How to Maximize Your Day By Treating Your Calendar Like a Budget

Have you ever had to work late into the evening or take last-minute meetings in the middle of your lunch because your calendar was too full or too inflexible? Does it seem like there's never quite enough time to get everything done? Time is one of the few things in our life that can't be replaced. Once it's gone, it's gone. If this sounds familiar, keep reading.

Over the last decade as an Executive Assistant, I've worked alongside senior leaders in large and small organizations. I help them maximize their time so that they're able to invest their best in work and have time left for the things they personally value the most.

Think of your calendar like a personal budget. In a budget, you allocate money according to your priorities and values. If you're smart, you make sure your essentials are covered first. Then, you pay yourself by contributing to savings and investments. Finally, you make room for some fun with the money you have left over. If you don't budget well, you might end up eating 10-cent ramen noodles on Friday night instead of enjoying a nice dinner because you're digging yourself out of a financial hole.

Now, switch gears and imagine creating a budget with your time. Your calendar is the tool that makes that possible. If you budget your time well, you'll be able to accomplish your most important objectives and still have margin to do the things you want.

I have developed four guiding principles that, when followed, can transform your calendar from a thorn in your side to a source of comfort.

1. Identify Your Anchoring Priorities

Anchoring priorities are the things that keep you professionally and personally centered as a leader. They stay the same week to week. They are non-negotiables in your budgeted time, similar to how you might treat your mortgage in your personal budget.

List the most important objectives for your job.

Focus on the larger picture, not a task. For example, it could be three areas you're responsible for: Product, Budget, and People Development.

List out the most important things to you personally.

Time with kids, dedicated time with spouse, or time for a hobby.

Once you've identified your anchoring priorities, take out your calendar and block time for these first and foremost.

Examples of Professional Anchoring Priorities:

Weekly or monthly finance review meetings
Project or department status meetings
Weekly or monthly one-on-ones with team members
Recurring external vendor or client meetings

Examples of Personal Anchoring Priorities:

Time for exercise
Family dinners
Weekend outings
Weekly date nights
Hobbies or special interests

2. Protect Your Margin and Focus Time

As a leader, you'll be most effective if you build margin and focus time into your schedule. This is part of your "rest and investment" allocation. I recommend that at least 25% of your calendar should be kept open.

"Margin" is time you keep open in your calendar for last-minute meetings, emergencies, or catching up on work that inevitably comes up.

"Focus time" is time set aside to work on things that are important but not urgent, such as strategy, vision, and relationship building. It's also time for thinking and processing information before making decisions.

Examples of Focus Time:

Time to prepare for meetings
Time to process information and make decisions
Time to work on strategic initiatives
Time to think about team development
Time to research and learn

By protecting your margin and focus time, you're ensuring you'll have capacity for the most important work and preventing burnout.

3. Determine Your Weekly Priorities

Weekly priorities are dynamic and change from week to week based on your current objectives and deadlines. Think of these as your variable expenses in a budget.

At the beginning of each week (or the end of the previous week), identify the top 3-5 priorities that need to get accomplished. Make sure they align with your anchoring priorities and block time in your calendar to work on them.

Example of Weekly Priorities:

Complete the quarterly business review presentation
Finalize the budget for the next fiscal year
Prepare for the board meeting
Meet with a potential new hire
Review and provide feedback on a team member's proposal

4. Hold The Line

The final principle is to hold the line on your calendar. This means being disciplined about how you use your time and not letting others dictate your schedule.

Here are some tips for holding the line:

Review meeting requests carefully before accepting
Consider whether a meeting is necessary or if the issue could be resolved through email or a quick phone call
Be clear about your availability and boundaries
Delegate meetings when appropriate
Say no to meetings that don't align with your anchoring priorities or weekly priorities

Remember, every time you say yes to a meeting, you're saying no to something else. Make sure you're saying yes to the right things.

Sample Day

To illustrate how these principles might look in practice, here's an example of a day for an executive who has implemented these principles:

7:00 AM - 8:00 AM: Exercise (Personal Anchoring Priority) 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM: Morning routine and commute 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM: Focus time to prepare for the day and review emails 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM: Weekly team meeting (Professional Anchoring Priority) 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM: Focus time to work on strategic initiative (Weekly Priority) 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM: Lunch with a team member (Relationship building) 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM: Margin (Open for unexpected meetings or work) 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM: Project status meeting (Professional Anchoring Priority) 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM: Focus time to work on quarterly business review (Weekly Priority) 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM: One-on-one with direct report (Professional Anchoring Priority) 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM: Wrap up the day and commute 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM: Family dinner and time with kids (Personal Anchoring Priority)

Practice the Principles

Implementing these principles takes practice and discipline, but the payoff is enormous. By treating your calendar like a budget, you'll be able to make the most of your time and achieve a better work-life balance.

Start by identifying your anchoring priorities, then block time for margin and focus. Each week, determine your top priorities and make time for them in your calendar. Finally, hold the line by being disciplined about your time and saying no to things that don't align with your priorities.

Remember, time is a finite resource. Once it's gone, you can't get it back. So, budget it wisely and make it work for you, not against you.