We often forget to factor in Contingency time, when we make our To Do lists and plan our day. But if you want to manage your time effectively, contingencies cannot be ignored.
I often used to lie awake at night because my mind was full of ideas about what I want to do in my business. And feeling that I had not done enough during the day. But my To Do lists were huge and made no allowancies for contingencies. You know, those technical hitches, those urgent emails and other unforeseen things that happen to slow you down.
I did some research on how to sleep better and quiet my mind at night, and found two very effective bits of advice. Firstly:
Finish everything you plan to do each day.
It’s true; my To Do lists contained everything I thought I should be doing. And I under-estimated the length of time lots of tasks took. I now know the average time for most jobs.
If we set out with a huge long list of stuff to do, we are less likely to get everything done. Be realistic and also write down the amount of time you expect the task to take you, but ALLOW 50% more time. That way you factor in contingency time and set more realistic goals.
Now you HAVE to make your list shorter, don’t you?
And at the end of the day, you’ll have completed your list, probably done a few bonus tasks too, and be super proud of yourself, instead of feeling stressed out and overwhelmed because there were not enough hours in the day.
And the second piece of advice:
Relax for at least an hour before bed and don’t think about work.
If, like me, you end up buzzing with ideas and they keep you awake, don’t work in your business right up until bedtime. That will make things worse. Instead finish 60 – 90 minutes earlier and watch TV or read a book (NOT a business book! – Make it a fiction novel to completely forget work).
I also walk the dog and do stretches before bed, so I’m now less likely to be lying awake buzzing with ideas. Some marketers will tell you that you’re not dedicated enough if you don’t work every available hour you have. But if doing that makes you unable to sleep, then it becomes counter-productive. It’s also proven that people who work all the time, work at a lower standard on average. I find walking the dog three times a day is the perfect way to break up my work and stay alert. I might work fewer hours than before I got a dog, but I know for sure I am more productive.
Most business owners and enterpreneurs are creative types, so there will be a lot of people who also get pumped about new ideas for their business. Always keep a note of your ideas, and move on. You can always come back to it another time, but make sure your mind is not going over the things you consider unfinished at the end of the day.
If by chance you don’t manage to finish everything on your list, even after writing fewer things, then add it to tomorrow’s list and ensure you put it out of your mind. Don’t dwell on it or feel guilty. The reason it didn’t get done was because other tasks took longer than expected.
The reason you feel overwhelmed sometimes is because you are a good person who is probably a perfectionist. Yeah, that’s an entrepreneurial character trait too.
Allow yourself to NOT be perfect and RELAX!
Know that at the end of the day, you worked as well as you possibly could, and you’ll sleep beautifully, and be totally refreshed for a great day tomorrow.
