Make Time to Create Time

We had another rocking Saturday at our veterinary hospital today. It was loaded with patients ranging from the cutest little sheltie puppy in for his second vaccine appointment, to a difficult euthanasia, to the two vomiting cats that needed radiographs and blood work and still gave me no solid reason for their vomiting. The busy overloaded schedule and the stress that I felt radiating off of my veterinary team, made me wonder how can we better manage our brains around time?  How can we manage the way we think about our time at work and at home, and would it make a difference if we could think differently?

Over the years I have observed myself spending time and wasting time. Using time wisely and costing myself time with worry, indecision, regret and distraction.  I have the type of personality that always wants to know what is going on.  I have trouble sitting in an office alone when there are people and things to see and do outside my office door.  I find myself distracted by the activity in the rest of the hospital.  It is like a monkey controls a small part of my brain.  This results in me procrastinating the “boring” usually important tasks that I need to accomplish and wasting my time worrying about how my team members are spending their time.  Another big thing for me is helping other people get their tasks accomplished.  I find it more fun to help others get things done than to help myself.  

There are things that we can do to create time.

Make a plan:  In order to get more done, be very deliberate with your time.  You will need a detailed plan as to how your time will be spent each day.  The plan should have actual time blocks penciled in to accomplish each task.  If you give yourself a 30-minute slot at the end of the day to write up records, set the timer on your phone to 30 minutes.  Don’t look up from those records until your 30 minutes are up.   You will surprise yourself with your productivity.

I have a small journal that I carry with me.  I sit down in the morning and list all the things that I will get done in the day and schedule time for them.  When I write those tasks down, it looks like my perfect day.   But, we all know that perfect days are rare in a veterinary hospital.   Although I don’t always get it exactly right, by having the written plan I have a much higher chance of success.

Follow the plan:  Making the plan is vital, but following it is key. When you sit down to attend to your plan, your mind will tell you to check your phone, get a snack, get some water, catch up on some gossip and visit the bathroom. Your brain will try to foil your efforts, but stand strong and keep to your plan.  Realize that when your brain tells you to stray from your plan, you can control it.   Tell it to quiet down and get to work.  Later you can schedule in a snack break, but when you decide, not when the monkey in your brain wants it.

Make strong decisions and don’t look back: Many of us spend too much time agonizing over simple decisions instead of just making them and moving on.  Things as simple as, “What should I eat for lunch?” can take some of us over 20 minutes.  If you fear making decisions because you could fail and choose wrong, force yourself to make some quick decisions and don’t second-guess.  You can practice going with your gut and choosing the first thing that comes to you. If you make the “wrong” decision you can just chalk it up to a learning experience and make a better one the next time.  No big deal!

If we all pay attention to the way that we waste our time with distraction and become aware of reducing that waste, we can create more time in our day for the things that we want to accomplish.  Remember that you only have this moment.  The past is gone and the future is out there waiting for you to build the amazing life of your dreams.  

Dr. Julie Cappel