Time Blocking is an easy daily habit that can save you time, reduce distractions, and help you get the important stuff done.
When I heard the stat that a staggering 82% of people don't use any time management system,* I was blown away. Having organised my time and attention ever since I can remember, I can't imagine relying on a simple to-do list or my inbox to manage my most precious resource - my time.
How do you know where to start, how do you prioritise what's most important, how do you not end up fire fighting all day and not getting to the big stuff, and don't you feel overwhelmed all the time?
It seems I'm in the tiny minority of 18% who do. Time-blocking is one of the most straightforward techniques for organising and managing our time. Ever since my days of overwhelm and burnout, I've been using this approach to help me manage overwhelming or particularly busy days.
I was doing it without really knowing. It was a thing, and it had a name. My methodical and somewhat geeky brain just started to write things down one day to get the noise out of my head. I wrote each task down in order based on what was more important and put a time frame in to guide me and keep me on track.
So, for example, I'd write:
9am - Go through emails
9.30am - Write Instagram post and deploy
9.50 - Call Sally about the photoshoot next week
10am - Flesh out that new product
12.30am Take orders to the Post Office
12.45 - 13.30 - Lunch & listen to a podcast
And so it went. Throughout the day, I'd tick off the tasks, always glancing over to my pad to make sure I was keeping track. If a distraction occurred, I'd ignore it or jot it down to deal with it later. If I was falling behind, I'd refocus, have a word with myself and crack on. I often talked about this technique at workshops and how this habit helped me focus on hectic days to help me get it all done.
So, first, let's sum up the approach. Time-blocking is a time management technique where you allocate specific periods to tasks or activities, which can significantly improve productivity for many. It also allows you to schedule time in your diary for time with the kids, leisure activities or hobbies and general time out. It helps you visualise the balance of each week so you can easily see if what you have scheduled will be overwhelming or difficult to achieve. Predicting this in advance can help you feel more satisfied and in control.
Since learning it has a name and digging deeper into the benefits, I've learnt that it not only allows you to get more done, but it can also have so many more advantages that you can tap into.
Here's a few…
- Focus & Concentration: By setting a specific time frame for a task, you're more likely to concentrate on it without distractions. Knowing that you have limited time can also help you avoid procrastination.
- Prioritisation: Time blocking forces you to prioritise tasks based on their importance and urgency.
- Efficiency: Setting time limits encourages efficiency. It pushes you to work more effectively to complete tasks.
- Avoiding Perfectionism: Time-blocking can help prevent perfectionism, as you're constrained by time limits rather than striving for perfect outcomes.
- Breaks & Rest: It's easy to schedule breaks between tasks or intervals, preventing burnout and improving overall productivity. Short breaks allow for mental rest and rejuvenation, leading to better daily performance.
- Better Time Management: This technique encourages better time management habits. By assigning specific time slots to tasks, you develop a clearer understanding of how long different activities take meaning you can effectively plan your schedule in the future.
- Reduced Decision Fatigue: I love this one; you make fewer decisions about what to work on next because you've already decided. Think about doing the time-blocking exercise the night before so you can hit the ground running when you get to your desk the next day. This approach frees up mental energy for the actual work.
- Increased Accountability: Time-blocking creates a sense of accountability. You're more likely to stick to tasks when you allocate specific time slots to them.
- Progress Tracking: This positive daily habit allows you to track your progress. You can see how much time you've spent on each task and adjust accordingly so that future days run smoothly and you feel accomplished.
- Flexibility: While time-blocking involves allocating specific time slots for tasks, it does offer flexibility. If a task takes longer, adjust your schedule and pop it into another time block so it doesn’t derail your entire day.
It's also prudent to use a little planning alongside time blocking. Imagine you've blocked out some time in the evening for yourself, but you don’t plan what you’ll do with that time in advance. You arrive at that slot in your diary without anything arranged. You'll end up giving away that time to do the washing, working a little longer or carrying on with life admin that you blocked the time out in the first place to get away from! A little plan to book that appointment, arrange that get-together with friends or plan your bit of me time can really transform your week, motivation and energy.
Just to be clear, since we are on the subject, there is another phrase that gets kicked around: 'Time Boxing,' but what's the difference?
According to Clockify.me…
Time-blocking and time-boxing both involve allocating fixed time periods to activities. However, while time-blocking involves strictly reserving time for an activity, time-boxing involves limiting the time you spend on it.
I suppose time boxing is getting more into the detail, and I was using a mixture of both systems, which explains why it worked so well.
I hope this has helped, if you are one of the 82% not using a system then now is the time to schedule in a desk pad or planner and stop relying on a simple to-do list or your inbox to manage your workload and priorities.
From experience, there is no time to waste to get more of your time back and ensure you are spending it on the things that matter to you. I call it 'Time with Intension’.
