Just Ask Jenna Looks At Allocating Your Time

by Jenna C, ’26

Dear Jenna, 

Whenever I sit down to plan out my day, I always think everything will take less time than it actually does. Whether it’s finishing assignments, running errands, responding to emails, or even just getting ready to go somewhere, I’ll tell myself each thing will only take a short amount of time. Then suddenly the day is almost over and I’m behind schedule. This happens all the time, even though I know I’m usually wrong. Why do I keep underestimating how long things will take?

From,
Always Running Out of Time

Dear Always Running Out of Time, 

This is something almost everyone experiences, especially when they’re juggling a lot at once. When you plan out your work, it’s easy to picture the best-case version of how things will go: you stay focused, nothing interrupts you, and everything makes sense right away. In reality, tasks often take longer because of small delays, unexpected distractions, or simply needing more time than you anticipated.

In economics, this is known as the planning fallacy. The planning fallacy describes our tendency to underestimate how long tasks will take, even when we have past experience telling us otherwise. When you make a schedule, you usually imagine how the task should go, not how it usually does. Your brain focuses on intention rather than reality, which is why the same miscalculation keeps happening. 

This does not mean you are bad at managing your time. It just means you are human. One way to work around this is to start building in extra time or think back to how long similar tasks actually took. Over time, being more realistic with yourself can make planning feel less stressful and a lot more accurate. 

Best of luck!
Jenna

Disclaimer

The information provided from Just Ask Jenna is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be construed as professional advice. While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the information shared, the author makes no guarantees of any kind regarding completeness, accuracy, or suitability for any particular purpose.

All opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not represent any affiliated organizations or entities.