Stop Scheduling Like Everything Will Go Perfectly.
TL/DR:
Adding extra buffer to my calendar is my default mode, because there's no downside, only upside.
When I plan for things running long or going sideways, delays don't stress me out. Late doctors, closed roads, appointments that run an hour over. No problem.
When nothing goes wrong, I end up with extra time that feels like a gift.
The whole trick is scheduling two things most folks skip: travel time and general buffer.
The Whole Shebang:
“Mom, are you still here? Can you drive 5 of my friends to lunch?”, I hear as I pull out my phone.
“Yep, still here, and sure can.”
The day before the last day of school at my son’s high school is “Symposium Day”; sounds pretentious, I know. But whatever. It’s the day where we get to go look at the displays and projects to see what the kids have been working on.
And so, on a random Wednesday morning in June, I found myself, not in front of my computer, but at my kid’s school. (Yes, May-cember carries into June around here!)
The “Symposium” was scheduled from 9 to 11, but I’d blocked out my schedule until 1:30pm. Even though I was pretty sure I’d be back home by 11:30.
Why?
Because adding extra buffer is my default mode.
And in this case, it allowed me to wait around for my kid and his friends and then drive them all to lunch, without feeling time stress or pressure, and still get home with ample time before my next meeting.
Why is adding (excess) buffer my default?
Well, because there’s no downside, only upside.
When I plan for the fact that things might take longer that I think, or go awry in some way, then I’m not stressed when they do.
I’m thinking about the mammogram that took and hour longer it was supposed to.
And the time my oncologist was late for our appointment by 45 minutes. (Why it is always doctors?? But also, can I tell you about the time last week when one of my doctors was EARLY (by 3 minutes, but still) to an appointment. I don’t think that’s literally every happened, I was shocked, but I digress.)
Or the time that I didn’t realize a major thoroughfare near my house was closed and it took me 25 minutes to go 10 blocks, no joke.
Because I always add buffer, these situations didn’t stress me out one bit.
Have I always done this?
No.
I’ve learned the hard way more times that I’d like to admit.
Which is why it’s always standard practice for me now.
And if things don’t go awry, if I don’t run into traffic (which does actually happen more than you might think) and if the doctor is miraculously early (see above), then I’m in the absolutely delicious situation of having EXTRA time.
So, on this day, even though I ended up waiting around for my son and his friends, even though I ended up driving them somewhere before I got home, when I got home and still had an hour and a half left before my next client session, which means that I had time for a coffee, I had time to stop at the post office, and I also had time to knock a few things off of my (personal) list that needed to be done during business hours, like scheduling doctors appointments. (When, when, are doctor’s offices going to get on board with online scheduling??)
And that time, well, it felt like magic time, stolen time. But, magic in such a way that I am the magician. I know how to do the trick.
But, unlike a magician, I’m an open book with my secrets. And you, too, can make this kind of every day magic in your own life.
All you need to do is make sure that you schedule both travel time, and buffer, in your schedule.
It’s actually a very simple magic trick. And I won’t gate keep.
And if you need help figuring out how to build buffer into your schedule, here are 4 ways we can work together:
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