Creating an Activity Schedule : Preparing for an Activity or Event & Participating in the Activity

Preparing for an Activity or Event

Some people thrive on anticipation and preparation. They don't have too much trouble handling this part of the scheduling. Other people focus on the event itself and often find themselves running around at the last minute. A smooth-running schedule must allow time for all of the preparatory activity.

You may not be aware of it, but getting ready for even the simplest of activities is really a complex series of decisions and events. Some of them come very naturally to you, so you won't need to schedule all of their details separately. For example, when you set aside a half hour to shower and get dressed in the morning, you probably don't have to break down the process minute-by-minute into all of the following components:

• Take off pajamas.

• Adjust water in shower.

• Lather.

• Rinse.

• Turn off water.

• Dry off.

• Apply deodorant.

• Put on clothes.

• Comb hair.

On the other hand, you may have more success with some other activities if you take the time to schedule their various components. For example, if you've received an invitation to a birthday party that you plan to attend, you'll probably remember to put the party on your calendar. But you should also consider scheduling the following preparatory activities:

• RSVP.

• Buy a present.

• Buy a card.

• Wrap the present; make sure you have

  Wrapping paper.

  Ribbon.

  Tape.

• Select what you'll wear; make sure

  It fits.

  It's clean/pressed/mended.

• Make sure you have

  Transportation to the party.

  Directions to the party.

• Arrange for a babysitter (if necessary).

In general, asking yourself the following questions will go a long way toward making sure that you schedule all the preliminary steps to make the main event happen stress-free:

• Do I have the necessary information to do this?
  
  
• If not, how can I get the information, and how long will it take?
  
  
• Do I have what I need in terms of tools, equipment, ingredients?
  
  
• If not, where will I get them, and how long will it take?
  
  
• Do I need to do anything in advance of the activity?
  
  
• If yes, when do I have to do these tasks, and how long will they take?
  
  
• Do other people need to be involved in preparing for this activity?
  
  
• If yes, when will they be available?
  
  
• Is there anything else I must do to be ready for this activity?

Participating in the Activity

The second aspect of every scheduled activity is participation in the actual event. As long as you remember to schedule the event at all, you don't have to worry about skipping this phase. Instead, the challenge at this point is to know how much time to allot for the activity.

You may feel that tasks always take longer to complete than you think they should. They may be taking too long for a variety of reasons. Lack of preparation is one reason. But you should be well on your way to conquering this problem after having read the previous section. Another reason is failure to focus. Distractions and interruptions can erode time at an incredible rate. Making sure the task is scheduled and then sticking to working on the task during the scheduled time will help you accomplish your work in a more reasonable amount of time.

Estimating the Time You'll Spend in an Activity

So, how do you decide how much time to block out for a particular activity? Follow these steps:

This formula will give you a number that's longer than the time you will need for many things after you have your schedule well in hand, but it will be a good time frame from which to start.

Making Good Use of Leftover Time Fragments

Here are some suggestions of good items for your fill-in-the-gap list:

• Write a note to a friend.

• Phone a friend.

• Play a game with your child.

• Water your plants.

• Sew a button.

• Read a magazine.

• Clean out the glove box in your car.

• Balance your checkbook.

• Check last night's sports scores.

• Take a walk.

Or, occasionally, you can just reward yourself by putting your feet up for a few minutes.

INTERRUPTIONS