We schedule a lot these days. Whether it be scheduling in a meeting or even scheduling some ‘me time’. Scheduling in itself can be very broad. However, it is how we do it and why that is the most challenging. Take my own situation..
I am an avid scheduler at heart but always seem to find myself overscheduling in my own time. You see professionally I am extremely focused and dedicated when it comes to scheduling. However as soon as I am tasked with scheduling my own time out of work, the struggle becomes more apparent. Think of a ball being absorbed into a black hole... That is how I feel when I think of scheduling when it comes to my own self in a personal sense (an endless orb of ‘arghhh’ moments).
The feeling of panic overrides me. As I take a moment to relax for a little while I can’t help but feel like I have forgotten to do something. Persistent as always, I try to scramble my brain to see what I have missed. Then it dawns on me… I have completed a certain number of tasks but not for the day ahead, instead for the day before but why?
Next comes the feeling of slight regret and denial. I am organised, I am organised, I am organised. This is the mantra that I start to repeat in my head hoping to bring more clarity to my already hectic brain.
Before I start to go into overdrive (the feeling of sheer panic) I think back to where I had gone wrong. This bit is not exactly easy as my goldfish brain sometimes prevails me from thinking of past events. As if my ‘Dory’ moment couldn’t come fast enough I give into panic and start to overwhelm myself with more tasks. However this doesn’t go to plan as I quickly call it quits as I succumb to my phone where endless scrolling and tapping seems more comfortable then actually sorting out my minor hiccup with my schedule.
Luckily for me, my brain starts to kick start as I begin to re-piece my whole schedule in order to catch up with all tasks before starting any new ones. As each hour passes, each task seems more approachable and doable with a little more clarity and energy this time round.
What I learnt from this particular experience:
Don’t overload yourself with too many tasks, split up your day effectively and make room for ‘me time’ in order for your brain to reboot more effectively.
Before panicking, think about what it is you're panicking about. Chances are you are panicking before understanding the situation fully.
Finally don’t be too hard on yourself. You are only human, making mistakes is a part of your own growth (this goes for forgetfulness too). Chances are you have given yourself too little time to complete all tasks ahead therefore have fallen behind incredibly quickly. This can be solved by prioritising your workload more effectively in terms of urgency.
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