Flex Time

So you’ve put time and energy into planning the ideal day by planning out and scheduling everything you want to get done, including plenty of leisure, and then shit hits the fan at work, or you get sick, or your meeting gets moved, or you get in a fight with your partner and can barely concentrate. What now?

Part of a successful calendaring practice is planning for the unexpected. While we can get very good at being realistic and reasonable in what we can accomplish, sometimes we’ll be wrong. And while we can get really good at following through on what we say we are going to do when it’s time to do it, we can’t control what other people (or animals or the weather) are going to do. The unexpected is always to be expected, so it’s best to plan accordingly.

That does not mean you throw your hands up and say “X happened and so I guess I’m not gonna get Y done!” It means you make sure you have time for flexibility built into your schedule so that when X (or A,B, or C) happens, you can still get Y done.

I have 30 mins at the end of every workday blocked so that I can finish up anything outstanding from the day’s to-do list. And I have an hour at the end of every week for the same purpose. I almost always use that time, because my plan usually goes awry, as to be expected. And when for whatever reason the stars aligned and I was able to get everything I wanted to get done in the time allotted, this flex time is bonus time. I take advantage by getting ahead on the next day’s activities, catching up with a friend or coworker, or heading home a bit early.

Adding flex time to your schedule is a way to be kind to yourself while still holding yourself accountable to the goals you set. That way, you don’t have to beat yourself up for not doing what you said you would, and there’s no reason to get angry at other people or the weather for messing with your plans. You can just take full responsibility for your outcomes (again, with kindness!). Now that’s what I call adulting!