Yes – we’re doing another blog series this summer! Today’s post is on making appointments. Sounds rather mundane, doesn’t it? Then again, 3 quarters of everything we do is full of mundane, unimportant stuff.
Making appointments – if you will, is a lifelong skill. Some have mastered it. Some have not. Here are some tips.
- Use online options whenever you can. Most facilities now have online bookings – this applies to school, car services, and more.
- Medical appointments: typically, most doctors offices do not communicate via email due to privacy concerns. HOWEVER – if you mention to them that you prefer to communicate this way, they may make an exception for you. My doctor’s office allows me to make appointments by email, which is a bonus. Do make the effort to send them a nice Christmas treat… appreciation goes a long way.
- Use a Calendar! (yeah, that’s a no brainer – but it’s a good skill to encourage at a young age). Avoid double booking at all costs. You will kick yourself in the rear when that happens.
- Have someone on hand that you can count on in the event of a situation where you’ve exhausted your options (say a good friend or a relative) to make a phone call on your behalf. I know I did this when booking for summer camps and wasn’t sure if the online version would work.
- Avoid overbooking. Yes. Part of the skill of making appointments is knowing how much to book in a single day (or week). You do not want to be that person that is late for everything because you overbooked or your time management is subpar. It’s OK to say no once in a while.
Photo Credit: bigoven.com
- Prioritize! Is this appointment (or event) a need or a want? If it’s a need – then yes, place it above all other events. If it’s a want: can you figure out if you have enough energy to do it without getting sick?
- Allow for travel time: often when making appointments, it’s easy to forget to take into account travel time. Generally, I give myself a 20 minute buffer zone so in the event I run into traffic I can alert those on the other end that I’ll be slightly late.
- Do not SPEED. Refer to travel time. Your safety is #1.
Happy Planning!