Picked a New Year’s resolution? I have one that I am happy to lend to other optimists… Make Time to Take Time!
I often have super hero expectations for what I can accomplish in any one day based on a “I’ll only hit green lights” style of thinking. This tendency makes for impressive to-do lists with often disappointing results. When children enter the equation, things get even stickier. Grand plans of supporting a toddler’s independence in dressing have to be tossed out the window when you are already 5 minutes late to your appointment and you haven’t even left the house yet!
Well I had tried just about everything without success until recently (and still only occasionally!) I started doubling my time estimate. If I think it will take me 15 minutes to get to the dentist, I plan for 30 minutes of travel time. Probably common sense but it took me 30 years to figure out that adding 5 minutes is just not enough for me. Let me know what works for you!
biehus 
Ha, I have a strange opposite problem. I over estimate the amount of time it will take to do things, which means I try to do less things … and end up under utlizing my time. It won’t take three hours to go to the supermarket, or two hours to go for a run … once I started being more realistic and mapping things out, I actually achieved more 😉
Well I guess the seaweed is always greener in somebody else’s lake! Perhaps we should each offer our own time estimates for particular tasks and then split the difference!