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# In the Unlikely Event of Whitespace
- URL: https://www.cjchilvers.com/blog/in-the-unlikely-event-of-whitespace/
- Published: 2018-02-09T13:25:05.000Z
- Updated: 2018-02-09T13:25:05.000Z
- Author: CJ Chilvers
- Tags: gtd, Productivity

I'm learning to schedule better.

One of the things I've learned is to build in enough space to compete a task and then add a little padding. I should almost never be surprised by something taking longer than I thought, and often be surprised by something taking a shorter amount of time.

What should I do with those extra scraps of time?

OK, maybe they're just 5 or 10 extra minutes here or there. But when you're not counting on them, they're heavenly. My first reaction is the correct one: do nothing and enjoy the moment. But sometimes you really *feel* like doing something.

Mike Williams, of Zappos.com, came up with his own [chart of small practices](https://twitter.com/GTDmw/status/949401638791348224?ref=cjchilvers.com) he performs throughout the day. Maybe this could be a good guide on how to handle unexpected white space as well (if you really *must* do something):

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/93/30/933059b9-0a90-40a6-8ecc-04cdf152178d/content/images/content/v1/5fb175dc7c803320180cf83a/1609579639335-MLFS29M1X0PEM0G9WUO5/image-asset.jpeg)

I still prefer #5.