavalier attitude can easily set in as a result: if things are just about 'going with the flow', one can then start to lose the sense of clear awareness. It's like accepting impermanence, but with a sort of nihilistic mindset. What I have found more productive in these situations is actually the opposite, namely suing diligence as an antidote to a 'drifting' attitude toward work.
  By 'diligent', I am not necessarily referring to a task-oriented mentality that is primarily geared toward accomplishing tasks. Rather, I am talking about a mindset where one chooses to put their whole efforts into whatever changes happen to be arising in the moment. If I am called to a meeting, my diligence in that meeting won't be the same as my diligence in processing items. The point is that the kind of diligence one practices and skills being used will differ from one activity to the next. Yet, nonetheless, diligence is the decision to stay with the present task and complete it to one's best ability.
   Diligence also seems to entail a non-contentious attitude. I am not being diligent with the attitude that someone else is more so than me. Rather, the diligence relates more to a personal standard I set for myself, and how I can slightly surpass that standard through different approaches. I let go of comparing my work to that of others, simply because doing so only makes me into a frantic person with something to prove to others. In fact, all that is required of me is to try to outdo myself in some small way, without belittling the efforts I have done in the past.
   When too much change happens, I have often felt this instinctive tug of the reigns inside me, as if I were asking: given the situation that stands before me now and in spite of how far it's pulled me from my work, how can I be diligent about it? This question often leads me to adjust my expectations and renew my efforts in spite of incomplete pasts and false starts.