Yesterday, Charlie wrote about giving your focus blocks specific jobs — solid advice for making the most of those precious 90-120 minute chunks of focused time. And timely guidance as we explore capacity this month. But what happens when you become incapacitated and those carefully planned focus blocks vanish into thin air?
My January schedule was packed to (probably more than) 100% with coaching sessions, a cohort launch, office hours, writing deadlines — and that’s just some of my “work” projects. Then a nasty cold knocked me flat, turning my meticulously scheduled focus blocks into “stare at the ceiling while coughing” blocks. Even basic tasks that usually take minutes stretched into hours as brain fog and exhaustion took over.
Two weeks later, I’m still not at full capacity and facing what feels like an impossible game of catch-up. While I’ve spent days working through January’s backlog, I’m now looking up at a mountain of February tasks waiting for attention. Instead of doing the work, I’m now spending precious energy rearranging and resequencing it.
This experience had me reflecting on Charlie’s piece about working at 85% capacity with 100% focus — a principle I regularly share with my clients when helping them build margin into their plans, teaching them to leave space for the unexpected (which, ironically, you can usually expect). Yet here I was, dealing with the consequences of ignoring my own advice.
Building that 15% margin into your plans isn’t empty space; it’s a buffer for life’s curveballs, whether illness, emergencies, or simply underestimating how long something will take.
Sometimes we need to learn our own lessons the hard way. This month I’ll be focusing on practicing what I preach, creating more space in my days and plans — room to breathe, take more time when needed, and better manage those shifts and surprises that we can actually plan for. Care to join me?
~Maghan
Whether because of illness, emergencies, or simply taking on too much — we all need margin in our lives and work. Here are some resources to help you (and your team) create that buffer:
A prompt to pause and reflect.
Looking at next week’s calendar, where could you build in a 15% buffer? What would you need to let go of to create that space?
We’d love to hear what’s coming up for you.
Team overwhelm isn’t just about individual workloads — it’s about creating sustainable systems and practices. Our Team Workshops help teams build in that crucial buffer:
Team Readiness Workshop – Evaluate your team’s capacity, competency, and workways to prevent burnout and build resilience
Team Habits Workshop – Develop daily practices that help your team work sustainably
Team Meeting Makeover – Free up valuable team time by streamlining your meeting structures
Explore our different workshops or other ways we can support your team.
Not sure where to begin? Take our free Team Habits Quiz to identify where your team could benefit from building in more margin.
When your calendar is overloaded, essential projects often get pushed aside. Our Productivity Coaching helps you build sustainable practices to protect your most important work:
Remove internal and external barriers keeping you from doing what matters most
Build better boundaries and systems to maintain that crucial 15% buffer
Learn planning techniques that work with your natural rhythms and energy
Not sure where you need the most support? Take our free Momentum Quiz to discover your productivity persona and get personalized insights for building sustainable practices.
Join us this month as we explore ways to create sustainable capacity through the power of subtraction:
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