Most people understand the concept of a to-do list. Tasks that need to get done. Some are based on deadlines, some are based on a running list, some are prioritized, and some are free-for-all. But, how do you turn your to-do list into actual productive work? How do you schedule your days to ensure you’re reaching maximum productivity?
Well,
What is Time Blocking?
Time blocking is scheduling chunks of your days into categories for you to complete work. Instead of responding to an email every time you get a notification, it might mean you check your email for a set, scheduled hour in the morning and maybe another set, scheduled hour in the afternoon. Think of it kind of like setting appointments for yourself all day long.
Why should you time block?
Well, in short, it actually increases your productivity, lessens your distractions, and even helps to keep you motivated. You know exactly what you’re working on for that chunk of time. It also helps to prevent you from getting distracted by every email notification that comes in, knowing you’ve already scheduled a time to get to them all.
So, what does time blocking look like?
Really, whatever you want. Everyone’s time blocking will look a little different based on the needs of their personal and business life. Maybe someone is more productive in the evenings while others might be early risers. There’s really no fast and hard rules about it, but here’s an example of what one could look like:
The goal of time blocking is to focus the chunk of time on completing the tasks. If you finish the task before the allotted time, great! Use that opportunity to grab a hot coffee, stretch your legs, or get a head start on another task. Be flexible with your time blocking if something pops up and make changes to it as you see fit – maybe you notice that you only need to be checking emails/messages once a day or maybe it’s not taking the full hour. Remember, this is to boost YOUR productivity so make sure it works for you!