This section helps readers identify when making a schedule may be in their best interest. Even if we prefer keeping things off our schedules, sometimes a schedule just makes things easier.

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As you’ll find spending time here, I generally do not like having a schedule. Instead, if prefer to build as many things as I can into a system that accounts for my basic needs and helps me complete basic tasks as-needed. However, I find that some chores are best addressed when they are deliberately scheduled and completed at a regular cadence.

Here’s how I determine if a regular task is best addressed through making a schedule:

How Consistent is the Task?

A schedule is most helpful if a task is well-completed at a regular cadence. For example, if we find that our trash regularly fills up around Tuesday every week, we can add tossing the trash to our weekly schedule that day. Similarly, if our dog is best served by eating at three set times in a day, we can (and probably should) schedule those mealtimes.

Once these items are scheduled, we no longer need to think about when we will complete them. We will feel more comfortable knowing that the chores will be done, and can assign the chore to someone else as needed. This saves us time and thought for anything else (at the cost of having times blocked during our days).

On the other end, if a task varies from day to day, a schedule is likely to lead to unnecessary work. For example, it might not make sense for me to have a set schedule for mopping my kitchen, as my kitchen use varies dramatically over time. Yes, a bare minimum can be fine if we want to set a floor (pun intended), but a kitchen may last several weeks before needing a mop and then need two in a week depending on our usage.

A consistent task can be scheduled to save us effort in determining when to do it. This also comes into play when several people are responsible for completing the chore, discussed below.

How Many Parties are Involved?

Some chores are handled by more than one person. For example, my wife and I may both be handle feeding our dog. I am not always around to feed my dog at a particular time even though he is best behaved when feed at the same times. In these circumstances, a schedule is a great tool to ensure my dog is fed and that all responsible parties are on notice.

When multiple people are privy to a recurring chore and its schedule, they can efficiently delegate the task based on availability. If I am going to be out of the house early one morning, my wife will easily know when to feed the dog and whether it’s been done.

Without a schedule, uncertainty exists surrounding completion of the task. If there’s no rigid schedule and I leave the house early, someone may assume I fed the dog early before I left. These types of assumptions may still take place with a schedule, but I find that having a set schedule lets people more quickly recognize when help is needed or when a task is coming due.

How Likely is It to be Done Without a Schedule?

Do you have any tasks that, while you know that they’re beneficial, you struggle to find motivation to complete when the time comes? And once you’ve missed doing the task, do you find that it’s hard to get back into the rhythm? I find that I am most likely to complete these sorts of tasks consistently if I build them into a schedule.

An example: one of these tasks for me tends to be flossing. Let’s discuss.

I am generally brushing my teeth at the beginnings and ends of my days. In these moments, probably the last thing I want to be doing is brushing my teeth.

I have heard from many a dentist that flossing is key to good oral health, and while I recognize this as fact, I struggle to motivate myself to spend the extra two minutes to floss.

With that, I sometimes allow myself to skip the floss and go straight to bed. Once I’ve missed one time, it is much harder to floss at my next occasion.

To combat this issue, I mentally schedule flossing as a task that occurs immediately after brushing my teeth.

When I schedule flossing as something that occurs right after brushing my teeth, I find that the activity is already built into my day, somehow making it easier to complete.

My schedule may shift a little bit based on when I end my day and go to brush my teeth, but when I have mentally scheduled flossing to occur after brushing my teeth and keep up with the schedule, it is much easier to keep the routine going (I find that this form of scheduling is similar in philosophy to many described in Atomic Habits, so if it interests you, you may want to check that book out!).

What Happens if It’s Not Done?

Some chores are so important that it is in your best interest to schedule them and make sure they are completed. For example, if I fail to timely file a complaint, I may face a dismissal and a legal malpractice suit.

Similarly, some chores have noticeable consequences if not completed, making their scheduling a convenient way to avoid the consequences.¹ We damage our credit scores when we fail to make timely payments and we lose power if we fail to pay electricity bills.

If we are at risk of serious consequences for not completing a chore, it is in our best interest to put it into a schedule. Scheduling provides another layer of accountability. Even if we don’t abide by the schedule, we have increased awareness of when tasks are coming due so that we can determine when is best to complete them.

At the end of the day, it’s our job to determine how to best do things. If you prefer schedules, err on the side of more scheduled tasks. Otherwise, schedule what you need and spend your time as you feel. There’s always more to do, and most things don’t need to be done on a deadline.

¹ Note: the noticeable-ness of a chore can also make it easy to manage through an effective home system. It’s up to you to choose how you want to handle a task, and each person may have their own preferences.

Thoughts? Questions? Concerns? Let’s schedule a time to chat! (Kidding, unless you really want to.)

-G

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