I just came back from vacation with my family, and somehow the end of the year is already starting to feel close. And if I’m honest, I still have a lot I want to accomplish this year. That creates a familiar feeling: I need to accelerate. Work harder. Fill the calendar. Operate at 100% (or maybe 110%, as athletes sometimes like to say).

But I’ve been thinking that the opposite might actually be more effective. When we feel behind, our instinct is to use every available hour. The problem is that a system operating at 100% capacity has no room for anything to go wrong (or for anything new to go right). So, what if instead of planning our weeks at 100%, we deliberately planned them at 80%?

Tip of the Week: Plan only 80% of your available capacity. The remaining 20% isn't wasted time... it's what keeps your system working when real life inevitably gets in the way.

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The Theory Behind

100% utilization sounds efficient, but it can make systems less effective. In operations and queueing theory, as a system gets closer to full utilization, waiting times and bottlenecks increase dramatically. Think about a highway at 70% capacity versus one at 100%: adding just a few more cars can suddenly create a traffic jam. Our calendars aren't that different. When every hour is committed, one unexpected request can throw off the entire day.

Less available time can actually make us more effective. Parkinson's Law famously states that "work expands to fill the time available for its completion." Give us five days for something, and somehow it takes five days. Give us four, and suddenly we're much better at deciding what matters, cutting unnecessary work, and getting to the point. Constraints force us to prioritize instead of simply adding more.

The remaining 20% creates room for the important things we tend to neglect. Stephen Covey describes these as Quadrant II activities: important but not urgent (planning, learning, relationship-building, prevention, and personal development). These are usually the first things we sacrifice when we're "busy." Leaving some capacity available gives us room for the unexpected, but it can also give us time to work on the things that make us better in the long run.

What I’ve Learned

I try to protect my Friday afternoons for exactly this reason. Ideally, I don't schedule much during that time. Sometimes I need those hours simply to catch up on the week, and that's perfectly fine. But when I don't, I can invest them in things we tend to neglect because we're "too busy." In the past, I've deliberately blocked Friday afternoons for training and learning. The irony is that development is usually one of the first things we remove when we're busy, even though it's supposed to make us better at our jobs. For me, 80% isn't about working less or giving 80% effort. It's about not committing 100% of my capacity before the week even starts. And in my experience, if you work can be done in 5 days, it can be done in 4.5 days too.

Make It Happen

1. Calculate your real capacity. Start with the hours you actually have available (not an imaginary 40-hour week). Account for meetings, personal commitments, holidays, and everything else already taking up your time.

2. Protect 20% before filling your calendar. Don't schedule everything and hope some time remains. Intentionally leave capacity available from the beginning.

3. Prioritize the other 80%. Start with your most important deliverables. If everything doesn't fit, that's useful information. Something needs to be prioritized, delegated, delayed, or removed.

4. Have a plan for the 20%. If something unexpected happens, you have room to absorb it. If nothing does, use that time to catch up—or invest it in important-but-not-urgent activities like learning, planning, or building relationships.

5. Review your capacity weekly. If you're constantly operating above 100%, don't automatically add more hours. Look at what's causing the overflow and adjust your system.

As the end of the year gets closer, your instinct might tell you to go faster and operate at 110%. Instead, try something different: give 100% of your effort, but only commit 80% of your capacity. Hopefully, the math works.

80% yours,

Jorge Luis Pando

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