Enter: Google Calendar. Ms. Johnson’s recalibration has involved a heavy reliance on them — for herself, for the galleries, for her family. “I try to put everything on my calendar,” she said. “Sometimes it’s projects that are work-related and sometimes it’s like, today’s the day to weed the garden.”
Ms. Johnson’s calendar is so packed — with shipping deadlines, exhibitions, tennis, reminders to make plans with a friend, appointments with clients, dinners — that one might not immediately guess that, in fact, one of her main priorities is having plenty of free time. But, she argued, you often can’t have spontaneity without forethought.
“I think there’s probably a misconception that the more you plan, the less joy you get from something,” Ms. Johnson said. Sure, some of her favorite days are the unplanned ones, she said. But she’s found that those sorts of days can only be fully appreciated if you’re already created the space — and gotten the things done — to enjoy them.
Corporate tools can also be useful in interpersonal relationships, said Jessica Stern, a clinical psychologist at New York University Langone Health. She suggests couples have monthly meetings to discuss administrative matters like finances and communication styles. She also recommends that couples schedule sex.
“People often say, ‘That’s so weird, sex should be spontaneous,’” Dr. Stern said. “But if you and your partner are not finding time to connect with each other, there’s nothing more sexy than saying, ‘I want to put you on my calendar as a top priority.’”
The caveat, when using work tools to connect with friends and loved ones, is to make sure friends and loved ones are not repulsed by them. “You might find you’re the type of person who is very organized in terms of sending Google invites, or Google Docs for planning a trip, or a karaoke night,” Dr. Stern said. “Your friends might appreciate it, or your friends might feel overwhelmed by that kind of thing.”
