Monday Mindfulness: Letting a crazy schedule help you.

 Each week, we lay out some kind of agenda for what we hope to accomplish and have the greatest intentions of how that will go, how easy it will be and how great we'll feel when we get to the other side. And some weeks, this happens and it's magic, isn't it? 

 

But what about those weeks when the washing machine explodes, we lose all that data just before we planned to back the computer up, we get sick, our car suddenly needs work or any other of countless last minute annoyances pop up?

 

A good schedule, just like a good budget, knows that life is not always smooth and simple. Here are three tips to employ to keep the productivity just as high as the unexpected interruptions. 

 

1. Don't jump to the conclusion that your week/day/month is wrecked. Often the only thing that has to be adjusted is your time table. Just because you might need to shuffle some things around doesn't mean you failed to accomplish your goal. There are worse things in the world than running a little behind, so don't add stress to the mix by being hard on yourself. Get out your calendar, look at how much time the interruption created, and reassess the priority level of your tasks for the week. Shift the time around to get the top priorities finished and then get to the less necessary items as you can and fit them in the next week.
2. Look for opportunities in the interruption. Yes, everything can be an opportunity if you allow it to be. Stuck in a waiting room somewhere? What about all those people you haven't had time to call back- find a place that doesn't disturb others and check those off your list. Need to get some reading done? Bring a book or articles you've been saving to that unexpected doctor's appointment. Surprise expense? Use that as the motivation to start the emergency savings fund you keep putting off taking care of. When I had to wait at the Apple store to get my phone screen replaced, I got to play around with a new computer, and if there had been a longer wait, I would have written this newsletter from a fancy iMac. Viva web-based technology!
3. Pay attention to how long your tasks actually take. Often when we are under a bit of pressure, we can accomplish amazing things in a short period of time. Have you been scheduling more time than is necessary for some things you need to do? Does laundry really take all afternoon? Could you write that blog in 30 minutes instead of an hour? Look at these surprise times as a way to test your theories about your time requirements and make it a game to see if you might actually be able to get the outcome you require more efficiently. Don't use this as a way to stress yourself with unrealistic expectations, but rather as a way to fit in a treat because you got all your tasks done in record time on a week that doesn't have nasty curve balls in it.

How do you save time and deal with unexpected schedule busters? Share this article with anyone who you think could benefit and please share your own tips with us below.