The Ultimate Guide To Using Time Blocking To Boost Your Productivity
Publié le 15 July 2021
The ultimate guide to using time blocking to boost your productivity will introduce you to an effective time management technique that will keep you on track to complete your goals and work at your best.
After months of working from home, many of us reached a point where it became difficult to plan our workdays without the familiar structure of the office. Almost everybody had a moment of feeling lost in a stream of emails, zoom meetings, and notifications that seemed never ending.
With so many drastic changes to the way we work, collaborate, and set business goals, it can be hard to tell if we are working at our best and most efficiently.
This is exactly where the time blocking method can help.
The essence of time blocking as a time management strategy is simple: divide your day into several time blocks, each dedicated to a specific task. By doing this, you’ll save many working hours, follow through your goals and drastically improve your productivity.
The idea behind it is quite simple – if you wrote a plan on a piece of paper, there’s a higher chance that you’ll actually follow it.
What is Time Blocking?
Time blocking is a time management tool. Using time blocking to boost your productivity is an effective strategy that should help you achieve your daily/weekly/monthly goals and bring your work performance to another level.
The main mechanism behind this strategy is to divide your day into segments called time blocks. Each of these blocks is reserved for a specific task. The key point of this method is to clearly prioritize your assignments in advance, which allows you to decide which tasks are assigned to which time block.
How to Get the Most out of Time Blocking?
The importance of being well organized in this era of fast-paced exchange of information cannot be stressed enough. Not only will time blocking allow you to reach new heights of organization, but it will also allow you to be more creative as well – enabling you to channel all of your energy to a single task ahead of you.
This method is designed to help you stay focused and prepared to battle new challenges ahead. There are a few tips to follow when trying to apply the time blocking method to boost your productivity with your daily/weekly work routine:
- Do not let your time blocks become too big.
- You should be objective and strict when estimating how much time a given task consumes. Creating blocks too big is a double-edged sword – you might find yourself putting too many tasks into a specific time block which would ultimately create confusion and defeat the purpose of the time blocking strategy.
- On the other hand – do not allow yourself to create time blocks that are too small.
By doing this, you would find yourself in a situation where you feel that there’s an endless stream of tasks ahead of you, which can be quite overwhelming on a day-to-day basis. Time blocking should make your workflow easier – not more stressful. - Try different block sizes to discover what works for you.
Once you achieve the perfect length of a time block you’ll be able to complete meaningful and impactful tasks without burning out. Once you find your best ration, you’ll have plenty of time to replenish your energy and rejuvenate your focus for the next task at hand.
Here’s a simple step-by-step breakdown about how you can implement the time blocking method to your daily routine:
- Create a list. Write down all the things that need to get done for the week. This list should contain all your work tasks, daily commute, meals and meal preparations, your family obligations, and if you are a sporty person – feel free to throw in your exercise routines as well.
- Set your priorities straight. Mark the most important projects on the list. These projects have a top priority and they should have the prime slots of your time. Do not go overboard though – two or three main priority projects per day are more than enough.
- Create a daily template. Think about every single task on the list and how much time the task should consume. Write it all down, set the time blocks, and reserve some time to be flexible – you’ll never know when your boss will schedule that unplanned Skype/Zoom meeting.
Expecting the unexpected is a great way to prevent stressful situations. Allowing yourself a few extra minutes per task can help you successfully tackle unforeseen problems without losing too much time.
After all, not every situation can be predictable and you’re making a plan – not a binding contract with yourself.
Here’s an example with my actual schedule, broken into time blocks:
- 7.00 a.m. to 7.30 a.m. – morning ritual/stretching/exercise
- 7.30 a.m to 8.30 a.m. – breakfast preparation/breakfast
- 8.30 a.m. to 10.00 a.m. – client relations (emails/calls/), and appointments booked ahead
- 10.00 a.m. to 10.30 a.m. – daily Skype meeting with the staff members
- 10.30 a.m. to 11.00 a.m. – social media posting
- 11.00 a.m. to 11.30 a.m. – coffee/brunch break
- 11.30 a.m. to 2.00 p.m. – Priority task/project #1
- 2.00 p.m. to 2.30 p.m. – Lunch
- 2.30 p.m. to 5.00 p.m. – Priority task/project #2
- 5.00 p.m. to 5.30 p.m. – Dinner
- 5.30 p.m. to 6.30 p.m. – Relax/free time
- 6.30 p.m to 8.00 p.m. – Gym
- 8.00 p.m. to 9.00 p.m. – Priority task/project #3
- 9.00 p.m. to 11.30 p.m – Evening ritual
If you are a visual person, you can always create charts or graphs to estimate how much time you are willing to give to your tasks. Figuring out the best time balance between work and relaxation is halfway to your best productive self.
What Are the Advantages of Time Blocking?
By far the biggest advantage of using time blocking to boost your productivity and improve your time management is that it enables you to focus on a single task/project at a time. This approach will leave less room for errors, and it will allow you to bring a fresh perspective to each new task without dividing your attention across multiple ones at the same time. Time blocking minimizes distractions, helps establish the flow, and creates a sense of control.
There are 3 main advantages when you decide to implement time blocking into your daily routine:
#1: Productivity
Time blocking will keep your day structured. The fact that you have a list of the things that need to be done and that you can access this list quickly whenever the need arises is a powerful tool in your arsenal.
Certain positions require you to be extremely well organized in different areas of expertise. For example, If you are a project manager, you are in charge of keeping team members focused on their tasks and ensuring projects move ahead smoothly, among other things. Being able to time-block effectively will help you anticipate the challenges ahead of you and be more prepared to deal with unprecedented liabilities.
If you have a tendency of forgetting the tasks that require your attention or if you are feeling unsure of what to do next – consider time blocking as your personal safety net. It will help you to always be aware of what needs to be accomplished and where you should be directing your focus.
#2: Creativity
By putting a razor-sharp focus on a single task in front of you, you’ll be able to tap into your full creative potential. It’s as simple as that – preventing your procrastination attempts, banning all distractions from your surroundings, and focusing only on the task at hand. Without these additional distractions, it gives you the time and ability to boost your creative thinking. You’ll be able to figure out solutions more creatively and keep your ideas fresh and original.
#3: Achievement
Having a set deadline and just a little bit of time pressure applied correctly can help you stay on track. Most will agree that completing a time-sensitive task on or before the deadline is a huge morale boost. Completing tasks numerous times during the day will leave you feeling like you’re on top of your game, every time. Once your day is complete, you will have a detailed record of your achievements, which will be great to look back on.
Top 5 Time Blocking Software Apps
There are multiple apps and software programs that will help you use time blocking to boost your productivity. Below you’ll find 5 of the most popular apps that can help you get started. Don’t be afraid to experiment and see which one works best for you.
#1: Clockwise
Clockwise is a free app – a Chrome extension to be precise – that promises to “make your calendar work for you”. The main goal of this extension is to increase the focus and deep work hours of its users.
Easily arrange your tasks/meetings with this smart calendar assistant. Clockwise will even move around tasks on your calendar if it identifies a conflict in meetings.
#2: Clockify
This is a simple time tracking app that enables you to precisely monitor how much time it would take you to complete a certain task. You can log your tasks, projects, meetings, activities, meetings, notes, etc.
Clockify is a handy tool when you are creating your time blocking schedule, and you are yet to figure out how big your blocks need to be.
#3: Things
With plenty of customizable options, this app is great for the usage of multiple calendars (work, family, personal, workout). You can track your progress with to-do lists, pie charts, and various checklists. While it’s less optimized for the time block method, it will certainly provide you with a helping hand.
#4: Planyway
An app made for team usage, Planyway will greatly help you visualize the work that needs to be done. If you’re an avid Trello user, this app is practically tailor-made for you.
Planyway will help you by increasing awareness about what’s currently happening in your company and it will assist you in schedule management to a micro-level if needed.
#5: Plan
Plan was created for quick and easy task scheduling. The main focus of this app is on the creation of straightforward to-do lists and calendars, and there’s a personal guarantee of its creator that this app will save you up to 15 hours per week. The less time you spend managing your work, the more time you’ll have to actually work.
Conclusion
If you’re having difficulties with managing your daily/weekly obligations and you feel that you’re constantly lacking time and energy, consider the benefits of using time blocking to boost your productivity. It will be able to help you perform at your best, complete more goals and reach your achievements. Once you free up some time in your schedule, you will be motivated for both personal and professional growth: practice your skills, learn new abilities, enroll in an online course, anything that will help you develop, improve and grow.
