The phrase “time blocking” might be new to your ears, yet, without realizing it, you’ve been a part of this concept in one way or another. Think back to your school days, do you remember that chart full of subjects, time slots, and breaks? That, my friend, was your introduction to time blocking – a neatly arranged schedule dictating when math, English, or gym classes were to happen. Even your after-school piano lessons or soccer practice were woven into this time-blocked routine.
Time blocking served as the invisible hand guiding your day, ensuring you didn’t miss a thing, and directing your focus to one task at a time. Fast forward to today, you’re all grown up and nobody’s providing you with a pre-planned schedule. But now, the reins of your time are in your hands.
Time blocking is a powerful tool that helps you reclaim command over your own schedule, steering your focus towards what really counts. It’s like a secret weapon that aligns your time (what you spend your hours on) with your goals (what you want to achieve). This way, you’re always zeroing in on the right task at the right moment.
In this guide, you’re going to learn how to implement time blocking, to ramp up your productivity and dial down the stress – no more floundering around in a sea of tasks.
Table of Contents
What Is Time Blocking?
Time blocking’s origin story remains a mystery, but we do know Benjamin Franklin was an early fan.[1] Franklin had a knack for planning his day down to the hour, including time for rest, chores, and notably, ample time for deep work. Even his lunch break wasn’t left to chance, with two full hours scheduled in.
Fast forward to the present, and we find Elon Musk, the billionaire at the helm of Tesla and SpaceX, adopting this age-old productivity method. Musk might just be the busiest man on the planet, juggling a staggering 100-hour workweek across his businesses, orchestrating our move to Mars, and managing to eat lunch in just five minutes before diving back into work.
Despite this, Musk is a dedicated family man, spending up to four days a week with his children. He even carves out time for exercise twice a week, and indulges in his personal hobbies. So, how does he manage all this?
The secret lies in his methodical time blocking approach. From the moment Musk opens his eyes at 7 a.m., his day is already structured to the minute. There’s no room for random distractions or unscheduled time. He uses time blocking to answer overdue emails and attend work meetings.
Time blocking, at its core, is a time management strategy that ensures every single part of your day is scheduled. It’s like slicing up your week into manageable portions, each dedicated to a task like checking email, working on a project, or taking a break. It’s about getting a handle on your day and truly understanding where your time is spent. With time blocking, you’re not just going through the motions of the day, you’re actively guiding it.
How Block Scheduling Works
Time blocking is like organizing your closet. You group similar clothes together and assign them a specific space. In time blocking, you group similar tasks and allot them a specific block of time.
Here are the two core principles that make time blocking tick:
1. Visualize Your Schedule
The first step is to create a visible representation of your time blocks on your calendar.
This serves as a powerful reminder of your commitments and prevents other tasks from creeping into that block. Your scheduled work becomes a fixed appointment with yourself that cannot be easily interrupted or postponed.
For instance, if you have designated 9 AM to 11 AM for a deep-dive research task, make sure it’s marked out clearly on your calendar. Treat this as a fixed appointment, just as you would a doctor’s visit or a meeting with a client.
2. Group Similar Tasks Together
The second fundamental of time blocking is bunching similar tasks into a single block of time.
The reason behind this is simple: tasks of the same nature tend to use the same kind of brain power. By grouping them together, you reduce the cognitive load that comes from switching between different types of tasks.
Say you have several emails to reply to, and a few phone calls to make. Instead of interspersing these tasks throughout your day, group them together in one time block. This way, you’re in the ‘communication mode’ during that block, which makes it easier for your brain to get the tasks done efficiently.
To give you a personal example, I often block out time for brainstorming sessions. During these periods, I ensure that I won’t be interrupted by meetings, instant messages, or sudden requests. This time is marked clearly on my calendar, and my team knows that these are my dedicated ‘creative hours’. It’s during these uninterrupted stretches that I can delve into deep thought and come up with my best ideas.
In a nutshell, time blocking is about making a promise to yourself to work on specific tasks at a specific time, and honoring that promise. It’s about regaining control over your time and directing it towards productive and meaningful work.
Time Blocking vs. Timeboxing
Time blocking and timeboxing might sound similar and can easily be mixed up, but they are distinct strategies. Let’s break down these techniques:
With time blocking, you designate a chunk of time for a group of similar tasks. Think of it like you’re reserving a block of time in your day for activities like replying to emails, engaging with customers, or crafting a piece of writing.
On the other hand, timeboxing involves allocating individual boxes of time to each task, complete with a start and end time. Every task gets its own box, irrespective of its nature.
For instance, imagine you are a project manager. You might time block 2 PM to 4 PM for project planning activities. This could include reviewing project goals, setting timelines, or coordinating with your team. The key here is that all these activities fall under the umbrella of ‘project planning’.
But if you want to use timeboxing, instead of a two-hour block for project planning, you could set a timebox for reviewing project goals from 2 PM to 2:30 PM. Then, you could schedule another timebox for setting project timelines from 2:30 PM to 3 PM, and so on. Each task gets its own timebox, regardless of its nature.
In essence, while both time blocking and timeboxing help manage your time, they do so in subtly different ways. Time blocking is about grouping related tasks, whereas timeboxing is about assigning a specific timeframe to each individual task.
Understanding these nuances can help you determine the best approach for your work and productivity style.
Is Time Blocking For Everyone?
Time blocking is a tool, not a one-size-fits-all magic wand. Like any tool, its effectiveness depends on how and where it’s used.
If your workday is a constant parade of back-to-back meetings, time blocking may prove challenging. On the flip side, if you often find yourself staring at a calendar full of open hours, time blocking could be your ticket to a more organized and productive workday.
So, when is time blocking especially useful? Here are a few situations where it might be just the tool you need:
- Multitasking is your default mode: If you find yourself juggling multiple tasks at once, time blocking can help you focus on one task at a time, reducing the inefficiencies of constant task-switching.
- Distractions frequently derail you: If you often get sidetracked by emails, chats, or sudden requests, setting dedicated time blocks can help you create a protective bubble around your focus.
- You yearn for intentional work: If you want to align your time with your most important work, time blocking can help you ensure that your top priorities always get the attention they deserve.
- You’re unsure of where your time goes: If your workday often ends with the unsettling question, “What did I even do today?”, time blocking can give you a clear roadmap of your day.
- Overworking is a constant battle: If you struggle to draw a line between work and rest, having a structured schedule can help you ensure that you’re not burning the midnight oil every day.
As you start time blocking, consider each block as a quiet island in the sea of work chaos—an uninterrupted space where you can dive into important projects and enter a state of deep, productive work.
While time blocking might not be for everyone, for those who need a stronger grasp on their time, it can be a game-changer.
How to Start Time Blocking Your Schedule
Below, I will walk you through a simple 7-step process to get you started with time blocking to reclaim control of your schedule:
1. Identify What You Need to Work On
Start your day by figuring out what needs your attention. What are the tasks you need to complete today? These could be anything from key projects and team meetings, to small tasks like responding to emails. You might even have personal errands to run or hobbies to squeeze into your day.
Take a moment to jot these down. This gives you a clear picture of your tasks for the day and sets the stage for effective time blocking.
The key is to be realistic about what you can achieve in a day. If your list seems too long, prioritize the tasks that align most with your work goals and personal aspirations. Time blocking is about focused and intentional work, not trying to squeeze more into an already overloaded schedule.
2. Figure Out Your Power Hours – When You’re Most Productive
Identifying your power hours – the times when you’re at your most energetic and focused – can supercharge your time blocking.
Are you a morning person who hits the ground running, or a night owl who does your best thinking in the late hours? Identifying when you’re most alert and creative will allow you to match your most demanding tasks to these periods of high energy and focus.
I work from home and my day has the same ebb and flow as many of you. I’ve noticed that my brain seems to buzz with energy when my kids are off at school. So, I harness these child-free hours to tackle tasks that demand the most mental horsepower, such as strategizing or brainstorming new business ideas.
By aligning your toughest tasks with your power hours, you’re making the most of your biological rhythms. It’s a simple tweak that can have a massive impact on your productivity. The trick is to observe your own patterns and work with them, not against them.
3. Group Meetings If Possible
We all know how meetings can eat up our day, leaving little time for other tasks. But here’s a simple trick: try to group your meetings together whenever possible.
For example, instead of having a meeting at 10 a.m., another at 2 p.m., and maybe another at 4 p.m., try to cluster them together. Or you can schedule all your meetings in the morning or in the afternoon. This leaves larger blocks of uninterrupted time for deep, focused work.
When your meetings are scattered throughout the day, they can fragment your focus, making it hard to dive into complex tasks that need extended concentration. By grouping your meetings, you’re minimizing these interruptions and creating larger slots of time for those tasks that need your undivided attention.
So, the next time you’re invited to a meeting, consider if it can be shifted to align with your other meetings.
4. Block Off Time Even for Non-Work Activities
Life is not just about work. We all have other things that matter – spending quality time with our kids, taking our dogs for a walk, reading a good book, or fitting in a workout. These are the moments that make life rich and fulfilling. And yes, they deserve a block of time on your schedule too.
If you don’t intentionally make time for these activities, they simply won’t happen. We all know how easy it is to get caught up in the hustle of the day, promising ourselves we’ll do these things ‘when we have time.’ But that time rarely comes, unless we make it.
So, as you create your time blocks, don’t forget to include the things you love or want to do. Life isn’t a race to get as much work done as possible. It’s about living in balance, and time blocking can help you achieve just that.
5. Time Block Downtime
Work. Family. Hobbies. We’ve time blocked them all. But there’s one more thing that’s crucial to your well-being and productivity, and that’s downtime.
Downtime is that time when you’re not working, not doing chores, not working out, but simply resting. It’s the time when you’re not actively trying to achieve anything, but just being. It’s as important as any task on your to-do list, maybe even more so.
Think of downtime as a pause button in the middle of your busy life. These are the moments when your body rejuvenates and your mind finds its calm. It’s when you’re doing nothing on purpose – and that’s okay, because you’re recharging.
You’re a human being, not a machine. Your energy isn’t unlimited. If you keep pushing without adequate rest, eventually, you’ll burn out. And when burnout strikes, everything suffers – your work, your relationships, your health.
To prevent this, schedule regular breaks throughout your day. Block off an hour to unwind after a grueling project. Plan a quiet evening after a hectic week. Make sure to have at least one day in a week where you’re not chasing deadlines or goals.
In essence, treat downtime as a non-negotiable appointment with yourself. It’s an investment in your future productivity and well-being.
6. Schedule Your Focus Blocks
With your tasks and activities identified, your power hours recognized, and your meetings grouped, it’s time to bring it all together and schedule your time blocks. I call these the ‘Focus Blocks” in the Time Flow System. This is the moment you take the reins of your day and start steering it with purpose.
Take a look at your calendar. Visualize your day, segment by segment, and start allocating tasks to time slots. Dedicate specific blocks of time to individual tasks or groups of similar tasks. For instance, assign a block for strategic planning, another for client calls, and perhaps one for administrative tasks like email.
One thing to note – your blocks don’t need to be rigid, hour-long chunks. Tailor them to your tasks and personal rhythm. Some tasks might only require 15 minutes, while others may need an hour or two. Most importantly, they should align with your goals (North Stars as I mention in the Time Flow System).
Learn more about how the Time Flow System works here: The Time Flow System: Take Control of Your Time and Goals
7. Review and Adjust Your Schedule As Needed
Your life isn’t a factory, and your schedule isn’t a conveyor belt. It’s not rigid, and it doesn’t have to be.
Your schedule is a tool to serve you, not to box you in. So, don’t be afraid to adjust it as needed.
For instance, you might find that some tasks take longer than expected. That’s okay. Extend that time block.
Or maybe you’ve allotted too much time to a task that didn’t need that long. That’s fine too. Shorten it, and use the extra time for something else.
And of course, life happens. Your kid might fall sick, or your car might break down, or your friends might surprise you with a visit. These aren’t obstacles to your schedule, they’re a part of life. And your schedule should be able to accommodate life, in all its unpredictable glory.
Here’s a simple rule: treat your schedule as a guideline, not a law. It should provide structure, not rigidity. Don’t punish yourself for not sticking to it perfectly.
Be flexible. Adapt. After all, the goal isn’t to follow a perfect schedule. The goal is to live a productive, balanced, and fulfilling life.
Bottom Line
The main goal of time blocking isn’t just productivity; it’s intentionality. It’s about making sure that the way we spend our time reflects what we value most. Life’s too short to spend it feeling constantly overwhelmed and behind. With time blocking, you can reclaim your time, focus on what matters, and live your life on your own terms.
Time blocking is not about rigidly stuffing every minute of your day with tasks. It’s about creating a thoughtful and flexible structure for your day that helps you focus, boosts your productivity, and gives you a clear view of where your time is going.
Reference
| [1] | ^ | Atlantic: Picture of the Day: Benjamin Franklin’s Daily Schedule |
