The art of scheduling. We know that if we want to have a meeting, get a haircut, or see our healthcare provider, we need to make an appointment. We schedule our errands and vacations, but when it comes to our own time in work we do independently, too often we take a piecemeal approach and just do whatever comes to hand first. Taking the time to schedule work tasks, even those you do independently, helps you make better use of your time. Instead of doing work as it comes to you, take the time to slot in a block of time on your schedule for each task. Don’t forget to schedule in breaks too. Scheduling makes them a priority. After all, you wouldn’t just skip a doctor’s appointment or other scheduled obligation. Seeing something on your schedule also helps you remember that it needs to get done. Scheduling can take some time to master. You may discover that tasks take much more or much less time than you plan for. Spend a week or so keeping track of how you spend your worktime, so that you can better plan ahead for how much time to schedule a given task or project.
