How to Get MARGIN

If you ask any professional in just about any field of work, they will tell you that the biggest roadblock to them getting their job done is time. Now, indeed, there are all sorts of factors that play into effective time management, but I firmly believe this roadblock is mostly attributed to living day-to-day with a complete lack of any margin.

When I refer to “margin” I’m referring to having enough space in your workday to handle the inevitable unplanned items that WILL arise. If we live in the fantasy that every day is supposed to go exactly to plan then we are only setting ourselves up for failure and pain. We have to recognize that in order to end each day with a sense of peace and accomplishment, we must put in the work to create margin wherever possible.

So often when I share this thought with career professionals, they inevitably ask, “How?” I have been working on an acronym to make it easier for all of us to have a road map on how to get the margin we need to succeed. Here’s what I have as of today:

M - Manage Priorities: Organize and manage your tasks based on their importance and urgency.

A - Allocate Time: Set aside dedicated time to create margin.

R - Recognize Obstacles: Are there any obstacles that will inhibit your progress?

G - Get Real: Embrace the difficulty; it takes hard work to gain margin.

I - Insist on Finishing: Put your head down and plow through it.

N - Navigate the Urgent: Now that you’re done, you can tackle the more urgent matters that arise each day.

What are your thoughts and experiences with margin? Does this give you a clearer road map on how to get it?