3 Scheduling Hints to Aid in Time Management

We run out of time, have to change the day and times of various appointments or call ahead and tell people we are going to be late and this happens more often than we would like. Besides that, it is embarrassing to have other people know that we cannot be depended on to make the appointment at the designated time and now we have messed up their schedules as well.

Try these three steps to take control of your schedule once and for all:

1. Don't OverbookBy overbooking yourself, it doesn't give you time to get your thoughts totally together for the next meeting or appointment. Your body needs time to relax and 'come down' from the exertion and stress that is caused from a hectic schedule. Fatigue will take over your system and burn out is the evident outcome.

2. Give yourself a little more timeWe never think that something is going to take us as long as it does. There are variables to everything in life, so why shouldn't there be with meetings and appointments. Sometimes we are talking longer than we thought, there was an interruption or we didn't get in on time. If you think that something is going to take 30 minutes, give yourself 30 minutes extra and save yourself some stress. The most your going to do is give yourself time to relax before the next appointment, now wouldn't that just be awful?

3. Schedule your time for what works best for youWe all have peak times in our day, a time when we are at 100% of our working capacity. These are the times that you should schedule appointments that take a lot of concentration. Once you have a time period set, if you are going to have constant contact with that person, jot down a note so that you know you want to keep the appointments at this time.

This will help you to eliminate the stress of having a schedule and not be able to stick to it. Overwork and high stress in the work area creates medical conditions and burn out. By taking control of your time, you are now able to give yourself the breaks that you need in order to be at top working performance and eliminate ulcers in the process.