If you can’t control your time, time will control you. The time block method is a system to control your time and increase your productivity. Today we will learn how to time block and learn how to use my free digital planner.
We often say that we are always busy and do not have enough time.
Are you in control of your time?
Business meetings, e-mails, video calls with clients, research related to product development, etc… In our work life, we are always chased by work.
Not only at work, but also at home, cleaning the house, preparing meals, getting children to and from school, and many other things…
You may fill many tasks in your planner or To-do list.
Time management is about increasing your productivity and effectively arranging and control your time.
May I ask you some questions?
“How many to-do lists do you have to do in a day?”
“Do you complete the recorded Tasks in the list that day?”
If you can’t easily answer these questions, carefully review your time management method.
I, too, am often overwhelmed by the mix of work and housework, due to working from home.
I remember sitting in my study to work, and then suddenly I had to go to the post office. Take a break from what you’re doing, pick up the items you need to ship, and head to the post office. On the way home, I stop by the mart to buy food. Then I come back and sit down at my desk again. I remember that I couldn’t run the vacuum cleaner in the morning, so I clean.
Like this, I was struggling with the tasks every day. I knew that I would have to work all night again to complete the deadline.
As such, there were no clear boundaries in my life. Home and work were all mixed up.
So, the time management method I tried is the Time Blocking method.
Time Block
What is the time block method?
The time block method is a technique that helps you schedule and prioritizes all tasks and activities by breaking time into blocks.
It is used not only for daily work but also for making plans for a week or a month.
These blocks implement the concept of timeouts, and work can always be re-evaluated.
In Business Insider’s article “Bill Gates and Elon Musk share a daily scheduling habit that helps them tackle their busy routines,” see Elon Musk and Bill Gates talking about the importance of time management.
Quoting the article…
“Both men also share one habit that’s helped them navigate their jam-packed schedules: They plan out every moment of their days. Gates and Musk are both said to adhere to schedules divided up into five-minute slots.”
This well-known method is simple.
Principle of time block method
To divide time into blocks, group what you do and block time to work.
Adhere to these two principles:
Assign time by visually creating time blocks on the planner. During that time, there should be no interruption.
Group tasks of the same kind into one block. Group work, household chores, personal schedules, etc.
Each block is used to perform a particular task or group of tasks and only that particular task without interruption.
Weekly or Monthly Tasks Start the day with a specific schedule of when and what to do with each list.
In my case, from 8:00 to 4:00, I block work time and divide my work into 3 sub-blocks. In the block, check and reply emails, projects, market research, writing, team meetings, etc. are classified as important and pasted into the weekly schedule. The work block of the day separates tasks to be completed that day and tasks to prepare for the next day.
After lunch, I usually work to prepare for tomorrow’s work. Review unfinished work and adjust the rest of the week’s blocks accordingly.
From 4 o’clock to 10 o’clock, the block is set as household work. It consists of meal preparation, shopping, cleaning, and family time.
10-11 and 6-8 are my self-care times. I set a morning routine and an evening routine and put them into practice, and I devote myself to my personal hobbies.
I try to practice withthis principle, whenever possible.
Time management tips
Effect of time block method
1. Helps to prioritize work.
When you classify tasks into time blocks, you are interested in how important the task is and how long it will take. In these practices, you will learn how to forecast and allocate time ahead of time for your long-term projects.
2. You will have a sensible plan.
Sometimes when you do monthly/weekly/daily plans, have you ever found that there are more things on your to-do list than you can do?
The biggest hindrance to productivity is overestimating one’s own abilities.
In practice, things happen that you don’t expect or get in the way. You will learn how to deal with these things.
3. It has the effect of increasing concentration.
A block of time means to focus on the allotted time and do a set task. The sense of accomplishment of completing the task and taking a break will make you more focused on the next task.
How should I put it into practice?
Download and use my September planner attached below the article.
If you look at the weekly planner, you can put blocks by time.
Here are a few tips to help you use this planner effectively.
Leave a gap in your schedule – don’t block every minute.
Overestimate the time it takes to complete a task.
Add time to transition from one task to the next.
Leave time for self-care and fun
Consider adding a weekly review time to assess your productivity.
Create and practice morning and evening routines.
Plan your most important priorities first
Consider when you have energy each day and plan your work accordingly.
Don’t forget the little things you enjoy. Please check your email and leave room to answer calls.
Turn off distractions. Sign out of your email and turn off all notifications on your computer. Silence your phone so you can focus on detailed tasks.
We recommend that you check your email only once or twice a day.
Communicate well. Share your schedule with people you need to know. Share schedules with teams through the app, or share project progress with the Project Grant Chart.
Various time block methods templates.
A very important part of the time block method is choosing the right schedule template for your needs.
You can use a digital planner (good note) like me, use a paper planner, or use google calendar or an app such as Asana or Todolist.
I am sharing my September digital planner with pre copped sticker file. In order to make blocks in your weekly planner by choosing 3 blocks from the sticker file as your time block. Don’t forget to color-code each one to make each block stand out.
September 2021 Digital Planner and pre-coped Stickers
Then record everything and add it to Planner. Don’t forget to see the bigger picture.
And finally, make room for emergencies or unexpected events.
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