Are you tired of going through your day with little direction and less progress? Have you tried to manage your time better only to fail over and over again?
If you said yes, stick with us! Today we are introducing you to a useful strategy that helps you get more done, reduces overwhelm and gets you into the habit of clearing out time for the things that matter most to your business. And who doesn’t want that?
TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:
[00:48] Intro
[02:27] What is Time Blocking?
[05:36] Time Blocking On Your Calendar
[07:25] 3 Time Blocking Benefits
[09:22] Time Blocking isn’t Rigid
[10:05] Bloopers
RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
[Theresa] Did you know that 41% of to-do list items are never completed? Yet, most solo business owners plan their day with just that—a to-do list!
It’s not a surprising stat if you think about it. To-do lists are often overly ambitious and contain list items that aren’t even important. But we love those lists. There is something gratifying about crossing out and checking off.
[Meghan] Oh yeah! I love crossing things off. It gives me a sense of accomplishment.
However, I’ll admit that in the past I’ve worked without a to-do list. And, there have been times when I’ve created a list but not consulted it. Then, I’d look at the list at the end of the day only to discover I didn’t do what I needed to do!
[Theresa] Guilty. Right here! As a matter of fact, it’d be right at that point where I’d add the things I did do to the list just so I could have the satisfaction of crossing them off. I bet you’ve done the same thing.
While we love list-making, the sad truth is that to-do lists by themselves aren’t very effective. However, intentional to-do listing coupled with the highly effective strategy of time blocking will massively improve your productivity.
What is Time Blocking?
[Meghan] The whole concept of time blocking may be new to you. So, let’s take a look at what time blocking actually is and its benefits.
[Theresa] At its core, time blocking is simply scheduling in set times for different tasks and activities.
It’s not a laisse-faire “Monday to Friday are workdays” type of schedule, but rather a very intentional integration of your to-do list with your calendar.
[Meghan] Sometimes the words “time blocking” and “batching” are used interchangeably. However, they’re actually quite different.
Batching means doing a set of related tasks all in one sitting. For example, batching social media graphics means that you create several images at one time rather than creating images one at a time.
Batching definitely helps with efficiency. But, it isn’t time blocking.
Discover the benefits of time blocking and how it helps you focus on what matters most to your business success.Click To Tweet[Theresa] Time blocking means optimizing your entire schedule so you always know exactly when different activities will happen.
It isn’t a typical calendar where you would enter specific appointment times as they are scheduled. For example, a dentist appointment on Wednesday at 2:15pm.
Rather time blocking happens BEFORE any other appointments are made. You block off certain times on your calendar for different categories of tasks.
Grouping Similar Tasks and Categorizing
[Meghan] Here are some categories to consider when creating your time blocks:
- Personal: any personal appointments, meals, and self-care
- Admin: checking email, returning phone calls, organizing documents, accounting, planning
- Client work: working on projects, doing consultations, coaching calls
- Content: researching, writing blog posts or podcast episodes, editing, creating lead magnets, creating graphics
- Marketing: all tasks related to marketing your business like scheduling social media, social listening, or creating Facebook ads
- Breaks: leave white space in your calendar for breaks and for overflow
- Buffer: “oopsy” time for projects that take longer than expected because life happened (hello tech issues and sick days!)
[Theresa] Categorizing your time blocks in this manner is extremely helpful in that it allows you to see what tasks are similar and then group them inside of a time block.
By grouping like activities together within your blocks, you reduce the temptation to multitask which minimizes context switching. When you constantly switch between tasks, not only do you run the risk of not completing your work, but it’s also a total productivity killer.
[Meghan] Plus, when you block off time on your calendar in advance, you are ensuring that you’ll get meaningful work done.
Time Blocking on Your Calendar
[Theresa] Right. Think of your time blocks as appointments with yourself. My time blocks are scheduled as recurring events on my Google Calendar. I’ll include a screenshot of my calendar on the blog, but a typical day for me might look like this:
- 5am to 7am Morning Ritual
- 7am to 7:30am Admin (for checking communications like email)
- 7:30am to 9:30am Content
- 10am to 12pm Marketing
- 12pm to 1pm Lunch
- 1pm to 3pm Client Work
- 3pm to 4pm Admin (for checking email and planning for the next day)
Each day of my week is a bit different. I set my schedule so that I can get the most out of my efforts. For example, the bulk of my Content blocks are scheduled in the mornings because that’s when my energy, focus and willpower are at their highest.
But you have to do what is best for you. If you write best at night, then go for it. There is no wrong answer here.
[Meghan] The point of time blocking is to take action on your to-do list items during the blocks you set for yourself. So, make it work for you—whatever that looks like.
And I’d like to mention here that time blocking is effective for more than just work. You can certainly use time blocking for your entire day.
3 Time Blocking Benefits
[Theresa] Still not sure time blocking is right for you? Maybe the following three benefits will convince you.
Time Blocking Helps You Get Your Work Done in The Allotted Time
[Theresa] Have you ever noticed that when you have three hours to complete a task, that task tends to take the full three hours? This is known as Parkinson’s Law which states that “work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.”
Well, time blocking takes advantage of this law.
Let’s say it’s Monday and you need to write a blog post by Friday. How long will it take you to write that post? Probably all week.
Instead, plan the to-do list items pertaining to your blog post writing into a couple of Content time blocks throughout the week. By doing this you’re creating a focused container around your writing process. This will improve your time management, while also boosting your productivity.
Time Blocking Gives You An Excuse to Say No
[Meghan] If you struggle with saying no to certain people or things, time blocking will be your new best friend!
With your time clearly blocked out on your calendar, it’s easy to say no when people ask you to do something that isn’t the best use of your time. A simple, “I’m sorry, I already have a commitment” is all you need to say.
And it’s true! The commitment you have is to yourself.
While it’s always nice to do favors for friends or colleagues, you also can’t let those favors eat away at your high value work time! Time blocking helps you stick to YOUR priorities instead of giving in to the priorities of others.
Time Blocking Will Decrease Your Stress
[Theresa] At first, it may seem like scheduling in every moment of your day would actually add more stress but it has the opposite effect.
When you know exactly what to expect throughout the day, your focus stays clear, you get more done, and you don’t have that constant nagging worry that you’re forgetting something.
Time blocking makes life easier. And who doesn’t love that?
Time Blocking isn’t Rigid
[Meghan] A final thought—there’s also nothing wrong with being spontaneous sometimes!
You’re not a prisoner to your calendar. If you want to break out of your routine on occasion, we promise we won’t tell anyone.
If you’re ready to stop wasting time and want to boost your productivity, give time blocking a try. Once you try it, you’ll get addicted to how much more effective you are!
[Theresa] I agree. Alright, everyone, that’s it for today.
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