How many times have you written a list of things to do, only to accomplish nothing by the end of the day? Do you struggle with managing your time between projects? Time management is difficult for everyone, but with a few alterations to your schedule and work systems – such as applying time-blocking – you may be able to be on track for your responsibilities.
What is time-blocking anyway?
Time-blocking is the act of dedicating certain times of the day for specific tasks and responsibilities in advance. Hence, “blocking” times of the day for activities.
Because different aspects of our lives are becoming more and more connected, time-blocking has become a popular way for more people to take control of their life. It helps you zoom in on important things and keeps your focus on one thing at a time.
Time-blocking strategies
A good way to begin your time-blocking journey is to start by identifying your high-level priorities per day. Knowing what you need to do can give you a head-start in planning. Next, create a time-blocking template. Find a routine you unconsciously follow in your daily life and use this as a pattern for your days ahead.
The next step is to categorize your tasks between easy, shallow tasks like simple house tasks and more meaningful tasks that require more brain fuel. It’s also helpful to set a time for unexpected tasks that may come up within the day, such as answering emails and replying to messages.
There are more time-blocking examples out there, but these are the main things you have to take note of. Online apps and templates services are also everywhere to help you keep on track.
Why time-blocking works
Our brains are wired to focus on one thing at a time. Single-tasking helps guard against distraction and can make us 80 percent more productive than dividing our attention across multiple tasks.
It separates facets of our life into different blocks and helps us perform better while maintaining a good work-life balance. If you struggle with procrastination, this might help you get out of the rut.
Hurdles to time-blocking
However, time-blocking isn’t always the best method for everyone. Life happens. In fact, our schedules today may not even look the same as yesterday. Here are a few reasons why time-blocking may not be for you.
First, it takes a lot of time and effort to plan every minute of your day. Let’s face it; it’s a labor-intensive process to foresee and estimate how long tasks will take. It’s also not very often that we have the same clear set of tasks every day.
More urgent tasks can also come up within the day that can destroy your system, so if you are easily stressed with things not going your way, time-blocking may cause you more unnecessary stress.
But disadvantages aside, time-blocking is still a powerful tool that can guide you to better personal and work systems.
Use these services
There are various time-blocking apps out there made to help you guard against distractions. The Google Calendar app, for instance, is a popular time-blocking method for students. There is also the simple Pomodoro daytimer to help you become motivated to finish on time. In addition, time tracking tools that are present in most mobile apps can help you visualize your total time of distractions.
Time management is something difficult for most people and may even take years to master. What’s most important is that strategies can guide you to be better with your time, focus, and productivity.
