One of the biggest complaints I get from my clients is “There aren’t enough hours in the day!” Come on, confess – you’ve said that a time or two yourself, haven’t you? I know I certainly have. When I take a look at their calendars, I often see days packed with calls, internal meetings, external meetings and projects. My next question may seem like an odd one but bear with me.
How long does it take you to grocery shop?
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The answer usually range from 20 minutes to an hour. Yes, it was a trick question. In your time estimate, did you account for the following: checking the fridge and cabinets for what you need, maybe even looking at recipes, making a list, driving to the store, loading the car, driving home, unloading and putting the groceries away? The task really takes you one to one and half times longer than you imagine.
Let’s apply the same principle to your work day. Have you built in time for planning and transitions? Do you need time after a meeting or call to take notes and create follow up tasks? How about time to go to the bathroom? (and putting your phone on mute doesn’t count!)
Your productivity will go up significantly when you build in transition time. It helps you be realistic about how much time you have in a day to get things done. It also helps you prioritize what’s important. Bottom line: Do It. Yes you, and yes, right now. Look at your calendar and find the places where you need to add transition time and then rearrange things. It’s a gamechanger.