Many people feel that in order to be truly
efficient in their work day, they have to be constantly busy,
constantly moving from one thing to another. These people make a
constant effort to not waste a single moment in their day.

The reality? Productivity is more about rhythm than perpetual motion.
Just as top athletes and performers need to find a personal rhythm, so
you, as a professional in your field, need to find the proper rhythm
for how you use your day.

It's
important to allow buffer time between the appointments that you have.
If we've learned anything from the last ten years of our
technology-oriented society, it's to expect the unexpected. There are
always going to be interruptions to your schedule—the emergency phone
call, the unexpected coworker, the child at school who is suddenly ill.
There is always going to be someone who is calling and asking for
something. If we do not create space in our schedule to deal with these
interruptions, we will instead be constantly switchtasking, alternating
back and forth between tasks, rather than giving each task the full
attention it deserves.

Each day as I meet with my
clients, I schedule 30 minutes of buffer time between each hour
appointment. Does that sound excessive? I use that 30 minutes for a
variety of things:

• I dictate notes from the previous meeting. This helps both myself and my clients review what we discussed.
• I give myself time to "power down" from the meeting. Just being able to relax for a few moments goes a long way toward avoiding a feeling of burnout.
• I give myself time to answer phone calls that happened during the meeting. Calls are bound to happen, and the extra space gives me time to respond to them in a timely manner.
• I give myself time to "power up" for my next meeting. I
  prepare my notes, look over any important files, and get myself in a
  state of readiness for the unique needs of the next client.

How can you find your own unique rhythm for your day?

First, understand that drastic task switches require more time.
If you're switching from one e-mail to another e-mail the amount of
switching cost may only be a second. But if you're switching from
working on a creative design solution to responding to financial
numbers it is going to be a very difficult, very costly switch because
the two are completely unrelated. Give your brain time to make the
transition by building extra buffer time.

Second, consider how often you are likely to be interrupted.
The more likely it is that you have interruptions, the more you are
going to have to increase the amount of buffer time between
appointments. Schedule the unexpected by leaving buffer time between
appointment and tasks. Allow yourself room to answer phone calls,
respond to e-mails, and answer questions from co-workers.

Third, consider the rhythm of your business.
Certain businesses have key "money hours", the time of the day in
which sales are most likely to occur. Other businesses, such as auto
repair or hair salons, have "interruption hours" when customers are
most likely to walk in unannounced with a need. Pay attention to the
flow of work in your business. Leave yourself more space during the
time periods in which there are more interruptions. Also be sure to
schedule "money appointments" during money time.

Finally, be aware of your unique physiological rhythm.
Each person is wired differently to the cycle of the day. Personally,
I'm a morning person. My most effective hours for processing email and
performing tasks are before Noon. Therefore, I work on projects or
handle processing in the morning and put off more structured meetings
until the afternoon as much as possible. Become aware of how your body
responds to the progression of the day and schedule tasks accordingly.

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