This week the Tranquility by Tuesday Challenge has been focusing on Rule #5: Create a backup slot. Anyone can make a perfect schedule. True time management masters make a resilient schedule that can absorb the unexpected — both good and bad.
If you’ve been doing the Challenge, here are a few questions to help you reflect on the week:
- What backup slots (or open space) did you build into your schedule this week?
- What effects did you see in your life from building open space into your schedule?
- What challenges did you face in trying to build in open space? How did you deal with those challenges?
- How likely are you to continue using this rule in your life?
I hope you’re also continuing to follow the other Tranquility by Tuesday rules!
- Did you observe a bedtime this week?
- Did you plan your week on Friday? (And do you plan to plan next week tomorrow?)
- Did you move by 3 p.m. most days?
- Did you do your chosen activity three times this week?
If you are doing the challenge, information about Monday’s Zoom office hours should be in your email tomorrow. Hope to see you there!
My schedule is pretty flexible and open (being the semi-retired parent of adults!) but I find this rule particularly useful for making sure I accomplish the key things I want to do each week. Part of that is the 3 Times A Week commitment that I now have for running (or skiing if there’s lots of snow!). I make sure I have a schedule for my three runs – with a backup slot so I can still get out three times even if something messes up one of my scheduled times. And I am more likely to DO something if it’s in my schedule – the nebulous “I’ll do it some other time – I have lots of open time” often means time will slip by without my doing it. It’s related to my Tendency of being an Obliger – I need outer accountability and often having something scheduled in my planner is all the nudge I need. So a specific backup slot is very useful for anything that’s a high priority.
That reminds me that I think it would be great if you teamed up with Gretchen Ruben and did a Tranquility by Tuesday x Four Tendencies collaboration. I can see that the strategies to implement each of the TBT rules could vary depending on your Tendency. I think they could work really well together.