Make space for a side project, without adding more to your schedule

A mini framework for getting the right things done, better and faster

Finding time for a side project in a busy life can be hard. I have certainly had an Outlook calendar that looked like a game of Tetris. Except mine came with double, sometimes triple, bookings.

So how do we find time for a side project? I believe it becomes somewhat easier by reframing it as making space for it.

The theory behind the most important productivity hack I know is very simple.
The following approach can be used to make space for a side project and is known to some readers as the 4D framework: Delete, Delegate, Defer, and Do.

Here is how to apply the 4D framework to make space for a side project.

How to use the 4D framework

Before you start a task, pause and approach it by asking yourself:

Must this be done at all?
This is the most important question in the 4D framework.
If the answer is no → Delete. Decline and/or simply remove that task
If yes, then ask:

Must this be done by me?
I mean, really? Again, must it be done by you?
If the answer is no → Delegate. And move on to doing other things
If yes, then ask:

Must this be done right now?
Once again, consider whether it is true to include a “must do” in your response.
Must this task be done by you, right now?
If the answer is no → Defer. And schedule it for a specific time.

That is not being lazy. It is making a conscious decision about when to do the task. There are many tasks that can be bundled or batched to be done more efficiently at another point in time, when more urgent and important tasks are not requiring your immediate focus.

But to that last point:
If the answer is yes → Do it now.

Some of us may recognise this framework, as it is often used in productivity and time management literature. The same goes for effective vs efficient.
Yet, it is very useful to remind yourself of this framework every once in a while. And for others, this is perhaps entirely new.

Anyway, we can use it as a mini productivity framework, and apply it to our own personal productivity review for making space. Do you think that would be useful for you?

Before moving on, here is a summary to save for later.

To make space for a side project, use the 4D framework:

• Delete: remove tasks that do not need to be done

• Delegate: assign tasks to someone else

• Defer: schedule tasks for a specific time later

• Do: complete the task now

Start by questioning whether a task must be done at all. Then decide if it must be done by you, and if it must be done now. This simple process helps you focus on what matters and create space without adding more to your schedule.

Unfortunately, for many of us, the truth is that we get stuck at Delegate, and things pile up from there into more or less urgent tasks that all have to be performed by the same limited resource. You. Or me, in my case. Historically, we might have had little or no opportunity to outsource even the most routine and boring tasks.

For many knowledge-based tasks, the potential for increased productivity has expanded as generative AI has become easily accessible to the general public.

Yes, we still need to do a lot of practical, hands-on work in our lives (or pay someone else to do it), but many time-consuming and repetitive tasks have become significantly easier.

Here are some real-life examples of what I have done lately, with better results and less time spent compared to doing them the traditional way:

• Relocation assistant. I created a customised GPT to help me research potential locations that could be relevant in the future.

• Weekly and monthly meal planning for my family (grocery shopping can be integrated for some, depending on where you live).

• Reviewing, explaining, analysing, and summarising legal documents in a real estate-related case.

• Comparing proposals from real estate rental agencies.

• Research, comparison, and requesting quotes for an insurance policy.

Are you using AI tools for something similar? Is there anything here you would like to try? I would love to hear what you are working on.

What about all the other “must do” things in life that cannot be done more efficiently with AI, or using your laptop at all?

I have spent most of my working life in outsourcing. First IT outsourcing, and later facilities management outsourcing.

I like outsourcing in general, and I have applied that in private life too. But I think it is important to reflect and choose carefully what to outsource. There is no one-size-fits-all solution to guide that decision. But a good starting point for most people is probably:

What do I want to spend my time on?
Who do I want to spend my time with?

Questioning what you truly must do can make space for what you want to do. And for more time with the people who matter most to you.

Once you have made space for a side project, make sure you choose one that is worthy of your time and effort. If you are still deciding what to work on, you may want to read this article I wrote recently about how to choose a side project.