Micro-Scheduling Yourself to Success
Do you ever feel overwhelmed by the variety of tasks you have to complete in a day? I often do. I used to be afraid that I would not be able to get them all done, but after a lot of trial and error, I have found a method to keep me focused.
When I find myself with large chunks of time to work and many tasks to complete, I micro-schedule.
Before I start working during an afternoon, I evaluate all the things I want to get done. I then list them out and estimate how long each one will take me. Then, I set them to a schedule. Let me show you an example from this weekend.
1:00 - 1:30: Accounting Quiz
1:30 - 2:00: Finance Homework
2:00 - 3:00: Internship Applications
3:00 - 4:30: Annotated Bibliography
4:30 - 5:30: Philosophy Readings
5:30 - 6:00: Email
The Benefits
Micro-scheduling has two main benefits. First, I am able to break the work into manageable chunks. The work is less daunting once you create a roadmap for completion. Second, it keeps me focused on one task at a time. One of the big issues with needing to complete a variety of tasks is the tendency to frantically jump from task to task without making real progress on any of them. Sticking to your micro-schedule will prevent this behavior.
Your Strategy
When crafting your micro-schedule, you will need to consider a few factors.
1. How much time do you have?
I have found that three to six hours is the ideal amount of time for micro-scheduling. If it is much longer than that, it will be hard to accurately forecast, which eliminates some of the value of the schedule. If it is shorter, there may not be enough value in taking the time to build a micro-schedule for a few tasks.
2. How do you work most effectively?
Do you work best starting with easy things to get in a groove? Or do you need to devote the beginning of your time to the tasks that are most difficult? The success of your micro-schedule will rest on your accurate assessment of your work habits.
3. How long do tasks take you to complete?
This one will take some time to figure out. It took me a few months of trying this to eventually begin accurately estimating my times. Early on, I would regularly under-estimate how long tasks would take me which lead to me feeling like I was falling behind. However, as time has gone on, I have made observations and now consistently estimate proper times. The key is to be honest with yourself. The micro-schedule will not be as useful as it could be if you do not set aside the adequate amount of time for each task.
Does It Work for You?
If you try this strategy, let me know how it works for you. How have you personalized it? Has it been effective?
Also, if you already are doing something similar to this, what are your tips to others trying it for the first time? How does your method differ from mine?
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