Organize Your Workday with Time Blocking
As we head into New England’s second winter, AKA March, you might be searching for an extra boost of motivation and productivity. With days still feeling dark and cold, it can be easy to feel like you’re in a rut. Looking for a better way to organize your time? Try time blocking! This is the method of dedicating scheduled blocks of time, whether it’s hours of deep work or fifteen minute (necessary!) breaks, in advance to increase productivity.
Why Time Blocking Works
We all know it’s true – multitasking is nearly impossible. Having constant pings of emails, texts, and other distractions has us all over the place and feeling like we really worked three hours of our eight-hour workday. Knowing your schedule in advance and that there is time dedicated to each of your priorities, including checking emails and Slack messages keeps you focused.
How to Start
Many people start their workday by creating a to-do list and seeing what they get done that day. Instead, try making this list on Sunday evening for the week. Block out meetings on your calendar you know you have that week and can’t change. Next, schedule in a few blocks for your high-priority tasks. I recommend scheduling yourself no more than three hours without a break, especially because most of us need a break after about two hours. Then schedule in some time to check emails, respond to co-workers’ chats, and make sure you’re silencing those during your work blocks. Repeat for each day of the week!
It’s important to include every aspect of your day, not just what work needs to get done. Scheduling in your morning routine, meals, and stretch breaks may seem like overkill, but they will help keep you focused during your work blocks by giving you something to look forward to.
Another tried and true example of time blocking is the Pomodoro Technique. Named after a tomato timer, this method is perfect if you need a rigid plan. Set a timer for 25 minutes and then take a 5 minute break at the end of the 25 minutes. Take a longer break after one hour of work is completed.
Take it a Step Further
If your profession allows, zoom out and devote each day of the week to a different mindset, i.e., creative days vs. meeting days. Rather than shifting from meetings to content creation to admin work – plan your days accordingly. Knowing you have meetings all day puts you in a collaborative headspace, maybe a bit more extroverted and talkative. On creative days, you can switch between blog writing, photo editing, and brainstorming. If Monday’s are your admin days, your employees and co-workers will know this and can expect this as a deadline for their timesheets or potential questions from you. Giving yourself different tasks within the same realm helps you dive deeper into your priorities for that day.
You can see a sample time blocking schedule below!
