Productivity Tip: The Power of Time Blocking
Feeling overwhelmed by a growing to-do list or constantly switching tasks without seeing real progress may feel normal, but it doesn’t have to be.
Whether you're a parent juggling family and work, or trying to keep up with assignments while taking care of a family member, or a professional buried under a mountain of emails, time blocking can be your secret weapon to get more done with the time you have without the added stress.
What is Time Blocking?
Time blocking is a simple yet powerful technique where you divide your day into blocks, each dedicated to a specific task or group of tasks.
Think of it as creating a schedule for your day, but with more intention and focus. Instead of a long, daunting list of things to do, you carve out specific chunks of time to tackle each task.
#ProTip for Small Business Owners: These blocks can be the different roles or “hats” you wear in your business. For example, you might have a 2 hour time block for bookkeeping or a 1 hour time block to answer emails. If something related to bookkeeping comes up, you’d wait for the time block before addressing it.
How it works
Less Distractions: When you dedicate a block of time to a single area, you’re less likely to get distracted. You’re also less likely to get distracted by small to-do’s as you have a dedicated time to get them done.
Less Decision Fatigue: With time blocking, you’ve already decided what to do and when to do it. This means fewer decisions to make throughout the day, saving your mental energy for the tasks themselves.
More Work-Life Balance: By time blocking for both work and personal time, you ensure that you’re making time for the things that matter most, whether it’s a project at work or a walk in the park with your dog.
Step-by-step guide to getting started.
Time blocking helps us plan for transitions as we move from wearing different hats in our businesses and organizations.
For example, if you run a marketing consulting business you might plan for M-W-F’s to be your meeting days so that on Tuesdays and Thursdays you can focus on creating the deliverables for your clients.
List major tasks/roles
Group similar tasks/roles
Create time blocks (usually 1-2 hours) for each area
And lastly, add breaks! You’ll need to clear your head and get coffee in between each block. Planning on these breaks makes your schedule (and brain!) run smoothly throughout the day.
Keep it flexible
Place your most important or challenging tasks at times when you’re usually most productive. If you’re a morning person, tackle those big tasks first thing. Be flexible and adjust as needed – life happens!
Bonus Tips for Success
Be Consistent: Stick to your blocks as much as possible, but don’t be too hard on yourself if things don’t go perfectly. The goal is progress, not perfection.
Review and Reflect: At the end of each day or week, take a few minutes to review your time blocks. What worked well? What didn’t? Adjust accordingly.
Look Ahead: If you have a product launch or larger project upcoming, you can add more time for certain roles OR remove low value time blocks to meet a certain deadline. You’ve got this!
You won’t know what works until you try!
There isn’t a software or technique that immediately fixes our calendars or anxiety, but when we try proven practices we can find new perspectives that can be a game changer. You can keep what works and stop what doesn’t.
#ProTip for Business Owners: Creating time blocks for your team is a fantastic way to help them take ownership of their schedules and responsibilities.
