STYLE Savvy: Testing Time

Are you good at sticking to a schedule? Lisa Hess considers her struggles with estimating the time needed to complete tasks.

I am terrible at estimating how long things take. One of the pieces of advice often offered by those who do time management well is to estimate how long a task will take, then add at least fifteen minutes. Others suggest building buffer time between tasks to aid in staying on schedule.

I don't know if I'm optimistic or dense, but no matter how I try, I cannot manage to do this successfully on a regular basis. I have my regular routines down so that I’m rarely late for obligations (like work) but, when it comes to things like getting ready to leave for (or from) a trip, I always cut things too close. I’ve considered the possibility that this happens only when it's something I don't want to do (like pack or leave for home after a weekend away), but my internal monologue is always the same.

It won't take that long.

Ha. Famous last words. It always takes longer than I think it will.

I'd like to say I'll do better -- or, better yet, actually do better -- and I probably will on a limited basis. The real problem, I suspect, lies in transitions. When I'm happily ensconced in an activity, it's easy to convince myself that the thing I have to next won't take as long as I think it will because I don't want to stop doing the thing I'm already doing.

Just me?

In the end, I'm on time for most things that matter and I'm good at cramming a lot of tasks into a day when I put my mind to it but, if the option for flex-time exists, I'll take it every time.

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It always takes longer than I think it will. #catholicmom

How about you? Are you good at sticking to a schedule, or are you hoping someone will create a planner with dotted lines to accommodate your style of merging one activity into the next?

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