How to Fill Time in a Schedule

How to Fill Time in a Schedule

Are looking for a way to deal with filling time in your schedule or calendar?

Find yourself with an unexpected chunk of time on your hands for the next several hours?

Maybe one of your regularly scheduled work meetings was cancelled at the last minute, and you now find yourself with an hour or two to fill. What incredible luck!

You could sort through your emails, start researching reception venues for your upcoming wedding, do some much-needed filing, not to mention make a quick run to the drugstore to pick up a prescription… 

While you can do any host of tasks during this newly-found time, a more reasonable and practical approach is to simply do one of two things.

In this post, you’ll find two tips to help you fill that time in your schedule smoothly and calmly.

You may be tempted to make this process more complicated than necessary for yourself.

Simply follow the instructions below and you’ll be well on your way to filling that time gently, and easily.

Choose to work on one activity or task.

You may be thinking, “Wait, I suddenly hit the jackpot with this extra bit of time and you’re telling me to just do one thing? I could do so many things during this time!”

Sure, you could do lots of different things during this time.

But look at it this way: you were already committed to doing one thing at that time before your meeting was cancelled.

Why run the risk of complicating your day and schedule? You’re no worse off before your meeting was cancelled.

Just take a deep breath, choose one item, and start working.

Relax and appreciate your newly-found time.

Do you ever find yourself saying, “I wish I had some time in my schedule so I could finally take a break?”

Well, there’s the time, and there is most certainly the chance for a much-needed break. Why not take it?

Unfortunately, we’ve been hardwired to fill any blank time in our schedules with something, and in many cases anything.

But why not take this time to relax, smell the roses, and take a break?

Gifts like these are rare, so you might as well accept them with open arms.

If you start to feel any pangs of guilt, remember you are no worse off for using your time in this manner than when you first scheduled your meeting.

How about you? How do you spend time that suddenly opens up in your schedule? Join the conversation and leave a comment below!

5 Unexpected Things You Need to Organize a Work Notebook Mockup
About the Author

Rashelle

Rashelle Isip is a New York City-based productivity consultant who helps successful entrepreneurs and business owners manage their time and energy so they can reduce stress, work less, and make more money in their businesses. She has been featured in Fast Company, Forbes, NBC News, The Washington Post, NPR, and The Atlantic. Get her free guide, 5 Unexpected Things You Need to Organize a Work Notebook, by clicking here.

2 Comments

  1. Moreen Torpy

    What a gift that would be to have a chunk of time liberated from a busy day! I know I’d feel pulled to knock off more of those to-dos and risk being late for my next appointment. Now that you’ve mentioned it, I’ll make an effort to take some down-time when that gift appears again!

    Reply
    • theorderexpert

      I know, right? Time is so precious nowadays and I wanted people to be able to appreciate such a gift of free time…and not worry about trying to pack tons of things into it! Thanks so much for the comment.

      Reply

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