Algorithm Newsletter
The Sudden Appointment Dilemma
The Hickory Algorithm is a podcast and community hub dedicated to celebrating the stories, culture, and businesses that make Hickory, North Carolina - the best. Each Newsletter spotlights solutions, experiences, and a different perspective to help you, the small business owner with insights, inspiration and strategies for personal and professional growth.
This week the Hickory Algorithm dives deeper into scheduling. We work to get appointments but then getting those appointments sends ripple effects thru our calendars. How to adjust, what are nonnegotiable, your mental health rollercoaster and how to avoid burning out all through your schedule making. The Sudden Appointment Dilemma, we have all been there.
“Hey! Let’s get an appointment set up for tomorrow at 9am?”
This ever happen before to you? A potential partner you been trying to reel in finally is going to give you the time of day. How do you handle it? You don’t take appointments before 11am because you’re getting the kids off to school, going to the gym, and holding yourself accountable with a work window every day till 11am.. Do you take the appointment? Damn, right you do. Now what happens?
Having a schedule that is fluid with your appointments is a constant uphill battle. We have our set of nonnegotiable into our schedule that are penned in every day. How do we stay true to our vision of mental health and not rock the schedule boat?
Here is the list on nonnegotiable things for my schedule:
Kids
Gym
Work
Every week day starts the same. 5:30 am the alarm goes off, I let Arlo (our youngest of 3 dogs) out of his crate to the other two’s demise. I put the puppy outside, tea pot goes on, and let Mr. Twinkle Toes back into the house. At that moment he flies up the steps to wake up the children for school. The morning is underway.
Above: Arlo (Twinkle Toes) is on the right. Giselle on the left. Delicious homemade cookie center.
Once the day is started the next time stamp is 6:30. Kids go off to the bus, wife leaves for work, and at that moment I grab my gym back and go out the door.
My first priority is the kids whether that is getting them ready for school, school activities, doctors appointments and sports are things I will not miss.
My father had a hard time with his legs so coming to my hockey games or really anything involving leaving the house it was hard for him to get to. I understand things can change in an instant and value the time with my boys because of it.
Once 6:30am rolls around, I grab my gym bag that I packed the night before. I always wear my work out clothes to the gym, regardless of the temperature. I have my change of clothes, shoes, and ear buds and jump in the truck.
The Gym, over the years, has been an on and off again struggle. I was once 400 pounds and had to drastically change my life. So I did, scared the shit out me, but I did. I may not be where I want to be weight wise but, I’m lighter than when I went to high school back in the 1900s - that’s what my kids call it.
I get to my locker around 7ish and give it an hour every morning. Most of the time on a bike for 30 minutes and doing two 15 minute miles. I know, I know, nothing to you but to me? To me, something I couldn't really do before. After that hour I do 100 sit ups, every time. Off to the locker room to shower, change, and get my day starting. Its around 8:30.
Now, let’s not forget that NEW appointment is at 9am.
8:30, is normally when I walk into the office every morning. I have time blocked out on my schedule till 10:30 - 10:45 for WORK. Not for calls, emails, or prospecting no, sure, those things maybe involved in that time but I make sure the time frame is fluent with work. Whatever needs done will get done in that time.
If that’s working on a project, working towards this newsletter being released, podcast juggling with guests, videography, editing, social media management, or scrolling thru posts and seeing what worked and what didn’t. One work session, a post maybe getting more traction than normal, I have time the next day to dissect that information and be able to capitalize on it. The 8:30 - 10:45 window every week day helps with the balance and constant movement that is day to day life. #fortheloveofthegame
Now. Here we are. An appointment you have been trying to get and now you got it. We can talk about why not to take it and stand on morals believe me more power to you. I am taking the appointment. Yes, I know what nonnegotiable means. 😉
The Solution seems far away. Do we just take it on the chin and rearrange your whole day right? Well - maybe.
Since I have those nonnegotiable things in my schedule it helps me set a skeleton of a schedule. The Skeleton schedule sets the stage for the month, week, year, and in this case a day.
This lets me block off appointment times for my schedule every day. The blocking off has three times: 11am, 1pm, and 3pm. Not every appointment is going to be filled every day but, when the time is blocked off it becomes much easier to tackle your schedule.
Let’s look at best and worst case scenario with a sudden 9am appointment for tomorrow.
Gym is probably cut short and work is cast into the abyss for the day. If I have an open appointment like the 11am we just discussed then I fill that time with the work I was going to do. A seamless transition that doesn’t cause panic or mental exhaustion. I may even stop by a coffee shop after that 9am appointment to spend an hour or two doing work just to change up the scenery that day. To me this is the worst case scenario.
The reason I feel it’s the worst case is because I want to prioritize my 11am appointments. The 11am time slot is always the first time I offer of the three (11,1,3) times I have blocked off. The reason being is the morning is pretty formed day in and day out, so to attach another piece to the day puzzle to an already formed part of is my top priority.
You know the feeling that you have been working on a puzzle with a loved one and your looking at the picture that you have barely pieced together but, there is a cluster of a corner you have more fleshed out than the rest of it. You attach another piece of the puzzle to that already nicely put together section? Has that type of feeling to me.
That is the worst case but, now the best case scenario. The gym and work are now cast into the oblivion of the day because we have a 9am appointment. Here’s the secret about being consistent, your goal is to completely upend your schedule. What am I going to do? I have 3 appointments for all 3 times slots, a busy day, now add a 9am into the mix. No, gym and no work window. That’s the best case scenario.
Sounds crazy but, the habits you form by setting up a schedule stay true. A day with 4 appointments sounds like a lot. You are used to 3 at the most, it can’t be 4.
You miss the gym and your work window for the day. I’m telling you that is ok. Do not beat yourself up over it. As Ted Lasso would say “Big whoop.” Your mental health is not worth the worry or you're going to miss your gains for the day.
Easy… it’s not going anywhere. You worked to get this appointment, take it. Imagine closing one person in day. Imagine closing two people in day. Three? Your coming home with donuts because if I learned anything from watching boss baby its that donuts are for….
You know the line.
But the potential of 4? Puts a smile on your face. Just the POTENTIAL, should put a smile on your face and get the blood pumping.
Right?
Get Right. Back. To it. Tomorrow.
This is the biggest obstacle. Once consistency is broken the next day, it’s right back to the schedule. The battle of the mind is an endless war. We may have closed all 4 appointments or we may have not closed one. Either way our mood is affected, tremendously by such a busy day. We are human, it is natural. This is why it is so important to get right back to it.
The Challenges with this comes with our own self discipline. We tend to take those minor things we see as problems and build them up in our head as huge. We tend to make the simple, not simple. The problem isn’t the challenges, the problem is how we deal with them.
It’s ok to go against the grain with your schedule. To be fluent in the changing landscape of your schedule.
Overcoming the common challenges like an unexpected appointment can be the cause of any human to spiral in their own mind. The consistency of a schedule helps erase all those little voices in your head. One day it will all goes to crap because you busted your ass to make it that way, understand? That is a victory lap, my friend, and embrace the work you have done to get to this so called “problem in your schedule.”
Takeaways - every system helps the other for the Sudden appointment Dilemma:
To put a bow on this Dilemma, look at how the last words of each column are featured. There is no easy button where you if you do this, you get this. We are ever changing and so are the people we talk to. Systems are put in place to help you. Take a set back from this novel. Everything works together. Once you have a good system for something at home or work, when something is throw into the mix like a stone in Lake Hickory, it changes. Being able to obsorb those changes because of the systems you have in place for work and home is how we avoid the snowball effect that is the uncertain appointment, kids playoff match, and whatever else is absorded into your daily algorithm.
Here is the link to the Friday podcast that talks about all the things
⚠️Holler at your boy⚠️
If you found this episode helpful, share it with a fellow small business owner or someone fighting an uphill battle that always gets frustrated with their schedule. Who could use some help protecting their time. And if you have your own tips or stories about time management, I’d love to hear them—reach out on social media or send me a message. Thanks for checking out another week #fortheloveofthegame with Chris, from Hickory Algorithm.
🚨Weekly Audio Podcast🚨
Spotify Link to Audio Podcast this Week - The Sudden Appointment Dilemma
Here is a link to the solo podcast of myself touching on the Sudden Appointment Dilemma, SNOWING in Hickory ⛄️, last night’s social events my wife and I attended, and not knowing if you say fluent or fluid.
📆 Save the Dates! Well if you aren’t busy 📆
Events the Algorithm will be doing this month:
Cost is again - FREE.
New YouTube Music Playlist for the first of the year?
I grew up in the 90s, we burned cds and made playlist. It’s always a thing.
This playlist is gonna get a good run this month while cooking dinner.
Headspace - Playlist on YouTube Music <~~~~~ LINK
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#fortheloveofthegame