Will You Work More Effectively with A Micro Schedule?
Micro scheduling is a concept that’s popular with many celebrities and businesspeople thanks to its meticulous and efficient approach to time management. The trend encourages people to account for every minute of their time by planning a strict schedule that allocates time slots to various activities and tasks, ensuring no second is wasted.
Typically, micro schedulers will assign blocks of time to different events in advance of their day. These may be 15-minute to one-hour slots, but extreme micro schedulers have been known to go as far as scheduling in loo breaks and mundane tasks such as putting the bins out!
Popular YouTuber and micro scheduler Casey Neistat says, “I wanna maximise every waking second. Time is the most precious resource.” Other advocates claim that following a micro schedule decreases anxiety since you know exactly what you’re doing at all times, and this means you can focus on the task in hand.
Below is an example of a micro schedule:
- 6.00am –
wake up, shower, get ready
- 7.00am –
breakfast
- 7.20am –
Social media and emails
- 7.40am –
Leave for work
- 8.00am –
Start work
- 12.00pm (lunch hour) –
Post on social and respond to emails
- 12.15pm –
Phone utility company and sort out bills
- 12.30pm –
Eat lunch
- 12.45pm –
Online shopping
- 1.00pm –
Back to work
- 5.30pm –
Home from work and get changed
- 5.45pm –
Drive to gym
- 6.00pm –
Work out
- 7.00pm –
Drive home
- 7.15pm –
Cook dinner
- 7.45pm –
Eat dinner
- 8.10pm –
Wash up
- 8.20pm –
Water plants
- 8.30pm –
Food shop
- 9.30pm –
Unpack food
- 9.50pm –
Bubble bath
- 10.15pm –
Read book
- 10.30pm –
Bed
While following a rigid routine may sound like a bore to some people – especially since it leaves no room for spontaneity – micro scheduling can certainly benefit you if you’re a naturally busy person who is struggling to stay on top of workload. In fact, The Daily Mail recently published an article about a working mum of two who was desperately trying to find work-life balance in the midst of her hectic lifestyle. She felt like she was failing in all aspects until she decided to try micro scheduling her time; she now claims that the new time management system has transformed her life. This new method dictates that the dishwasher goes on at the same time every day and not a single second is wasted – she even checks her emails while the kettle is boiling rather than simply waiting around for her cuppa!
A lot of the people in the media who have adopted micro scheduling are deemed successful, for example Mark Wahlberg, but despite the method’s ability to help micro schedulers take control of their day, psychologist Annette Byford cautions adopters of the technique stating that it presents this idea of achievable perfection that we can easily fall short of. She says, “People are already struggling with the demands of work, long commute times and feeling like they need to be being present online, and micro scheduling is, I think, bordering on dangerous: they're peddling the idea that it is possible to stay perfectly on top of things.” In her book, ‘A Wedding in the Family’ she says, “Human frailty is a natural thing and an unavoidable thing. If you push people into believing they have to constantly chase this perfect solution to everything, you're setting them up for a fall. Children thrive under routine, but they shouldn't feel like they're being scheduled in – that's positively damaging.”
Whether you agree with Byford or not, there’s no denying that micro scheduling can be beneficial to certain personalities who wish to micro-manage their days. In fact, it seems that people from all walks of life are relishing in the successes gained from living with a micro schedule (mums, celebrities, businesspeople). One fan says, “I love having a micro schedule as it makes me feel in control and ensures that I don't waste my time; I hate the feeling of going to bed at night thinking I wasn't productive with my evening (and weekends can produce an even worse feeling).”
Would micro scheduling work for you? Let us know if you’ve tried it in the comments.
