Time Blocking
We live in a world that is changing with every second. Every day there is a new technology, a smarter AI, a new way, all better than the previous one. We live in a highly dynamic world and due to this, we need to adapt ourselves regularly. Due to this habit of ‘keeping up’, every single one of us is packed in a tight schedule throughout the day. Whether it is a person working a nine-to-five job or a stay-at-home, everyone is busy in their way and in a need to manage their day/time.
According to people like Elon Musk and Bill Gates, it all comes down to taking control of your time and your schedule. For them, they use "micro-scheduling," which involves scheduling their day in five-minute increments. While that type of detail might not be needed for the average person, there is still a lesson in there for all of us.
After all, perfectionism, procrastination, and the myth of multitasking are all very real dangers that can keep even the most productive people stuck in one place. So, how do you take control of your schedule and get things done?
This is where time blocking comes in.
Time blocking is a time management method that asks you to divide your day into blocks of time. Each block is dedicated to accomplishing a specific task, or group of tasks, and only those specific tasks. Instead of keeping an open-ended to-do list of things you’ll get to as you’re able, you’ll start each day with a concrete schedule that lays out what you’ll work on and when.
Time blocking revolves around the idea of ‘single-tasking’ rather than multitasking, which makes it more effective as well as efficient. Multitasking divides our attention and focuses on a lot of things at once due to which it becomes hard for a person to concentrate on one thing at a time.
HOW TO BLOCK YOUR TIME?
1. Prioritize your work
The main idea behind using this process is to enable efficient time management. This means you can't waste your time thinking about which one to do first. This will help a person to identify important work that will require more attention. A person can schedule this particular task in prime time, but that might be different for different people.
2. Take time out for small tasks as well
Most of our time in a day passes while doing heavy tasks that take up block hours from our day. Due to this, sometimes the minimal tasks are overshadowed and often forgotten by people, that later pile up to become extensive.
Due to this, people need to set aside some time for small and minimalistic tasks.
3. Print your schedule
With the development of technology, there are several apps over the internet that can help you to block your time by setting alarms or by simply writing it down. Even though these ways also help people with their time blocking, printing or writing down your schedule physically is way better than the other ones. A person can paste the written schedule at a place where they’ll be able to look at it for most of the day, as it will motivate them to complete the work that they have assigned to themselves. (Apart from this, we all know the level of satisfaction that we get while crossing the work from the list!)
4. Use your best time
Every person is different. Some people like to work in the mornings when the birds are chirping while some are night owls. A person should know what their best time of work is or when they feel the most productive and should utilize that hour of the day to get their work done. They should work when they feel comfortable and can get the most out of that hour.
5. Practice task batching
Task batching is when you do a bunch of similar tasks at once.
For example, you can use task batching for something as simple as stuffing invoices into envelopes.
A standard way might be to individually fold each invoice, followed by putting it in an envelope and sealing it. Then you repeat the same process for the next one.
With task batching, you can break that larger task down and do each smaller task separately.
Here’s a time blocking example using task batching. You might fold all 100 invoices at once. Then place them all in envelopes at once. And then seal all of the envelopes at once.
WHY IS TIME BLOCKING SO EFFECTIVE?
1. Strikes out perfectionism
Fuzzy timelines are the worst enemy of a perfectionist. Being a perfectionist means worrying over the least of errors and always looking for a scope for betterment. This can cause a lot of problems for a perfectionist in case of an open-ended project, cause there always will be room for improvement. Time blocking can help such people by imposing limits on their time for a particular project and move on to the next work due.
2. Knocks out shallow work
Shallow work is a concept coined by Cal Newport. He defines it as a “non-cognitive, logistical or minor duties performed in a state of distraction”.
As the definition states, shallow work is the minor duties that are scattered here and there within the day, taking up most of our time that people don’t account for. When you timebox shallow work, you’re setting clear limits on how much time you’ll dedicate to it. Plus, grouping similar tasks together reduces the cost of context switching.
3. Promotes deep work
The concept was coined by Cal Newport, who defines deep work as, “Professional activity performed in a state of distraction-free concentration that pushes your cognitive capabilities to their limit. These efforts create new value, improve your skill, and are hard to replicate.”
When we put all our efforts and attention into a single task rather than multitasking, it builds the mental muscles required for deep work and it becomes easier for us to stay focused.
With time blocking, your schedule becomes your touchstone and eliminates the need to decide on what you should focus on.
If you’re ever thrown off and become confused over what to do next, simply look at your calendar, find the appropriate time block, and get back to work. Consequently, you’re not wasting time or energy deciding on what you should be working on next.
But time blocking doesn’t mean you must forgo necessary but time-sapping tasks, like email and administrative functions. The secret is to simply batch those tasks and schedule them as a block on your calendar.
Over time, you’ll gain greater levels of productivity by not jumping between tasks and allowing the mind to focus on one type of project.
-Akanksha Singh & Rijul Arora
