Let’s Talk About Time Blocking.

We all make lists somewhere – whether it’s on paper, via Alexa, in our heads, etc.  Sometimes the list is created as you lay in bed at night, trying to fall asleep, but instead, you are preparing your “must-dos” for tomorrow morning.   Great job – way to plan ahead! Now, the trick is, how do you make sure this list is executed? Simple – you block the time to get it done.

What exactly is time blocking?

It is essentially blocking out time on your calendar (digital or good old-fashioned pen and paper style, it doesn’t really matter) to accomplish the tasks on your “to-do” list.  How you do it is really up to you.

Some people segment the blocks by client or project, while others prefer to compartmentalize by the type of task such as “respond to emails” or “book travel”.

I know you’re thinking this sounds basic.  It is. But it’s the HABIT that isn’t basic for many busy remote and brick-and-mortar entrepreneurs alike.

The HABIT of blocking out time to get stuff done is the hard part, not the concept itself. But, I promise you, if you pause for ten minutes and block out your day ahead of time, even if it’s only a couple of hours – heck, start with ONE hour each day, and devote that time to a specific set of activities, you will be impressed with how much you can accomplish.

One of my favorite things about time blocking is that it helps you balance yourself. It buckets the important stuff that you need to do but also easily allows you to see what constitutes as “urgent” when something else pops up.

Your time blocks aren’t concrete.  You can move them. That’s the beauty of this.  Again, it’s about getting the block onto your calendar.  Once it’s there, you can shift it if needed. It forces you to prioritize.

Time blocking is a commitment to show up for yourself (in most instances) and finish the things you’ve been wanting or meaning to do.  You’ve been meaning to write a blog post, so put “write a blog post” on your calendar for Thursday. Block out an hour. Boom! You’re halfway there.

Why do I love time blocking so much?

1. It promotes dedicated and focused work.
2. You become more realistic about your time commitments and where your energy is going.
3. You learn to appreciate breaks.
4. Your work becomes more meaningful.

If you have an assistant, they can be a great resource for holding you accountable for time blocking.  For example, when you mention, “I really need to spend some time writing case studies” this should be their queue to jump into action, open your calendar, and block time for that specific task.

Remember, it doesn’t mean you’re married to it. You can move it – ten times if you need to, but the most important thing is that you start dedicating blocks of time to important work.

Like I mentioned in the beginning, this is a helpful tool for balancing your workload.  Take advantage of it. It is easy to implement and it doesn’t cost you a dime, with the exception of a little commitment.

Here’s to productivity!