CHOOSE YOUR MOMENT

How your sense of timing affects your success

Timing is the difference between success and failure.

MOST OF US HAVE A LAUNDRY

list of to-dos, both small (organise cupboards, take a yoga class) and big (write a memoir). The trouble is that all too often, life gets in the way. But according to clinical psychologist Dr Michael Breus, it’s less about what we’re trying to get done than when and how we do it. His 2016 book, The Power of When, hinges on the notion that there are ideal – and not so ideal – moments to schedule everything you hope to accomplish.

Breus, who specialises in sleep disorders, got the idea when a patient explained that she didn’t have a hard time falling or staying asleep, she just did it at the wrong time. Much like a teenager, she stayed up late and then slept in.

“I asked her boss if she could adjust her schedule to be at work two hours later and stay two hours longer,” says Breus. The result: the patient was less tired and more productive and her relationship with her family improved.

Breus began to wonder what other timing-related connections he might uncover. Drawing on more than 200 clinical studies, many exploring circadian rhythms and chronotypes (personal biological clocks), he found that when it comes to our health, timing is everything. You can accomplish all you

want, he suggests, by lining up your priorities with a schedule that works best for you. Here are some pointers to put you on the right track.

Make a List – and Tick It Off

To start each day right, jot down a daily plan the night before – and stick with it. Krista Roesler, a life coach and psychotherapist, recommends setting a time limit for each item and breaking big tasks into smaller, manageable ones.

The next step is to organise your list so that you only have three major tasks to do in one day (once you cross them off, you can add more). “Getting things done gives you a feeling

of pride and accomplishment,” says Roesler, “and eliminates the worry that there isn’t enough time.”

Focus on What’s Important

“The best way to make things happen is to prioritise,” points out Dr Susan MacDonald, a registered psychologist. “This starts with changing your mindset.”

Roesler agrees. If you’ve scheduled exercise into your day but only have 30 minutes to spend at the gym instead of 60, go anyway. “The cumulative effects of sticking to things is what matters,” she says. “It’s what helps you form healthy habits.”

Finding time to care for yourself doesn’t have to be hard, MacDonald adds. Even preparing a container of fresh-cut vegetables to bring to work in small batches every day can make a big difference.

Reassess and Regroup

You may find that your plan isn’t foolproof right away. Roesler suggests making time for daily and weekly reviews of your schedule, to see whether other timing options might be more effective. “If you planned to exercise every day at 7am, reflect on what worked and what didn’t,” she says. “Think about what got in the way if you didn’t do it and what the ideal time to be active might be.”

Build in Buffer Time

Many things take longer than anticipated, so Roesler suggests leaving a cushion when creating a schedule. “Add a quarter of the time to everything you plan to do,” she says. It’s also helpful to give yourself ten to 15 minutes in between tasks to recharge.

Plan for the Long-Term

Time your long-term goals in the same way you would your weekly or daily tasks: by ensuring you’ve considered your priorities first. For example, Roesler says, if you’ve always dreamed of writing a book, promise yourself that you’re going to spend X number of minutes or hours working on it every morning. Break down the big picture (getting published) into short-term benchmarks (finishing a page a day, say, or completing a chapter), then use those to create a realistic timeline.

And remember: it’s never too late to adopt healthy changes, whether that means adjusting your sleep schedule, starting an exercise programme or overhauling the way you plan meals. “It’s not that you don’t have time to do it or that you can’t get it done,” says Roesler. “It’s that you don’t believe you can do it, so you don’t schedule it in.” You don’t have to alter your whole life at once, she says. “Even small shifts can lead to big results over time.”

The best way to make things happen is to prioritise them