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Scheduling your day with a time blocking planner is a simple time management technique that can make a huge difference to how you feel when you reach the end of the day.
Have you ever just wished there were more hours in the day? Or reached the end of the day and wondered exactly what you spent your time on?
While it may not be possible to increase time, it IS possible to use time more effectively. When you manage your time well, you can free up time making it FEEL like you have more hours in the day.
And if you dedicate a bit of block time, every day, to the areas of life which are important for you it will enable greater long term success. Your time will be better spent on priority areas rather than being wasted on trivial tasks that don’t add value to your goals.
Using a time blocking template planner can help you make significant progress in your work, other responsibilities and your overall health.
In this post we’ll cover:
- What is time blocking
- How time blocking works
- How to use time blocking most effectively
- Why you should use a time blocking template
- Common mistakes with time blocking and how to avoid them
So lets dive right in!
What exactly is Time Blocking?
Time blocking (also known as time batching or day theming) is an efficient way to plan your day, week or even month by scheduling which tasks you’ll do during specific time periods. It’s a time management technique that can be used to improve productivity and stay task-focused.
When you start using a time blocking template consistently, you’ll find yourself accomplishing more in less time, without ever having to question what you should be working on.
Whether you’re studying, working 9-5 or keeping the household going, having a system in place that organizes your schedule is an absolute necessity.
This post will show you how to use a time blocking template to plan your schedule and stay productive for the rest of your day—it might be a little different than how you’re normally used to working, but it can have a huge impact on your life.
When you actually get through all of your important tasks in the day, you feel less stressed and have a sense of achievement.
That means that when you want to stop and enjoy time with your family or by yourself, you won’t be wasting more time worrying about all of the things you DIDN’T get done that day.
How Does Time Blocking Work?
Time blocking involves analyzing your daily activities or tasks and grouping them into categories. Each category represents a similar type of task, like replying to emails or attending meetings or doing the house work.
One of the major benefits of time blocking is that it allows you to focus on one area at a time, which is far more productive than trying to multi-task.
Ever have one of those days where you arrive at work and sit down to write an email, then get distracted by a phone call which reminds you that you need to speak to a colleague…suddenly it’s lunch time and you haven’t even started that email. Studies show that there are huge time and productivity costs associated with multi-tasking, which shouldn’t come as a surprise.
When you use a time blocking planner, you ensure you allow enough time in your day to get your most important tasks done and limit time spent task-switching and losing focus.
By limiting task switching, you’ll more likely find yourself getting into the flow state when you’re doing more challenging work. When you’re in this state you are fully immersed in the task at hand. You’ll find that you get through your day more efficiently and have a greater sense of satisfaction at the end.
“A 40 hour time-blocked work week, I estimate, produces the same amount of output as a 60+ hour work week pursued without structure.”
— Cal Newport, Author of Deep Work
How Do you effectively block time
Time blocking is more than just scheduling tasks onto a calendar. It’s about utilizing peak energy times for tasks that require focus and low energy times for creative tasks. When you use your time most effectively like this, you will get more done in less time.
Ideally, you would begin by completing an audit of tasks that you complete in a day, week or month. When you have a clear idea of which tasks you perform most frequently and how long they actually take, you’ll be better able to plan them into your schedule.
If you’ve never done a time audit of your day before, then I highly recommend you start with this. Try using a tool like Toggl or simply set a timer for every 30 minutes and write down what you spent that time doing. It can be quite eye-opening when you can see where each minute goes. If you’re someone that works better when you have a template, take a look at my time blocking workbook.
Once your are clear about you task requirements, you want to group them into broad categories. This will look different for everyone depending on what normally fills your days. Time blocks might include inbox admin, meetings, housework, human resource admin or free time.
It is really important to include free time as its unrealistic to think that you won’t need breaks throughout the day. Try to allow 15 minutes between time blocks for coffee breaks, water cooler chat time or social media scrolling if that’s your thing.
Why Use A Template For Time Blocking
This is personal preference but I truly believe that having your schedule physically visible will help you achieve more and stay on track with this method. Out of sight, out of mind right? You can use a day planner that has and hourly schedule or a printable time blocking template.
I personally like a printable time blocking template that I can sit on a vertical clipboard right next to my monitor. It acts as a visual reminder of what I should be focused on if my mind starts to wander.
There are also some amazing digital resources out there for time blocking if that’s more your style. I have used time blocking templates in Notion as well as time blocking templates in Excel at times when I’m away from my desk and want something easy to refer to. There are also some really fantastic time blocking templates for Google Sheets freely available online. You can also definitely utilize your outlook calendar to time-block and setup reminders to assist you when you should be nearing completion.
But there’s nothing quite like having a physical time blocked template sitting right in front of you. If you’re anything like me, then you’ll understand the immense satisfaction that comes with crossing things off as you get them done.
Download my free daily time blocking template to give it a try and see if it works for you.
Common mistakes with time blocking & how to Avoid them
Underestimating your time
It’s important to be realistic about how long tasks actually take, which is why doing a task audit is highly recommended. Not allowing enough time is common in the beginning but you will get better at this if you stay consistent.
You also need to consider your work context. Are you likely to be interrupted at certain times of the day more than others? Have some time-slots left open in your schedule to tackle the inevitable delays, but don’t make them too long. Leave yourself with a few “mental blocks” of extra time to tap into during any unexpected stalls – they really help!
Being Too Rigid
Sometimes things will come up that can ruin your original plan. Don’t forget, though that a plan is just a guide to help focus on what’s important and it’s not set in stone.
Even Cal Newport, a productivity expert, edits his plans throughout the day by crossing out blocks of time that are no longer valid and writing new ones.
Challenge yourself by using your time blocks as tools to achieve goals. Keep them open, rather than strict, when you start – it will feel less stressful and much more empowering
Having dedicated time to complete tasks is great, but being too detailed can actually be counter-intuitive at times. If you are aiming to schedule individual tasks, you could be setting yourself up to feel like you’ve failed if they don’t happen.
Over-scheduling
I recommend task batching instead. Use your time blocking template to schedule time in your day for a type of activity and then start with your highest priority. For instance if you’re planning to get on top of your cleaning, tackle the task that is most pressing or will have the biggest impact first. Anything that you don’t get to can be rescheduled for the next available time.
Final Thoughts
Having a to-do list each day is helpful, but it pays to be more mindful about how your work through that list. By analysing your most common tasks and time batching them into similar groups you will be more likely to stay focused.
When you’re first getting started it will be useful to do a time and activity audit. Once you have completed this and you understand your general task categories, you can use a time blocking template planner to schedule your day in a way that will have you achieving your goals in much less time.
Now the next question is, what will you do with all of that extra time you’ve managed to free up? Hopefully something that brings you joy!
