Time blocking will dramatically increase your focus, productivity & give you more freedom…
The most productive people I know use some form of time blocking. Whether you’re a business owner, employee or the CEO of your life, it’s a valuable tool for anyone who wants more out of their minutes. It’s easy to set up, free, customizable, compatible with your current calendar & it’s effective! It just takes commitment to make it work – kind of like everything else in life.
Time blocking is the practice of breaking up your day / week into consistent chunks of time then dedicating one specific activity or “batched” activities to that block.
Multitasking is ineffective & increases internal chaos & frustration.
Time blocking helps decrease distractions, hone your focus, ease procrastination & stress. It’s your platform to create rhythm & allows you to let go of non-priorities, knowing you will take care of them at a later time. You can work with your unique energy cycles to achieve greater productivity & schedule time for you!
Here’s an example of my simplified time blocking calendar for the fall and below is a list of tips for creating yours.
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Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
Saturday |
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5:45 |
Weekly PH |
Run |
Run/Pilates |
Run |
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7:00 |
Morning Time |
Morning Time |
Morning Time |
Morning Time |
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8:30 |
Emails / Social Media |
Emails |
Emails |
Emails |
Emails |
Run/ Pilates |
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9:00 |
Marketing / Social Media |
Client (a) |
Client (a) |
Writing / Develop |
Business & Personal Admin |
Emails / Social Media |
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11:00 |
Client (b) |
Client (b) |
Off w/ K |
Writing / Develop |
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12:45 |
Lunch |
Lunch |
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1:00 |
Client (c) |
Client (c) |
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3:00 |
Pick up K (2:15pm) |
Client (d) |
Client (d) |
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4:30 |
K Music |
Emails / Social Media |
Emails / Social Media |
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5:00 |
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Pick Up K |
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6:00 on |
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Social / Evening Meetings |
Social |
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*Sundays are a given – time for family & moi
Customize your template
Ensure that the time increments suit your schedule & are large enough chunks of time for each activity. The less you switch activities, the better, so aim for longer & equal chunks of time to focus where possible.
Wear one hat at a time
Different actions require different types of focus & energy. It is more effective to batch activities together. You might try wearing different “hats” on a particular day. Example above; I have marketing Mondays, clients on Tuesdays & Wednesdays, Thursdays & Saturdays are creative development days & Fridays are for admin & other loose ends.
Work with your energy cycles
You have a unique energy cycle so build your activities around this. Notice what types of work are best suited to which times & for what lengths. You may wake up inspired & flowing so take advantage by doing uninterrupted creative work in the morning & your communication in the afternoon. Or you may be the complete opposite & between 8 pm – 10 pm your creative juices kick in. And if you know your energy plummets at 3 pm then ensure you have a break scheduled before you crash.
Top priorities first
20% of your activities give you 80% of your results. Please stop spending your time on the least important things! Get crystal clear on the priorities that will make the greatest impact in your business & life & do them first!
Block time for you!
You are the driving force behind your business & life. If you truly want to thrive then time for refueling, rest & exercise are non-negotiable.
Make it accessible
Once it’s mapped out, ensure that you transfer the information to your active calendar. This will help you to stay on track, schedule accordingly & make necessary changes along the way.
Benefits & Boundaries
A great time blocking benefit is that you now know exactly when you are available to connect with the outside world. This dramatically reduces scheduling challenges & supports your ability to set & honor your boundaries.
DOWNLOAD YOUR TIME BLOCKING TEMPLATE HERE
Take care in your minutes, and the hours will take
care of themselves. – Lord Chesterfield
