One of the best things you can do with your schedule is leave some slack in it. I tell you this a reminder to myself, because I find that my calendar is often packed just a little too tight. I do little things like throw a jacket over some events, which helps, but consistency in slack is key.
In a recent episode of “The Long and The Short Of It” podcast, Pete and Jen were talking about dealing with uncertainty. Jen posed a very simple question that really stood out to me, saying:
“Is slack necessary to be able to function well in uncertainty?”
I think the answer is a clear “yes”. If there is any uncertainty in your day, which we all tend to have, slack is the easiest way to deal with it. If your schedule is 100% packed and something unexpected comes up (good or bad), it will be very difficult to deal with it. Slack is key.
As Pete points out in the show, the other big key to dealing with uncertainty is the ability to show grace. While slack will help for things that impact you, showing grace is the best way to help for the uncertainty that hits others.
How do you build slack into your day? It’s easier said than done, but I have two thoughts:
- Calendar blocking can help. If you intentionally leave white space in your calendar (and block it off from meetings), that will give you a time to focus on some deep work while also leaving slack for any uncertainty that arises.
- Similarly, leaving time for things like clarity breaks will have a similar benefit. Most of the time you should be able to take those breaks, but if the day goes sideways it can be some easy time to reclaim.
What do you do to leave some slack in your calendar?
