An Answer to, “Why Can’t I Follow My Schedule?”

Sometimes even the most productive people get overwhelmed and exclaim – “Why can’t I follow my schedule?!”

In this overbooked world of overproductive, time starved people, sometimes even when we try hard to follow a schedule it’s difficult. Here are some tips from my friend and fellow business coach Lisa Criley Mallis to help you answer this question for yourself.

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I recently worked with a couple who had adjusted their daily schedules and goals so they could focus on their business priorities. The wife, Fran, had great results as she had decided to focus a chunk of her day to prospecting – and this focus was paying off in new business.

Her husband Joe, however, was struggling with his new schedule. He knew what his priorities were and, just as Fran did, created a schedule that allowed him to accomplish them easily.

So why did he exclaim “Why can’t I follow my schedule?”

• He wasn’t easily distracted.
• He didn’t procrastinate.
• He didn’t drop a task to follow a “shiny object.”
• He didn’t vastly underestimate the time a task would take so he “fell behind.”
• He didn’t get caught up in answering email, social media, and other distractions.

[Tweet “Why can’t I follow my schedule?” Top reasons and ways to stay #productive at work”]

None of these typical reasons applied in this situation, but as we talked, the answer became obvious. Joe started the scheduled portion of his day too early! He is most creative and focuses the most clearly in the afternoon, and yet he scheduled activities requiring concentration and focus as early as 5 am!

Many leaders advocate the very early morning as being the best time to get things done – few others are awake to interrupt you. However I don’t recommend blindly following this advice. (More on energy levels and productivity here.)

I advocate figuring out the amount of sleep you need to be productive and using that information to determine what time your day should start. So maybe your “5 am” looks a little more like “7 am.” What’s wrong with that? To be productive, your schedule needs to match your strengths!

After this revelation, both Fran AND Joe are successful in working with a schedule that reflects their priorities and goals. They no longer have a need to work during the same hours. Fran starts very early; Joe starts a bit later. Fran wraps it up mid-afternoon; Joe is still going strong in the early evening.

Success!! Therefore, the answer to the question: “Why can’t I follow my schedule” is to develop a unique, customized (and often hybrid) time management planning and action approach that works for you! 

Would you like to learn the secret behind your personal productivity blocks and the key’s to following your own schedule? Go here to take the Time & Space Style Inventory for yourself and when you take the assessment, you’ll get your personal style report, and access to an entire world of ideas, suggestions, tips and opportunities to customize your own systems and keep yourself on schedule!

Please share your thoughts and comments

Your turn! When during the day do you feel most creative and energized? How do you maximize your productivity during that time? Please comment and share!

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I’m excited to share this  post by Lisa Crilley Mallis, a time strategy visionary who believes every person deserves the opportunity to live the life of their dreams feeling in control and bringing balance into their lives.  The crazy, “I’m so busy” feeling does not have to be way of life. Lisa is a master at cutting to the heart of overwhelm to help you regain control of your schedule and experience life.  When you follow your personalized time management strategy, every day can be productive, rewarding, and fun!

Connect with Lisa at www.SystemSavvyConsulting.com as well as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+!

Thanks so much Lisa for sharing your insights with us!

These time management tips are great for us Mompreneurs!

To contact Lisa directly, you may find her at www.SystemSavvyConsulting.com