Do you ever feel like it’s all too much? Every Thursday, I share one action, habit, or project you may want to undertake in order to improve your health, happiness, and sense of well-being.

PROJECT OF THE WEEK

The Secret to Estimating Time

You are not alone if you find yourself consistently underestimating how long tasks will take.

In 1979, Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tverseky proposed the phenomenon called the Planning Fallacy. The Planning Fallacy describes our tendency to underestimate the amount of time it will take to complete a task.

Getting Started

The first step in overcoming our tendency to underestimate how long a task will take is to understand that our natural inclination is to underestimate the length of time it will take us to complete the task. Read that again.

A quick rule of thumb I use with clients is to plan for double the amount of time you think it will take and leave yourself a cushion, in case it does go longer.

However, the best solution, especially for projects and routines that you partake in on a regular basis, is to time it out.

Do you know how long it takes you to:

Complete your full morning routine
Cook dinner
Put the kids to bed
Grocery shop
Pay your monthly bills
Clear out emails daily
Pack for a business trip

How to time out the length of your project or routine:

Write out a step-by-step list of actions you need to take to fully complete the project or routine.

Example - Grocery Shopping

Review what food you currently have in the house.
Decide what meals you want to cook over the next week.
Write out a grocery list.
Ask other household members if there are any grocery items they want to add to the list.
Commute to the grocery store.
Buy all the groceries on your list.
Commute home from the grocery store.
Put the groceries away.

It's important to be thorough in listing out all your actions. If you skip an item or two, that may lead to double work later on.

For example, if you skip the step of asking other household members what they would like to add to the list, and are therefore unaware that your middle-schooler agreed to bake cookies for her sleepover that weekend, you will have to make a second trip.

This will both add time to the task and lead you to continue to underestimate how long your weekly grocery shopping takes.

Using your step-by-step Action List as a checklist, time out how long your full project or routine takes.
Write down the length of time it took on the Action List.
I would recommend timing it out 2 or 3 times, to get an accurate idea of the length of time.
It important to time the project or routine on days that will give you an accurate estimate of time.

For example, if you are timing out your morning routine, don't skip Mondays because those are your toughest mornings. You want to know how long it will take, regardless of how you are feeling when you wake up.

Happy Spaces’ Tips & Tricks

Having an accurate idea of how long a project will take can greatly reduce anxiety and procrastination.

Feeling confident that you have enough time to finish the project promotes a sense of calm and concentration.

Understanding the true length of time, gives you the option to break the actions out into multiple work sessions. This leads to less overwhelm, which translates into reduced procrastination.

While I know timing out routines and projects can feel overwhelming, the sense of peace it provides to your daily life is measurable and impactful.

I would recommend picking one routine or project to start and see how it impacts your life.

There is no better motivator than positive outcomes and improved mental health.

A Note from Happy Spaces

The goal is to add value to your life. If you think this project will add value:

Estimate how long you think it will take. I would recommend doubling the time you estimate.
Look at your calendar over the next week and pick a date and time to get started.
Make an appointment on your calendar for the estimated time.
If you estimate that completing this project will take longer than one hour, I recommend doing it over multiple days. This will support you in getting started!
Prior to starting this project, take a few minutes to make a step-by-step list of EVERY action you need to take to complete this project.
It's not all or nothing. You can choose to implement only the parts of this project that add value to your life.
An Accountability Partner can be a great support in following through on your goals and commitments.

We understand how challenging it can be to implement new habits and systems. For additional support please go to HappySpacesBySarah.com.

Creating a life you don't need a vacation from! ®

Sincerely,

Sarah Weingarten

Meet Sarah

Growing up as the oldest of nine siblings in Upstate New York, I learned to use organization to create sanity among the chaos. Today, I work together with individuals, families, and small businesses to create habits, systems, and spaces that support their needs, goals, and dreams. Clients often refer to our work together as "life-changing" and "better than decades of therapy". What I love most about my work is the lasting impact it has on real people's lives. Nothing makes me happier than hearing the many success stories of clients I have worked with.

The Secret to Estimating Time