What Works: Unstructured time and how it boosts productivity
It’s Monday, again. And every Monday we do what we do to prepare for the week. For many of us, that includes reviewing our calendars for appointments, meetings, events, and a variety of commitments.
But, have you ever stopped yourself and asked, “Am I over-structuring myself?” I attend the Center for Spiritual Living here in Carson City and this month we are reading a book that addresses over-structuring and other self-inflicted scenarios that limit us in life. It’s called “Real Moments” by Barbara De Angelis. It’s not a new book, but one I really think I’m going to love digging into.
When you leave breathing room in your schedule, you allow time to handle what life might throw at you. You are able to have some real moments without the real stress that can accompany them. Suddenly the “deadline fire” that was just thrown on you is more manageable because you don’t have tasks rigidly stacked to feed the burn. If you aren’t scheduled back to back in meetings and build in “free” time to interact with your team, reach out to clients, organize yourself and your work space, you find yourself living a much more blissful work life.
Saturday, I scheduled absolutely nothing until 4 pm. I was more productive that morning, not having a plan, than I had been the entire week before. Here’s the crazy part. I looked more relaxed even though productivity was at a peak. I was able to do laundry, meditate, play tug of war with my dog, and sit on my front porch with a nice beverage and a motivational speaker.
Let me step aside and talk to my fellow Type A personalities for a bit. You are going to want to make a list of what you want to accomplish in this unstructured time. Don’t do it. You know what you want to do. But life will remind you of things you need to do. Nothing is more stressful to us Type As than an incomplete to do list. Life tends to make those happen naturally. So don’t make them!
Now, I’m not saying “make no plans.” In order for life to happen, you have to take action. All I am saying is try, just for one day, not to schedule yourself to the hilt. What difference do you see? Were you more or less productive? Were you possibly productive in a different way? The floor is yours, Carson City.
ABOUT DIANE HANSEN
Diane Hansen is the Chief Inspiration Officer of What Works Coaching, a coaching firm that has helped people worldwide with their businesses, careers, mindsets, and profit margins. She brings to Carson City more than 17 years of experience with a wide array of clients, ranging from top corporations, motivated entrepreneurs and individuals hungry for a fresh start. Her column appears every Monday, and sometimes Tuesday, on Carson Now.