7 Tips to Avoid Scheduling Yourself for a Hectic Day

If you have ever found yourself late to the airport, or rushing across town (or just across your office building) to a meeting, you know what it feels like to be in a rush.

It’s not fun when you have to hurry.
Stress. Sweat. Unneeded exertion.

Yet, if you step back and look at your calendar, often you are the one who put yourself in that situation in the first place. In fact, you scheduled it.

Don’t Schedule a Rush

Is you day a rush from start to end?

Back-to-back meetings. Impossible appointment times. And more than you can possibly fit into your day.

Yet, who scheduled those appointments in the first place?

Often, it is you that is directly responsible for the impossible schedules that you are attempting to rush through each day.

“You control your calendar. Don’t schedule yourself for a rush.”

Tweet This

It’s time to do a sanity check on your schedule. Time to avoid creating situations that will inevitable lead to hurry and stress.

Here are 7 Tips to Help You Avoid Scheduling a Hectic Day:

1. No Same Day Appointments – This is a tough one for some, but I strongly encourage you to avoid same day appointments. Last minute scheduling inevitably leads to unneeded hurry and stress. Instead of trying to cram more appointments into your day,  make sure that you are caught up on your current work and todos.
2. Put Off Non-Urgent Tasks – Ben Franklin once said, “Don’t put off till tomorrow what you can do today.” Yet, the exception to this is non-urgent tasks and appointments. Ask yourself if what you are trying to fit into your day “is truly urgent.” If not, no need to create a scheduling crisis today.
3. Allow Extra Time – Tasks, especially ones you are doing for the first time,  always take more time than you estimate. Always schedule a buffer of time for tasks in case they run over. The same goes for in-between appointments that you have to travel for. You never know how traffic will affect you reaching your next obligation.
4. Avoid Running Errands – Running errands can be a big time waster. And they always take longer than you expect. (See #3) Avoid miscellaneous errands during the day. Utilize services like Amazon Prime & Task Rabbit to keep yourself from running errands during your day.
5. Don’t Schedule During Rush Hour – Always avoid rush hour. This applies not only to your commute, but the doctor’s office, the DMV, the grocery store, and more. Time shift appointments to avoid the rush can save you dramatic amounts of time.
6. Do the Pre-work – Preparation is often the key to avoiding the rush. Planning ahead of time. Packing in advance. Reviewing your calendar before you start your week. You will avoid surprises, prevent mistakes, and avoid rework or multiple trips.
7. Say No to Conflicts – Sometimes you need to say no to conflicts. Decline back-to-back appointments. Say no to double (and triple) booking yourself. Saying no early and often can avoid much unneeded stress and rush.

Don’t Schedule a Hectic Day

There is no need to schedule your day to be a frenzied mess.

In fact, the more you cram onto your calendar, the less productive your schedule will become.

Own your calendar.

Avoid the rush by being smart about the way you schedule your day.

Question: Do you schedule yourself to be in a hurry each day? You can leave a comment by clicking here.