Want to Be More Productive? Use Time Blocking to Manage Your Day With Ease

Whether you work a nine-to-five job, work remotely, or stay at home with the kids, everyone needs an effective way to manage their day.

After all, perfectionism, procrastination and the myth of multitasking are all very real dangers that can trap even the most productive people.

So, how do you manage your schedule and actually get work done? This is where time blocking aka time chunking comes in.

Why time blocking helps us get things done

Taking control of your time by dividing it into chunks or blocks can make you more productive. “Time blocking” is a simple and effective way to achieve this.

For example, instead of checking your phone every time you get an email or social media notification, you set aside specific times throughout the day to return phone calls, respond to emails, and check social media accounts.

You are essentially setting aside specific blocks of time to complete important tasks or projects. Finally, your schedule breaks down into chunks of time where you’re focusing on one task or project at a time.

Only 2.5% of people can actually multitask—most just believe they can.

Many people believe that they can multitask and do them all well. But research shows that only 2.5% of people are able to multitask effectively.The rest is just the population believes They are effectively multitasking.

Meanwhile, a 2013 study at the University of Utah found that people who try to juggle multiple tasks at once are more easily distracted, less productive, make more mistakes, and score lower on recall tests.

Similarly, rapid switching between two plans can also affect results. We complete tasks more effectively when we give them our full attention. Moreover, neuroscientists warn that trying to multitask or dividing our attention is affecting our ability to perform even simple tasks.

This means that the more we multitask, the less we are able to accomplish. The reason is simple. We’re losing our ability to focus, which means projects take longer than they should.

How to Use Time Blocking (Plus an Example Schedule)

This approach not only reduces mental breakdowns but also helps unlock your creativity by focusing all your energies on one task during its dedicated time block.

Here’s an overview of how you can incorporate time blocking into your life.

Prepare your list – don’t leave anything out.

Start by making a list of all the things that need to be done for the week. List all your work plans, your family commitments and even your exercise goals. The goal is to cover everything from telephone calls to the meals you need to prepare.

Put asterisks next to things that absolutely must be completed, such as work projects, meetings with clients, and doctor’s appointments. Typically, this is done on a Friday after work or on a Sunday evening before the start of the workweek.

Determine your priorities.

Once your list is ready, go through it and star through the projects that are your top priorities for the week. Try to limit it to two to three things per day. The goal is to give your most important tasks prime slots in your time-blocking schedule. You should also plan to set aside time each day to answer emails, return phone calls, and check social media.

Create a daily blueprint

Your next step is to think about how much time you have in a day and how much time you want to devote to each task on your list.

Start by creating time blocks for things you do every day such as morning routines and evening rituals, exercise, your commute to and from work, meals and meal preparation, homework help, etc.

Of course, this is a very simplistic outline and will not be suitable for everyone. The key is to create a blueprint for your typical day with blocks of time where you can focus on your most important tasks or projects.

If you work for a company that has team meetings, regular trainings, or weekly conference calls, you’ll need to account for those as well. And, don’t forget to allow for travel time if you have appointments or meetings you need to attend during the week. You may also need to prepare a different blueprint for the weekend.

Block out your entire day.

Ideally, after your blueprint is complete, you’ll be able to block out each day of the week. Start with your top priorities and go from there. For example, if your top priority for the week is to write a comprehensive activity report by Friday, think about how long it will take you to put it together.

Consequently, if you think it will take you four hours to complete the report, you might schedule two hours on Monday and two hours on Tuesday to work on the report. Then, plan another hour on Wednesday to proof it, make changes, and finalize it.

By planning to set aside blocks of time early in the week to complete the report, you not only prevent procrastination but also free up the time you need to focus on preparing the report.

Protect your time.

Once you have completed your schedule, best protect your time. Of course, the unexpected will come up and you’ll need to be flexible. But resist the urge to sacrifice time on your priority project for something that can wait.

Talk to co-workers and family members when you’re not available. Then, treat those blocks of time as if you were meeting with a very important client. No one will think to interrupt you during the meeting. Likewise, the goal is that you are not interrupted during your safe priority project time.