Schedule Appointments for 30 Minutes Instead of an Hour so You Can Spend Less Time
When you schedule time for your appointments, you will likely find a way to fill that time, whether you need it or not. So, next time you need to make an appointment, don’t give her an hour. Make 30 minutes the default.
As productivity writer Brad Feld explains, an hour seems like a decent block of time by default for making appointments. However, it doesn’t matter what time most of your appointments are scheduled. If you’ve extended your meetings for three hours, you’ll probably find a way to fill those three hours. So, if you are absolutely sure that you will need additional time, schedule an appointment of 30 minutes:
I’ve tried everything. 60 minutes 15 minutes. 5 minutes. 45 minutes. 37 minutes The only thing that works is 30 minutes. If I plan for 15 minutes, I inevitably end up with too many things to do in a day, and I am completely exhausted. If I plan for more than 30 minutes, I find myself twirling my arms and trying to end the meeting. 30 minutes is the perfect time for any meeting.
Not everything can be done in 30 minutes, but you can probably do more than you think. Even if you’re unsure, challenge yourself and see if you can handle the main one without wasting time. If you can, you’ve just (potentially) doubled the amount of time you have in a day. If not, you can always go back to longer appointments for those in need.
It didn’t take an hour | Feld Thoughts through 99u