Time Blocking Saves You Time

Last month we focused on changing your mindset so that you're ready to move forward into 2021. This month, I want to focus on habits that will help you prepare for success. I know many of us are juggling more than ever before and because of that, we need to be very strategic with our time, effort, and money. Today I want to touch on time blocking or power hours. It's a way to ensure you get the most important items done each week even if things don't go as planned. 

What is time blocking? 

Time blocking, power hours, you’ve probably heard different terms, but they’re all the same thing. They’re terms for time management that leads to productivity. Call it what you want, but when you time block, you get more done. To get the most benefit from this time management process you'll need to pre-plan your time. Block out your chosen work time on your calendar and update the notes so that you know what you need to work on during that specific time. 

What should you focus on during your time block? You want to focus on the items that will move your business forward first. What will help you achieve your goals or build your revenue? These are the items you should be doing during your power hours each day. Don't spend your most productive hours doing things that don't move your business forward. 

Why does time blocking & pre-planning matter? 

I see this even with very young children. My son went to a Montessori preschool, and the kids had a 2-3 hour work cycle each morning. It's quiet time where they’re focused on what they want to learn about each day. It's uninterrupted work time for the kids. They don’t have a snack; they don’t go outside to play; they don’t have other activities during their work cycle. They focus their energy on learning, seeking out new challenges, and developing skills. When the work cycle is over, they go run outside and play, have lunch, take a nap, etc. They’ve done their work for the day, and now it’s time for fun. Focusing on the work time in the morning helps set the tone for the day. The kids are able to work on whatever interests them most. As adults, that might not be the case for us but we can take the concept and use it in our life. 

What can we learn from a preschool time blocking schedule?  

As adults, we can learn a lot from this type of schedule. When we focus on our work and close off all distractions (I’m looking at you, email, text messaging, social media, etc.), we get so much more done. Multi-tasking actually leads to us getting less done because we keep switching focus and having to catch back up to where we were before the interruption. 

I highly encourage you to establish your power hours each day (or week if you don’t work every day) and close off all distractions during that time. Working in a quiet environment (if possible) or with headphones can help you focus on your tasks. Not stopping to answer email or text messages helps because you stay focused on your task at hand, and you’re not flipping back and forth between multiple tasks.

Test out time blocking for yourself  

Try it out. Close your email inbox, place your phone in another room, or on silent, and focus on your priority items during your dedicated power hours this week and see if it makes a difference for you. It makes a huge difference for me. I’m able to be so much more productive during those 10-15 hours a week because there are no distractions. I’m not constantly flipping from one subject to another. Give it a try and let me know if it helps you get more done in less time too.