What I Learned from Failing to Set a Schedule (and How You Can Do it Better!)

Let’s be honest, everyone has experienced failure before. In fact, just hearing the word probably gets your mind thinking about ways you have personally failed.

Don’t fret too much because you are definitely NOT alone!

I have failed so many times at so many things in life that it was actually really difficult for me to choose only one failure to talk about in this post!

I spent a lot of time considering my past failures, and I discovered one underlying failure that has set me up to fail so many times and in so many ways.  

That personal failure has been in setting a consistent schedule that works with my needs and aids in productivity. 

At the beginning of this year, I was really determined to set up a schedule that would be perfect in helping me achieve my goals and be happy all year long!

I did the research; I spent hours and even days planning and formulating the perfect schedule.

I obsessed over this until I was certain I had developed a reasonable and sustainable schedule for myself.

And you know what happened?

Try as I might, I couldn’t even stick to the schedule entirely for one day.

I told myself that “it’s okay if I don’t get it right on the first day, I can keep trying.” But each day thereafter felt stressful as I tried and failed to adhere to this schedule!

After about a week, I chalked it up as another failure to set a schedule.

I was really disheartened. I had put so much time, energy, planning, and research into creating the best schedule, yet I still failed.

I was so frustrated with myself for not getting it right. I was embarrassed for having tried so many times in the past and still falling flat on my face. 

Failure never feels good, but one thing that failure can teach us all is a lesson.

We learn from our mistakes and we can take the information that we learn and use it to improve ourselves as we move forward in life. 

You know what else?

You don’t always have to be the one who fails in order to learn the lessons!

While learning something for yourself does give you a personal perspective and information that you can specifically use, it is also possible to learn from others’ failures and make your journey a little easier! 

That’s why I want to share a few of the best lessons I have learned from failing to set a schedule.

Whether you struggle with schedule setting or have never set a schedule before, there is something you can take away from what I learned the hard way!

Lessons Learned from Failing to Set a Schedule

Learn your lesson and move on

When I had my scheduling failure at the beginning of the year, I felt really depressed and I was angry with myself.

I was ready to give up because, after all these years and attempts, scheduling felt like an impossible technique to master. 

I had been a schedule setter my entire life.

Yet even with my background knowledge, I had failed so many times in setting a schedule and staying on track!

And while my professional scheduling seemed to be exceptional, scheduling my own life was a much more difficult task.

I was sick of failing and I beat myself up for being a failure for a long time. “How could I fail at this 100 times and still not get it right?” 

Not only did I feel like I failed myself, I also felt like I failed my partner. That was probably the worst part, and gave me all the more reason to put myself down.

My lack of adhering to a schedule left the house a mess and my productivity very low.

It left me struggling even more with depression and my mental health in general. I allowed the failure to consume me and in turn, it affected every area of my life negatively.

When you dwell on your mistakes, you reinforce negative thoughts about yourself.

Allowing failure and any corresponding guilt to overpower you holds you back from being happy and being productive. 

Failing at something does not make you a failure, especially if you have learned from it! 

Do not let failure hold you back from being your best self and living life according to your plans. Learn from your failures, let them go, and move forward as a better version of yourself!

What works for one person may not work for you

This is another really important lesson I have recently learned!

While I have always thought I knew this tidbit of information, I never truly understood it until my most recent failure with schedule setting. 

In my adult life, I have attempted multiple times to set a daily schedule that supports my mental health and helps me to be productive.

But it seems like no matter what I do and no matter what advice I take from other “pro schedulers,” I am always falling short and creating schedules that are not sustainable.

It can be really helpful to find people who are similar to you or who emulate a schedule that you are hoping to adopt, but remember that even their perfect schedule will not be perfect for you.

You can take what you like from their schedule, maybe even try out the full schedule for yourself, but you will need to make at least some small changes so that the schedule fits you. 

I truly believe that schedules are different for everyone.

They are unique to each individual because every person is unique and has a different thought process and different needs. 

That is why it takes so long to formulate a schedule that works best for you!

It is practically impossible to set a schedule and automatically adhere to it perfectly the very first time you attempt.

This is not a failure on your part! It is simply part of the schedule-setting process. 

Take advice from others who you resonate with, but ultimately listen to yourself and figure out what you personally need to be the happiest and most successful person you can be! 

Add habits along the way, not all at once

One of the biggest reasons I have failed to set a schedule and stick to it is because I try to do too much at once.

I want to be this perfect person, and so I fill my schedule with every habit I wish to develop and attempt to nurture them all at once. 

This is a hard lesson for me to learn and it is my number one recurring scheduling mistake!

I want to do all of these things, but I don’t actually have the time and capacity to change every facet of my life and to add 10 new habits to the chaos I’m already struggling to control.

It is truly wonderful to add new habits, but adding too many at once will certainly be overwhelming.

Instead, identify the number one habit you would like to add and make that the primary focus of your schedule. 

Over time, slowly add in new habits to build off of the habits already embodied in your schedule.

This honestly takes a lot of time and discipline, but the results will be amazing!

Being my largest scheduling nemesis, adding habits along the way and not overfilling my plate has become a primary focus for me in scheduling and something I hope to master by the end of the year! 

Give yourself buffer time

I always thought I was good at estimating times only to find out that this has been among my top failures in scheduling as well!

It is so easy to think you know how long something will take you. In reality, things actually take you much longer to accomplish.

Luckily there is a solution! Add buffer time by scheduling more time than you think is necessary for any given task.

For example, when I meditate in the morning, I typically do a 15 minute meditation.

Given that it is a timed meditation, it seems logical that I will only need to allot 15 minutes of my schedule to meditation. Seems easy enough! 

However, in doing so, I have not allowed for the time it takes me to prepare for meditation and to end meditation.

You may consider this “transition time.” After learning this lesson, I now allot 20-25 minutes each morning to meditation and I use every second of it! 

If you think cleaning your room will only take 30 minutes, plan for an hour. If you want to go for a 20-minute walk, add in time for getting ready to leave the house and for returning. 

Take the time to consider any transition times, meals, and breaks that are a part of your day and include plenty of time for them in your schedule.

It is also beneficial to schedule in some “free time” at the end of your day so you have a little room for catching up on things if you’re behind.

Adding in all of this extra time to your schedule may make it seem like you aren’t being productive enough, but trust me on this one. 

You will need that time and it will help you be more productive while reducing anxiety and stress! 

Add sustainable motivation

Staying motivated to actually carry out your schedule each day can be one of the biggest struggles in schedule setting.

You may have devised the perfect schedule to meet your every need and set yourself up for success, but if you don’t follow through you won’t reap any of the benefits.

I have found this lesson to be an incredibly hard one to learn. It is not one to be underestimated when it comes to scheduling, and if not taken seriously, it could be your undoing. 

The cool part about this is that you get to choose your own methods of motivation!

It could be some positive affirmations that you hang on the wall or write on the mirror. It could be a famous quote or words of wisdom. It could even be a push from your partner or a friend!

Find what motivates you and implement it!

Stay mindful and be kind to yourself

Schedule setting is a seriously tough thing to do. And while it may seem like everyone else has figured it out, I promise you the vast majority have not.

No one is perfect and everyone struggles at some point in life to set a schedule. Remember to be kind and compassionate with yourself.

You are trying and you are figuring out what works. It is a process and often a really lengthy one at that.

No one gets it right the first time, but if you stay positive and practice self-kindness, your ability to learn lessons along the way will be so much greater.

Stay mindful of your feelings as you work on schedule planning and don’t forget to enjoy each day! It can be easy to get caught up in “what’s next” when scheduling.

Take time everyday to be present and enjoy the little things. This will help you to be more mindful as you continue scheduling and help you achieve happiness while reducing stress and anxiety.

* * *

The truth is that schedule setting is never easy and there are so many ways to fail when it comes to setting a schedule. What’s important is that you look at any “failures” as lessons to learn from instead. Use that information to improve your schedule and continue fine-tuning it along the way.

Scheduling is different for everyone. You are looking to develop a schedule that works perfectly for you and helps you to achieve your goals. 

Consider using buffer times and slowly adding habits into your schedule to avoid feeling overwhelmed and frustrated. Use mindfulness and be kind to yourself.

It takes time and learning to develop a positive schedule and motivation is so important in staying on track. 

So many people struggle to set schedules, yet having a positive schedule can really improve your mental health, aid in productivity, and set you up for a happy and successful life!

So learn from my mistakes, make your own mistakes, and use all of that information to develop and refine the perfect schedule for you! 

To learn more about how your lifestyle affects your mental health, click here.