How Time Blocking Transformed My Crazy Schedule
Welcome to Summer! - aka “Q3” for all the business-savvy minds out there!
While you’re busy wrangling summer t-ball and swimming lesson schedules, getting ready for visiting family, and making a packing list for your own family vacation, time and business march on! Goals get pushed aside and the longer days feel shorter than ever! Kids are home from school and even the best planned-out days feel scattered and unproductive! Ughhhh!
Jerry Lewis in the 1963 film, “Who’s Minding The Store”
We get it! As I was thinking about summer and the love/hate relationship we share, I had a visual pop into my mind from the old movie, “Who’s Minding The Store” with Jerry Lewis. (If you’re into corny, ridiculous old movies, this is your next flick!)
I chuckled as I decided it was time to address the nonsense and discuss how we’re going to navigate this amazing crazy summer season!
Time Blocking for Crazy Schedules
Ok, I know! We’ve all read the tips, the reasons, and the method outline. BUT… have we implemented this super simple strategy or even tried it once? I did recently and it was a game-changer!
There are days when I feel that my attention span mirrors that of a 2-year-old who needs a nap. Other days, there are simply too many things pulling for my attention and I truly can’t focus. The worst for me personally, however, is when I need to tackle tasks that are more analytical AS WELL as work in the creative business space at Rock Solid. It’s been nearly 6 years and I have yet to master this challenge.
Time Blocking has become the best tool in my toolbox to help and I’m truly learning to love it. My process couldn’t be simpler: I add calendar blocks (color-coded, of course!) to my calendar with descriptions of what is to be accomplished during this time. Easy-peasy.
Why Does Time Blocking Work For My Business?
My Team Knows what’s on my schedule
This means fewer distractions during time I’ve dedicated to a certain project. The same is true with WFH spouses and kids. It’s okay to let your family know that you need the next 2 hours to get something very important accomplished!
Make sure everyone on your team (family included) knows that it’s important, and that it’s for a specific amount of time only.
Set your kids up with an activity and boundaries during this time. Put someone in charge (an older sibling), and let them know that when you’re finished, you’d love to go outside and shoot hoops, read the next chapter in their book, or walk to the park with them!
I know what I’m focused on.
This is all about a mental mind shift for me! Having a block of time sets the expectation and the goals. This pivots my mind into focused work.
There is a beginning and end time.
This forces me to steward this time well. When there is both a start AND a finish time, I must keep going and not waste time. Because it’s limited, I don’t have time to procrastinate or dilly-daly (is that a real word?)
For example, when I know I have to finish this project, I am forced to recognize that the inbox is not going to implode in the 2 hours I’ve set aside. NO clicking over to that tab “just to see if anything has popped in,” Tracy!! Stay focused!
It’s measurable.
This won’t be time spent where you wonder if it worked. You will see immediately if this is a tool that helps your productivity or not! When the timer goes off indicating the end of your time block, you’ll be able to see how much was accomplished!
(I’m expecting to hear great things - please feel free to drop me a quick note letting me know how it worked for you!)
How To Make a Plan That Works For You
Now that you’re finished with that time block, you can evaluate if you need another for this project and get it scheduled right away. IF you don’t put it on the calendar, then it doesn’t happen.
Make a plan and make it work! It’s a simple process that you can tweak as you go along. When you see success with this tool, you might be blocking times for allllll the projects!
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