How to do Time Blocking The Right Way

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I will go out on a limb and assume you have heard of the time blocking method. If not, let me tell you why you need to start time blocking and its life-changing powers.

Along with creating a routine that works for me and my family as a SAHM, I needed to have better time management. If I was going to treat my new role as a SAHM as a job, I needed to create an efficient work week. Having a daily schedule that made sense for me and my family’s needs was a must.

I needed to have time for everything (including trying to run my own business) and get housework done during my “shift”. I searched and learned about (what is now) my favorite time management technique: creating time blocks.

Blocking work into manageable chunks throughout my day made my days manageable and improved my mood. I finally had a handle on my schedule (although I am not perfect) it also allows me flexibility. No more having my schedule control you, say hello to your newfound freedom.

This post is all about how to do time blocking the right way.

How To Do Time Blocking

What is Time Blocking?

Time blocking is a time management technique that breaks your day into blocks or chunks. I always like the analogy of being back in college or even school. Growing up, my school days were always in blocks or periods. I had an art period, a history period, and even a time for P.E. In those periods, I focused (well supposed to) on the period I was in.

For that hour or so, it was all about learning art and working on the lesson plan in that class. It was easy and felt manageable. My brain focused on that specific task and all related tasks.

Now, as adults who can dictate our schedules, we often feel behind and pulled in a million directions. And I truly believe this is because there are 101 distractions and we lack a scheduling that works. I believe sectioning your days into blocks of time will save your sanity and your day.

Does Time Blocking Really Work?

Before I go any further, I need to address the concerns of time blocking and why it fails for people.

5 Commons Problems of Time Blocking:

Overestimating Time: Many of us often underestimate the time it takes to complete tasks. This leads us to overbook and rearrange the other important to-dos.
Lack of Flexibility: To go back to my art class example, it may be hard to focus on art class if something unexpected comes up. Or we have to rearrange our blocks following a strict schedule. (Don’t worry, I have a fix for this.)
Failure to Prioritize: Not knowing what to prioritize can lead to spending too much or too little time on tasks that need to be done.
Difficult to implement: Lacking organization skills or coming from having no schedule can make it hard to implement, especially if you don’t have discipline.
Lack of a “Time Buffer”: A time buffer acts like a cushion of time between tasks or appointments to avoid being late if something takes longer than expected. Which causes a domino effect of running behind, which causes frustration.

Time blocking can be extremely helpful in managing important tasks if done correctly. Time blocking allows free time, deep work, and productivity in your day. You just have to know how to do it.

Try Time Blocking if:

You are tired of “reacting” to your life and want to start being proactive.
Struggle with constant interruptions (Ahem, kids or meetings that could’ve been an email.)
Juggle many different tasks, projects, and/or responsibilities.

How To Time Block

How to make Time Blocking for You

To make your own time blocking schedule work, you need to:

Plan Ahead: List your priorities and tasks for the day or week. Break your priorities into smaller chunks and combine similar tasks together.
Allocate Time: Create manageable time blocks for each task or activity. However, be realistic about how much time you need. You can do it all, just not all at once. Don’t forget to allocate time for breaks. You cannot be on the go all day long.
Stay Focused: During each time block, focus on what is in each block. Every task must “take turns” and set alarms/timers to help you stay on track.
Stick to the Schedule: Adhere to your set blocks as much as possible. Give yourself grace if something unplanned pops up, eadjust.
Review & Adjust: At the end of each day or week, look over what has worked and failed. Maybe you need to readjust your blocks or give yourself more or less time in different areas.
Be Flexible: Every day will not look the same nor will you feel the same. Come up with 2-3 different schedules for your different moods.
Use Tools to Help You: Consider using your phone’s alarms, your watch’s timer, or a calendar app to help you stay organized and focused.

Keeping these in mind will help you succeed and have a better experience in your schedule. Having some strategies will help you crush every goal you set.

Consider these different strategies

Task Batching
Day Themes
Catch Up Day

Task Batching is grouping similar smaller tasks. For example, “I will load the dishwasher and hand wash cups.”

Day Themes is centering larger tasks around a whole day. For example, “I will clean the bathrooms on Monday and Vacuum all the carpets on Tuesday.”

Catch-Up Day is one day a week when you have little to nothing scheduled. This is a day where you complete tasks you weren’t able to do during the week. Fridays are a chore catch-up day for me. Sometimes I cannot get to the bathroom like I want, so I will save the less pressing chore for Friday.

I use both task batching and day themes when blocking my day. It has helped me stay focused, organized, and mentally clear when working at home and doing my housework. While the catch-up day, allows me to not stress out on what doesn’t get done.

[Post You May Enjoy: 9 Ridiculously Simple Reasons Why You Need to Start Waking Up Early]

Consider the Time in Your Blocks

You’ll need to sit down and think about how your day works. You may not have 5-hour blocks dedicated to one task and 10 minutes may not be enough for other tasks. Having too little or too much time creates overwhelm and we don’t want that.

I suggest to create 2-3 hour time blocks for each day. Have themes for the day and group similar tasks together. Those 3 combined are *CHEF’S KISS*. I get so much tackled (and of course, I have a checklist!)

My Day theme Example:

This is what a typical Monday will look like for me. It’s bathroom & kitchen day. I will grab all the mats from their areas and wash them all at once. Depending on my mood, I try and knock out my guest bathroom in the morning block, work on my kitchen in my noon/afternoon block, and do what’s most important in the master bathroom (it’s large and very time-consuming).

I will dedicate no more than THREE hours to a specific block. What I don’t finish in that block will have to wait until either Friday or if I have time later on in my day. I will not let it stress me out that it’s not done.

Think about when you clock in and out at your 9 to 5. What doesn’t get done will have to be completed later. You complete the most important tasks first and then see what else you can do in that block.

Conclusion

Being “reactive” towards your say never feels good and winging it every day leads to unfocused, messy days. We don’t need to have every minute planned but time blocking allows us to have control of our lives. Let’s be proactive in our daily schedule.

This post was all about how to time block the right way.

How to do Time Blocking The Right Way