As 2014 comes to a close, many of us are checking in on the goals we set for ourselves in January.  For a lot of us, the results are not pretty.

Twelve months seemed like more than enough time to do those things.  However, now there are only two weeks until 2015 starts and the to-do list is looking rather undone.

There are a multitude of little reasons that contribute to suboptimal productivity.  Usually though, it comes down to the fact that a lot of us have adversarial relationships with schedules.

For the vast majority of my life, my days were scheduled by other people.  While I was in school, there were class schedules.  When I was practicing medicine, surgeries and patient appointments occurred at specific times.  Most of my day was out of my control.

All that appointment-keeping led me to develop a rebellious attitude towards scheduling personal time.  My free time was mine to do with whatever I wanted.

I had difficulty committing to specific times in my leisure hours because it felt like a conspiracy against spontaneous fun.  As a result, I was late A LOT and I was a procrastinator extraordinaire.

What I’ve learned over the years is my schedule is actually my friend.  It’s what allows my time to reflect my priorities.

There are two habits that have aided me tremendously in my struggle with procrastination and tardiness.

Schedule leisure time.

Folks mock me when I tell them I do this.  Scheduling free time seems counterintuitive.

First off, let’s stop calling it free time.  That’s part of the problem.  Free makes us think of an unscheduled, unfettered, endless expanse of time.

Yeah, that doesn’t exist.

We all have 24 hours in the day.  In order to utilize them most effectively, we need to prioritize.

I know I need down time every day to remain a pleasant human being.  I am also a type A overachiever.  If I don’t actually schedule leisure time into my work day, I will work straight through and thus become a total grump.

Leisure time doesn’t have to be a huge production.  My relaxation activities include 15 minute walks around my neighborhood and 30 minute social media breaks.

The key for me is that it’s scheduled and time-limited.  Open-ended leisure time is a set-up for falling asleep on the couch watching TV or getting sucked into a YouTube black hole.

Assign time to tasks.

My biggest time management challenge is having an entire day with no external commitments.  I figure if I have the WHOLE day to do a few things then I don’t need to schedule anything.

That line of thinking is the kiss of death to my productivity.  I have been known to blow through an entire Saturday watching Lifetime holiday movies instead of going grocery shopping.

So yeah, I’m saying to schedule your weekends too.  Set aside a certain amount of time for each task you really have to get done. 

If I’ve determined a mind-numbing chore will take multiple hours, I break it into different appointments over the course of the weekend.  Ninety minutes at a time is my limit for tasks of drudgery.

This helps me remain productive the whole time I’m supposed to be working because I know a break is coming.  

This approach results in much more progress than just making a long list of tasks to complete at some point over a 48 hour period.  I’m also more realistic about how much I can really do in one long weekend.

If you opt to schedule a holiday movie marathon for your Saturday, that’s cool too.  Just be intentional about how you use your time.

After a lifetime of fighting it, my friendship with a personal schedule is still a work in progress.  I’ve realized the essential component to embracing a schedule is knowing what my priorities are.

When my schedule reflects what’s important to me, I enjoy it rather than get annoyed by it.  I am able to visualize all the cool things I get to fit into my days.  That’s when life is truly fun!

If you would like help learning to craft a schedule that reflects your priorities, please click here to request an Essence of Strength sample coaching conversation.