It's time to discard all unnecessary things and do only what you really want to spend your life on. How to prioritize, become freer and happier?
The new approach to business and responsibilities, which writer Greg McKeon talks about in his book Essentialism, has already helped many people to prioritize, become freer and happier. The essentialist's most important principle is to discard all unnecessary things and do only what you really want to spend your life on. Well, if you have already crossed out everything unnecessary and have chosen the most important for yourself, then you should learn more about the second principle: always get ready for force majeure. This will allow you to cope with duties on time and without unnecessary fuss.
Why do we need a buffer?
Our world is complex and unpredictable. You never know for sure that you won't get stuck in a traffic jam on the way to work, that the flight to the desired city won't be canceled, that you won't slip and break your leg. The same problems await us at work. A supplier can delay delivery, a colleague can make a mistake, and a customer can suddenly change the whole project.
What is the best way to proceed: react to events that have already taken place or prepare for accidents in advance? The answer is obvious: it is necessary to create a buffer that will help not to lose control over the situation even in the most extreme conditions. In the literal sense, a buffer is an element that softens the shock when two parts of the mechanism come into contact. In the figurative, it is an intermediate link that weakens the force of any opposition or collision.
Do not hope for the best and say: "This will only take five minutes", "The project will be ready by Friday", "I will write the book in a year." Something unexpected is bound to happen to you, and it will take longer to work. You will have to work at night, hack, hand over an unfinished project, or even miss deadlines. Look ahead. Plan. Get ready for force majeure. In general, buffer between yourself and unexpected circumstances.
Prepare carefully
Start working on the project right away, and not when the deadline is already tight. So you will save yourself from overstrain and get a better job. In addition, you will be sure that even with the appearance of additional loads or other force majeure situations, you will hand over the project on time, because you have prepared well in advance.
Next time, when you don't want to think about possible troubles and how to prepare for them, remember: good preparation saved Amundsen and his team. Roald Amundsen and Robert Scott pursued one goal - the first of the people to get to the southernmost point of the planet. But Amundsen was prepared for whatever difficulty he could imagine, and Scott hoped for the best. For example, he took only one thermometer with him on the road and was furious when it broke. Amundsen had four thermometers. Scott took little food and marked the intermediate camp with only one flag. Amundsen has posted as many as 20 markings many miles from the camp. While Scott hoped for a perfect coincidence, Amundsen was creating a buffer for himself. As a result, Amundsen reached the goal, and Scott died along with the entire team.
You need more time
Many people underestimate how much time it will take them for a particular task; this often happens even if the person has done the job before. This phenomenon is called planning error. In one study, students were asked how long they thought it would take to write a thesis. Assuming everything goes as well as possible, the average time frame was 27.4 days. Assuming things go as badly as possible, the students quoted an average of 48.6 days. In fact, the average time to complete a diploma was 55.5 days.
One of the explanations for the planning error is social pressure. The researchers noticed that if you allow a person to estimate the time to complete an assignment anonymously, he is most likely not wrong. We are simply afraid to admit to others that we are unlikely to complete the task on time.
And the result is this: we do not come to meetings on time, we miss deadlines, we are late with paying bills. Stress in this case is inevitable, although everything could be done easily and simply. If you want to avoid planning mistakes, always add 50% more when calculating the time. Assume that the meeting will last an hour - count on an hour and a half; going to run to the store in ten minutes - plan fifteen. You will not only save your nerves, but also get an advantage if you get the job done earlier.
Get rid of obstacles
We cannot foresee everything, but we are quite capable of buying some time, which will come in handy when unexpected circumstances arise. To make things go faster, define a specific goal that you are striving for. Think about the result you need to achieve in order to decide that the job is done. For example, at three o'clock in the afternoon, you need to put the report on the boss's desk. Now try to understand what might be holding you back from your job.
Perfectionism, lack of information, distracting conversations with colleagues … Make a list of these obstacles. Next step: get rid of them. Stop striving for perfection, collect the data you need, go to a quiet place - and get down to business. Everything should now go smoothly. In any case, your buffer will be more reliable if annoying little things stop bothering you.
Plan scenarios
Develop a risk management strategy for yourself. Everyone who tries to create a buffer should have a plan of action to protect against possible force majeure.
Think about the most important work or personal project for you, and then ask yourself: what risks does it involve? What's the worst case scenario? What social significance will this project have? What financial consequences will it lead to? How can you invest in the most effective way to mitigate risks and strengthen the financial or social side of your life?
The answer to the last question will tell you which buffer you need. Perhaps you need to increase the budget by 20%, hire a PR person to communicate with the press, or organize a board meeting to make sure that the project meets all the requirements of shareholders. This is the only way you can protect yourself from surprises.
