It happened again. I didn’t structure a day, didn’t set up appointments or schedule things to do . And the next thing I know, the day is gone and I didn’t accomplish anything. Free time slime has struck again.
I picture it like the toy slime kids play with. It settles in, sticks to everything, fills every nook and cranny of our day. If we don’t schedule things to do “lunch at 12” or “phone call to partner at 1” then, all of a sudden, after being distracted by a series of shiny things, it’s 2:30 pm, I haven’t eaten, and nothing that needed to get done got done.
For instance, I should be recording a new book right now, but I didn’t block it out in my schedule. I opened email and there were a few client disasters that needed to be resolved. So, while I know there’s a deadline for the book, instead I’m trying to find out why a redetermination was sent into the state by a nursing home. It could have been resolved tomorrow, but it caught my eye and there is nothing on my calendar.
Free time slime strikes again.
This is why I usually block things out – 10-12, record book, 12-12:30 lunch. More as a reminder to make sure that I do it, that there’s a priority to the event. Or that slime will take over and fill every minute of the day!