Leave Room for Emergencies

One way to feel like you’re working with the time you have

In mid-February, I led an offsite for a team of real estate developers. One of their property managers explained the range and variety of tasks he has in a typical day. Everything from unclogging toilets and painting a wall to buying a welcome gift for a new tenant and taking phone calls from potential renters.

The most stunning fact he shared was that 25% of his daily tasks are emergencies. Things that are urgent yet unplanned and unpredictable.

He told me every morning he makes his to-do list and only plans about half of his day. Rather than make sure his list fills the work day, he only plans about 4 hours of work, always leaving room for emergencies.

With COVID-19 affecting our work, we’ve all seen how emergencies and dramatic changes can affect our daily to-dos as well as our bigger goals. Our accountability group, Cave Squads, is shifting from monthly goal-planning to semi-monthly. Some people are even choosing weekly goal setting to leave room for things to change quickly.

Think about the goals you have for this week or month. Be open to underplanning and leave room for the emergencies and the urgencies that might come up during these challenging times.

We hope you’re staying safe and healthy.
Stay at home and join us in the Cave soon.

Caveday is a company aimed at improving your relationship to work. We write regular posts on Medium and send out monthly newsletters with productivity tips, life hacks, and recommendations. Sign up for the mailing list here.

Jake Kahana is a cofounder of Caveday. Sign up for his personal emails, called “The Email Refrigerator” here.