5 Tips to Create a Sustainable Schedule

Let’s talk about sustainability, shall we?

Now, when I say that word, you probably think of recycling, water conservation, and lowering your carbon footprint.

These are all great (please protect our planet!)… but they’re not the kind of sustainability we will talk about today.

Too often, we don’t take sustainability into account when we are planning our own schedule or the schedules of our employees. We want to go, go go, get ALL THE THINGS done, and constantly increase our productivity.

There’s just one problem with that. It’s not sustainable. Sure, you can hustle for short periods of time. If there’s a product launch, a merger, a shift from one system to another, or any other task that requires all hands on deck, you (or your employees) may have to put in more hours than usual. This is okay for a few days or maybe even a few weeks. The challenge begins when those hours shift from a short-term, temporary situation, to a long-term, permanent schedule.

How do you create a sustainable schedule AND get your work done? You may have already guessed it… boundaries!

What is Sustainability?

A quick Google search shows sustainability as “The ability to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

Now, of course, that’s talking about environmental sustainability – but we can make it work.

Try this out for size:

“The ability to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of your future self to meet their own needs.”

A lack of sustainability in scheduling leads to anxiety, overwhelm, and eventually burnout. Not only is your mental health and physical health at risk, but when it comes to burnout on the job, your future career aspirations could be in danger as well.

If you lead an organization or a team, failure to consider sustainability will result in decreased satisfaction and productivity, more sick days, and increased turnover. In layman’s terms… if you work your people too hard, they’ll be unhappy, sick, and of no use to you in the future.

How Do We Create Sustainability?

There are a number of ideas you can incorporate to create a reasonable workload that employees (or you) can maintain over the course of months and even years.

1.      Understand your business

What needs to get done? What are the projects and tasks that have to be done on a regular basis? Are there tasks that are still being done that can be abandoned or automated? Understanding the workload of the organization or the department will help you delegate tasks to employees (or contractors), and ensure that each person has a REALISTIC amount of work on their plate. This will also allow you to hire the staff you need so as not to overburden the staff you have.

2.      Prioritize Tasks

Are certain tasks or responsibilities more important than others? When are they due? Are these tasks the first step in a multi-step process where other team members count on someone completing them within a specific period? Are there tasks assigned to a specific employee that must be completed before they assist anyone else with their work?

3.      Include Buffers

Emergencies happen. If you or your employees are scheduled from the moment you step foot in the office until the moment you leave (or even worse, if you take work home with you), any “emergencies” that pop up will require overtime. Another important reason for incorporating breaks or buffers into your schedule? This is when your brain is free to be creative. You could stare at a problem for hours (or years!) and only find the solution when you are taking a walk, working out, or focusing your brain elsewhere. Buffers create time for creative thinking, ingenuity, and increased focus.

4.      Minimize Distractions

Multi-tasking is a myth. The human brain cannot do multiple things at once. Instead, the brain shifts from one task to another, taking up to 15 minutes to regain focus on what you were initially doing. That means looking at a text, checking an email, chatting with a coworker, etc., will make a short task take considerably longer. Put your phone on silent, turn off notifications on your email, and let coworkers or employees know when you are available for questions or conversations and when you are fully focused on the work at hand.

5.      Practice Self-Care

Like it or not, sleep is essential. Thankfully, we seem to be leaving the era when working until all hours of the night is worn like a badge of honor. It’s time to fully embrace taking breaks, disconnecting from work when the “work day” is over, and finding activities outside of work that light you up. 

Conclusion

Establishing boundaries for yourself and your employees is essential to creating a sustainable schedule. Hustling for short periods of time may get the job done, but prolonged periods of stress and overwork will do more harm than good.

For more information on establishing healthy boundaries at work, visit www.SherylGreenSpeaks.com

About Sheryl Green

Sheryl Green is a Mental Health speaker, author, and the “How to Say No” Expert. She works with individuals and organizations to establish healthy boundaries to improve relationships, communication, and well-being. Her mission is to make the world a better place… one boundary at a time. Learn more about her entertaining and illuminating programs or contact her at 702.885.4309.

Get her How to Say No cheat sheet.