3 unique ways to use time blocking

Time blocking is one of my FAVORITE methods of planning, but I think it’s often saved into a bit of a corner, with the assumption that there’s only one way to use it – Morning, Afternoon, and Evening time blocks.

Well, today I’m here to share how the STRATEGY of time blocking can be used a little differently!

1 // Use Time Blocking to create a fresh start to your day!

Raise your hand if you’ve ever gotten partway through your day and thought “Wow, I’ve gotten nothing at all done today. What a waste!”

Same, friend. And I used to just give up at that point, assuming I couldn’t be productive that day since I hadn’t been already. But that’s not good for anyone!

Instead, when you feel like you’ve wasted a morning (or even longer!), give yourself a fresh start with a little time blocking!! Here’s how you do it:

Grab a notebook and…

• Write the date on a fresh page. Use your favorite pens!
• Split the rest of your day into a few simple blocks of time. Maybe each block is a couple of hours, maybe it’s as simple as “Afternoon” and “Evening” – remember, you’re in charge of how you want to split up the time! (Tip: I like to use meals or water refills as natural dividing points in time!)
• Pick ONLY 1-3 things to get done in each time block. Seriously. That’s it. Just 1-3 things. When you keep the list SMALL, it feels much more doable. And if it feels doable, you’re more likely to actually do it.
• Add a “Personal” block of time – where you can list out one or two fun things to look forward to after you get the hard stuff done. This is called MOTIVATION, my friend.
• Just start. One thing at a time, in order. 

Sometimes your wasted mornings are really a sign that you’re overwhelmed and have too much on your plate. Give yourself permission to DO LESS and START SMALL, and you’ll be surprised how much more manageable your day seems!

Also – some days are just rest days, and that’s okay. Remember – you weren’t made to do it all. 💛

2 // Use Time Blocking to get the hard stuff done

Most of us put off the things we don’t really want to do until AFTER we’ve done the things we WANT to do! That’s natural – we’re only human – but it often wrecks your day.

When I know there’s a terrible task (like a list of calls I need to make) waiting for me at the end of a day, I am SO UNMOTIVATED TO DO ANYTHING. I don’t even actually finish the stuff I wanted to do because I’m dreading the terrible thing!

So instead, I use time blocking to get the hard stuff done FIRST. I’ll often block just one hour in the morning where my goal is to knock out the worst stuff as fast as I can. Usually, it takes less time than I blocked, and then I’m FREE to create a new, fun plan for the rest of the day!

Pro Tip: For more time management help, download our free Take Back Your Time Workbook! ⬇️

3 // Use Time Blocking for batching tasks

This is one of my very favorite uses for Time Blocking, because it pairs two incredible productivity strategies together!

If you aren’t familiar with batching, it’s the concept of putting all similar tasks together. So, for example, if I have a long list of things to do around the house today, I might batch all the kitchen stuff together – staying in just that one area of the house instead of flitting all over from one unrelated task to another.

If I’m doing this type of time blocking, I DO often use the whole “Morning”, “Afternoon”, and “Evening” time blocks – but I pair them with either an area of the home, or a type of work task. Here are a few examples!

Batching Home Tasks

• Morning // Upstairs tasks: laundry, changing bedsheets, vacuuming the carpet, tidying the loft
• Afternoon // Downstairs tasks: prepping dinner, sweeping the floors, mopping the floors.
  *Staying in one place – either upstairs or downstairs – will save me a lot of time from running up and down the stairs in between tasks, and give me that snowball effect of getting everything done in one space!

Batching Work Tasks

• Morning // Creative tasks: writing blog posts, writing social media posts, reading my professional development book on writing
• Afternoon // Admin tasks: Answering emails, scheduling posts, balancing the budget
  *Staying in one frame of mind – especially during the creative block – helps me get so much more done because I’m able to stay “in the zone”!

Pro tip: Schedule a mini 5-10 minute break between blocks to give your brain time to reset and switch to the next type of task!

When I batch tasks in a time blocking format, I get WAY MORE DONE in far less time, because my focus is layered in on one thing for just a short period of time, and I know I’m going to get a break at the end of it!

I hope that’s helpful, friends! Time Blocking can be SUCH a game changer, and there are so many ways to use it throughout your days!

How about you? Have you found a creative way to use time blocking? Share it with us in the comments below!!