Time blocking is planning out each hour of the day, by assigning a task to each hour of your day. For example, from 6-6:30 am to I’m going to exercise, then from 6:40-7 am I’m going to take a shower and get dressed. By assigning times to specific tasks you aren’t scrambling to find time to get things done. Time blocking is a useful technique in time management and productivity and will help you get the most out of your time.
How to Implement time Blocking into your Routine
The key to being successful with time blocking is sticking to it and being committed to the scheduled you’ve created. If you’ve set aside an hour for a task, stick to the time you’ve allotted and the task. So you can smoothly transition to the next task.
Getting started with Time Blocking
When getting started with time blocking, you need to decide what type of calendar or planner you want to use. An electronic calendar or a physical planner. Both have their pros and cons. With a digital calendar, you can access it anywhere and you can set recurring events. While with a physical planner lets you get creative with the layout.
Creating a time blocked scheduled
Once you’ve picked out a calendar, its time to start organizing your time and deciding how you’ll spend it. Start by filling in tasks that are apart of your daily routine. This will include things like going to work, walking the dog, wake up times, bedtimes, and working out.
Now that you have tasks that are apart of your daily routine filled in, you can see where you have free time in your schedule. Set specific tasks that you want to accomplish within those time frames. For example, if you have an hour of free time after with then a task might be “stop at the grocery and pick up items for dinner.” Remember not every hour of the day needs to be filled in, schedule breaks after large tasks, and schedule 5 to 10-minute buffers between tasks in case you get off schedule. So that you don’t burn yourself out.
Lastly, don’t forget to add details to broader tasks. For example, if you have a doctor’s appointment scheduled. You may want to add details like the address or any questions you may have for the doctor.
What’s next?
Do your best to stay committed to the schedule you’ve created. Things don’t always fo as planned. So if a task takes longer than expected, don’t stress about it. Stay focused on what you can do to stay on track. Revisit your schedule often and change the things that aren’t working. Keep your time blocked schedule evolving so that it continues to help you make the most out of each day.
Related post: 7 Tips for Effective Time Management
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I love time blocking. I use it at work all the time.
Me too! It helps me stay on top of things.
I’ve heard so much about time blocking recently and I’ve really wanted to try it out. This post definitely pushes me to want to give it a go. Super informative post!
Thank you, I’m glad to hear that, and hope these tips help.