How to Make Sure You Get Your Timing Right

When I was little my father used to tell me, “timing is everything.” Each year this phrase has made increasingly more sense as I’ve come to realize that when we do things can matter as much as what we do.  It is a shame to have good ideas, plans, and efforts undermined by bad timing. Therefore, it is worth doing all you can to make sure you get your timing right. Here are a few ways you can time put timing to your advantage.

Operate in Synch With Your Body

Each person has a unique internal rhythm. As much as we may hear mantras about the “right” way (e.g., “the early bird gets the worm“), we differ when it comes to:

• What time of day we feel most productive (e.g., morning vs. night)
• How much sleep we need (e.g., 5 hours vs. 9 hours)
• What type of environment we work most effectively in (e.g., a room full of people vs. isolation)
• How we learn/produce (e.g. sitting down vs. standing up/moving around)

To maximize efficiency, it makes sense to be self aware in regards to when you feel most productive, and then try to align your schedules and tasks accordingly. Some musicians I know are at their most creative in the wee hours of the morning. Many athletes I know enjoy the pre-dawn hours for a workout. There is no wrong time, as long as it feels right to you. Admittedly, many must work within an employer’s or family’s constraints. Nevertheless, to the extent that you can choose when to work, it makes sense to go with what your body wants. In some ways, the pandemic has led some employers to be more flexible on this topic than in previous eras.

A good place to start is by imagining creating your “ideal workday” (not a vacation day, but a day where you are productive). What would it look like? When would you complete the various tasks before you? Now consider your options, talk to other stakeholders in your life, and see what changes might be possible. Even changing one thing about the flow of your day might have a significant impact.

Be Mindful About When You Make Decisions

There are good times and bad times to make decisions. Admittedly, we often have no choice about when we make decisions. If our child is bleeding, we need to instantly decide whether or not to go to the ER. Still, many of the decisions we need to make have a measure of flexibility when it comes to timing. For instance, I can decide tonight what I will wear tomorrow. This shifts the decision to a moment when I am potentially calmer and less crunched for time.

In general, it is wise to avoid making big decisions when we are tired or stressed. Often, when we are spinning on a decision, the best thing we can do is walk away and get some sleep, food, or exercise. Remember that it is perfectly acceptable to set a future time to make a decision. We can give ourselves a week to ponder, make a “pros” and “cons” list, talk to others, etc., but commit to making a decision by a specific point in time.

If people ever pressure you for an instant decision, you don’t need to cave in. Children are notorious for wearing parents down, largely because they have fewer things to do with their time than lobby for what they want. Salespeople can be the same way. They make us thing we must “decide now,” when this simply isn’t true. One phrase to try is, “If you need a decision right now, the answer is no. If you are willing to wait until (fill in the blank time), I will give it some thought.”

Make Time Work for You

We all have a series of tasks to complete in any given day. Many times we perform these tasks at the time we feel we “should,” instead of when we would be most convenient. A simple example is dinner preparation. We wait all day and start making dinner at 5 or 6pm because this is what we’ve always done. In reality, however, the 5 o’clock hour is often the most chaotic time of day, when we may be driving kids around, bouncing a colicky baby, or dragging in from a long day at work. Instead of waiting, consider tackling the “time insensitive” chores (e.g., chopping, measuring, table setting, prepping) at a calmer time of day. Maybe chop veggies as you are eating breakfast, or consider pre-measuring all ingredients during nap time. Have you ever watched a chef prepare a meal on a TV show in about 5 minutes? This is possible because most of the work has already been done. With a bit of planning, you can even do a fair amount of prep work over the weekend to carry you through the week.

This concept can be applied to many of our daily responsibilities. Take a look at the tasks you regularly perform, especially those that seem stressful, and ask yourself “Can I do any part of this at a another time of day that would work better for me?”

Take Advantage of Momentum

In many cases, the hardest part of a task is getting started. We may procrastinate beginning a task, especially one that feels difficult or overwhelming. On the flip side, what often happens is that once we finally do get started, we get “into the groove.” This is when momentum kicks in, and it can be a powerful tool.

If you have trouble initiating, you need to give yourself a rigid prompt that you cannot ignore. For example, you may say, “I will sit and work on this task for 15 minutes. I will set a timer, and when the timer goes off, I will let myself be finished.” Knowing you get to stop in 15 minutes will help you get started. If, however, once you get started, you find yourself having energy to go longer, and if you have the bandwidth to do so, go ahead and ride the wave. Progress can be very motivating, so don’t suppress a surge of energy unnecessarily.

Use Other’s Time Wisely

Many items on our to-do list require participation from another person. This is a tough one, because we cannot control when and how others behave. However, we can increase our odds of success by being intentional and thoughtful in our communication.  When you need cooperation from another person, always ask yourself, “When is the best time to ask this person for help with this request?” For instance:

• If you need help from your husband, the best time to ask is probably not the moment he first walks in the door. A better time may be after he’s changed clothes and had dinner, or maybe when he’s stuck in the airport, waiting for a flight, and has time to kill.
• If you need content or input from a coworker, the best time to ask is likely not the night before the complex deliverable is due. Try and make your requests as far in advance as you can, giving her time to meet your need without throwing her own schedule off.
• If you want your teen to do something, the best time to approach him is not when he is trying to get to practice, study for 2 tests, or process a relationship failure. A better option may be to ask during a car ride, before he is going to bed, or after a happy moment.

We don’t want to pressure others to be productive only when it is convenient for us, but also when it is convenient for them, and when they are most likely to give us the response we seek. By considering other people’s time and frame of mind, we actually increase our own productivity.

Cultivate Future Awareness

Problems are always easier to deal with when you have sufficient time. Unfortunately, many issues come with no forewarning, and in these cases, we just have to do the best we can. However, there are instances when a bit of foresight and proactivity on our part can make things go a lot more smoothly.

Back in my consulting days I was part of a new business launch. Well in advance of the launch, my boss came into my office and told me that he wanted me to make a giant diagram on my wall that showed all possible things I could think of that might go wrong, and then how we would respond if it happened. Fortunately, most of the glitches and disasters I dreamed up never happened, but a few did, and I was glad I knew exactly how to respond.

You may look ahead and derail problems by doing things like:

• Taking action when you sense a possession is about to break, instead of waiting for it to fail. (Have you noticed that things never break when it is convenient?)
• Planning vacations well in advance so you can get the best prices, flight times, tickets, and accommodations.
• Initiating conversations on sensitive issues before a relationship blows up.
• Checking the traffic before you head out on the road.
• Reconfirming plans with relevant parties before an important date.
• Stocking up on supplies that you know you/your family may need (e.g., poster board, food staples, medications, etc.)
• Setting out items you need to take with you tomorrow in a designated location.

I’m not trying to keep you from being fully engaged in and enjoying the current moment. Rather, I’m encouraging you to look ahead on a regular basis and ask “Is there anything I can being doing now to prevent a hassle in the future?”

If You Can Do It Now, Do It Now

Over the years I’ve come to realize that my time really is not my own. I may have big plans for what I will do tomorrow or the next day, but then something emerges that interferes with my plan: a meeting gets added to my schedule, a child wakes up sick, the electricity goes out, I get a flat tire, etc. If you provide care for someone, you are probably very familiar with this scenario. You just never know for sure when you will have a reliable block of time.

As a result, I now tell myself, “Seana, you can do it now, so just go ahead and do it.” The timing is right when you can follow through. Might I delay and do it in the future? Yes, maybe. But also, maybe not. Why take the risk? If something is worth doing, and the only thing keeping you from doing it now is emotion (i.e., I don’t feel like it), you are better off to just buck up and get it done.

Be Open to Unexpected Opportunities

I am a major planner, and spontaneity is not my long suit. I would buy Christmas gifts in advance for the next ten years if that were practical. While planning has many benefits, it can sometimes blind us to emerging opportunities. I’ve heard many a celebrity talk about being in the right place at the right time, often by happenstance. While this doesn’t happen to everyone, it is worth acknowledging that they succeeded because they jumped on the opportunity.

A good blend of planning and flexibility is when we have a general idea of what we want to achieve on any given day/week/year, but we also allow ourselves to consider shifting our plans if a better option becomes available. A wonderful job, a new friendship, a perfect volunteer role may pop into your life when you are least expecting it. Timing isn’t always about what we plan, but also about what we do not. When we can be nimble and pivot, from one plan to another, we maximize our productivity.

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There may never be enough time to leisurely accomplish all you need to do, but there are things you can do to make sure you get your timing right.

What tricks have you found to make the most of your time?