Have you ever felt like you’re constantly juggling a never-ending to-do list, only to end the day feeling like you’ve barely made a dent in your workload? That’s where time blocking comes in! This productivity technique involves breaking your day down into specific blocks of time, and assigning tasks or activities to each one. By giving yourself structure and focus, time blocking can help you work more efficiently, prioritize your tasks, and reduce stress and overwhelm.
But where did this technique come from? While the concept of time blocking has been around for centuries, it gained more mainstream attention in the early 20th century. Charles Schwab, an industrialist and inventor, famously used time blocking to increase productivity at his steel mills. Schwab hired productivity expert Ivy Lee to help him manage his time more effectively, and Lee introduced him to the concept of time blocking as a way to prioritize tasks and stay focused.
So how can you use time blocking to boost your own productivity?
Here are some examples:
- Work: Whether you’re working from home or in an office, time blocking can help you stay on top of your tasks and avoid distractions. Start by breaking your workday into blocks of time, and assign specific tasks or projects to each one. For example, you could schedule email and administrative tasks for the first hour of the day, meetings for the second hour, project work for the third hour, and so on. By breaking your day into focused blocks of time, you can avoid getting side-tracked by distractions and ensure that you’re making progress on your most important work.
- Self-Care: It’s easy to let self-care fall by the wayside when we’re busy, but time blocking can help you prioritize it. Set aside blocks of time each day or week for activities that help you recharge, such as exercise, meditation, or reading. By scheduling self-care into your day, you’re more likely to make it a priority and avoid burnout.
- Household Chores: Cleaning and household tasks can feel overwhelming, but time blocking can help make them more manageable. Divide your tasks into categories, such as laundry, dishes, and vacuuming. Assign each category to a specific day or time block. For example, you could schedule laundry for Mondays, vacuuming for Tuesdays, and so on. By breaking tasks into smaller chunks and assigning them to specific time blocks, you’ll feel less overwhelmed by the overall task of keeping your house clean.
- Creativity: Whether you’re a writer, artist, or musician, time blocking can help you prioritize your creative pursuits. Set aside specific blocks of time each day or week for your creative work, and stick to it. By giving yourself focused time for your passions, you’ll be more likely to make progress and feel fulfilled.
So how can you get started with time blocking?
Here are some steps:
- Determine Your Priorities: Start by making a list of your top priorities for the day, week, or month. What tasks or projects are most important to you?
- Break Your Day into Blocks: Once you know your priorities, divide your day into specific blocks of time. You might choose to work in 30-minute or 60-minute increments, depending on what works best for you.
- Assign Tasks to Each Block: For each time block, assign specific tasks or activities. Be realistic about how long each task will take, and make sure you’re not overloading yourself with too many tasks in one block.
- Stick to Your Schedule: Finally, the key to time blocking is sticking to your schedule! Avoid getting side-tracked by distractions and stay focused on the task at hand.
- Learning: Whether you’re studying for a certification, learning a new language, or taking an online course, time blocking can help you make progress. Set aside specific blocks of time each day or week for learning, and break your study sessions into manageable chunks. By scheduling regular study sessions, you’ll be more likely to retain information and make progress towards your learning goals.
- Social Media: Social media can be a huge time-suck, but time blocking can help you limit your screen time. Set aside specific blocks of time each day for checking your social media accounts, and stick to those time blocks. By giving yourself a set amount of time for social media, you’ll be less likely to get sucked in and waste hours scrolling.
- Errands: Running errands can be time-consuming, but time blocking can help you streamline the process. Set aside specific blocks of time each week for errands, and group your tasks by location. For example, you could schedule a block of time for grocery shopping, another block of time for picking up dry cleaning, and so on. By grouping your errands and scheduling them into specific time blocks, you’ll be more efficient and have more time for other tasks.
- Planning and Reflection: Finally, time blocking can help you prioritize planning and reflection time. Set aside blocks of time each week to plan out your schedule, review your progress towards your goals, and reflect on your successes and areas for improvement. By making planning and reflection a priority, you’ll be more intentional about how you spend your time and more likely to achieve your goals.
Incorporating time blocking into your daily routine can be a game-changer when it comes to productivity and reducing overwhelm. Give it a try and see how it works for you!
Real world applications
One story involves a blogger who was struggling to find time to write consistently. She tried various productivity techniques, but nothing seemed to work. Finally, she decided to give time blocking a try. She scheduled blocks of time each day specifically for writing, and made sure to stick to those blocks religiously. As a result, she was able to complete more blog posts in a week than she had in the previous month. The funny part? She was so excited about her newfound productivity that she started showing up at her local coffee shop dressed as a writer, complete with a typewriter and a fedora!
Another story involves a team of software developers who were struggling to keep up with their workload. They were constantly getting distracted by email, phone calls, and other interruptions, and it was causing their productivity to suffer. One day, they decided to try time blocking. They scheduled specific blocks of time each day for focused work, and made sure to turn off all distractions during those blocks. The result? They were able to complete more work in a single day than they had in the previous week. The funny part? They started referring to their time blocks as “code caves”, and would emerge from their designated work time feeling like they had accomplished something truly monumental.
While these stories are humorous, they illustrate just how powerful time blocking can be when used effectively. By prioritizing specific blocks of time for focused work, you can eliminate distractions, boost productivity, and achieve your goals faster than you ever thought possible.
How the greats use time blocking
- Elon Musk: The founder of SpaceX and Tesla is known for his intense work ethic, and time blocking is one of the strategies he uses to manage his busy schedule. Musk divides his day into five-minute intervals, and schedules specific tasks for each block of time. By using time blocking to manage his schedule, Musk is able to make progress on multiple projects simultaneously, while still finding time for exercise, family time, and other important activities.
- Bill Gates: The co-founder of Microsoft is another high-profile user of time blocking. Gates schedules his day in five-minute intervals, just like Musk. He is known for his ability to focus intensely on a single task for hours at a time, and time blocking helps him manage his schedule and ensure that he has enough time to devote to his various projects.
- Cal Newport: Newport is an author and productivity expert who advocates for the use of time blocking to increase productivity. He has written extensively on the topic, and his book “Deep Work” is a popular resource for people looking to use time blocking to achieve their goals.
- Google: The tech giant is known for its innovative workplace culture, and time blocking is one of the strategies it uses to keep employees productive and focused. Google encourages employees to schedule specific blocks of time for focused work, and provides them with tools and resources to help them manage their time effectively
- Warren Buffett: The billionaire investor is known for his strict daily routine, which includes time blocking. Buffett schedules blocks of time each day for reading and learning, which he considers essential to his success. By prioritizing these activities and making time for them each day, he is able to stay on top of industry trends and make informed investment decisions.
- Brian Tracy: Tracy is a motivational speaker and author who has written extensively on the topic of time management. He advocates for the use of time blocking to increase productivity and achieve goals. Tracy recommends scheduling specific blocks of time for important tasks, and breaking those tasks down into smaller, more manageable chunks to increase focus and reduce overwhelm.
How I use time blocking effectively
I have found that time blocking has been so useful in my life when a task needs lots of preparation. I often cook 2 or 3 meals at the same time. I figure, if I am going to be in the kitchen for half an hour, I might as well use that time to make 6 meals instead of just one. With this in mind, I cut up the veg and start frying it off. Some goes into the pasta dish, another into the lasagne and the rest for today’s stir fry. As the pasta is cooking in one pan, I make egg fried rice for the stir fry in the wok and while I am waiting, I put the lasagne together and bang it in the oven. Some goes in the fridge, I freeze the lasagne and then settle down to my delicious honey-chicken stir fry. Total time spent: 45 minutes instead of an hour and a half over a few days when cooked separately. The other advantage – I just wash everything up in one go and save myself another wodge of time having to clean up after myself three different days running.
What now?
If you want to incorporate time blocking in your life, here are the steps you need to apply:
- Decide on a task that you do regularly but could batch.
- Schedule a time block.
- Prepare everything you will need. (It’s no good going to make 3 meals and finding you don’t have the ingredients). You’ll get better at this after the first few mistakes you make so treat it as an experiment.
- At the scheduled time, get cracking. File those taxes, respond to those emails, make a whole year’s worth of birthday cards.
- At the end, tidy everything away, safe in the knowledge that you are finished- at least for a while.
- Review how the process went. Did you have everything you needed? How successful were you? How much time did you save overall? What could be done more efficiently next time? Do you need to dial back the number of tasks you do at the same time?
- Make a plan for next time you time block. Then schedule it in and try again.
In conclusion, time blocking is a simple yet effective productivity technique
If you fancy learning more, check out Laura Vanderkam’s Ted Talk here.
And if you want to learn more about productivity hacks, why not check out the article on How to crush your goals using a tomato!
So, in true Next Few Steps fashion, what will be your takeaways from this article? What can you implement immediately into your life to help you crush your goals?
Feel free to leave any handy tips or tricks you found worked for you in the comments section below.