I’ve been hearing a lot of complaints about time blocking lately.
Mostly along the lines of “It doesn’t work for my lifestyle.”
So first, I wanna let you know that I hear ya. And second, I wanna let you in on a cool thing.
There are new ways to use the PRINCIPLES of time blocking… but without the super rigid approach you’ve probably tried before.
I’m gonna give ya 5 reasons why time blocking is your new BFF.
Yep, even if you’re busy.
Even if you have a biz. Or a full time career. Or a side hustle slash passion project you’re working on.
And even if you’re a mom.
Which is really a full time job on its own, right?
5 Reasons to Use Time Blocking for Better Productivity
1. Time blocking is all about intention.
This is a principle I feel like we don’t talk enough about.
We tend to dive into the tactics – without having a clear reason or WHY behind our desire for time blocking. And to be real with ya… that’s the top reason why it fails.
So let’s start there.
WHY do you want to implement time blocking into your life?
For example… do you feel like you’re constantly giving, giving, giving… and you’re feeling the strain and drain that comes from not having time for yourself?
How do you show up when you feel that way?
- Snappy?
- Short tempered?
- Like you want people who are talking to you to hurry the hell up so you can keep doing what it is you’re doing? LOL
- Bummed out and put out when you don’t have time for yourself – and slipping into the victim mindset?
- Do you reach for things like chocolate or wine or crunchy, salty snack foods for comfort? Which compounds the issue when you don’t feel good inside your body.
We’ve all been there. I’VE been there for sure.
So let’s say you recognize this is what’s going on.
Well, your intention for time blocking would be that you want time for yourself on the regular to rest and recharge.
So you can be a more present mom. A less stressed biz owner. A more connected partner. A better friend.
Because the truth is… everyone around you can feel that wound-up-tight energy. And it seeps into how THEY show up too.
And – I know you’ll feel me on this – but we need to be putting out positive energy into the world right now. There’s enough negative shit going on. We don’t need to add to it. Even in our little way.
And to help you get to that place where you’re balanced, then you definitely need a better self-care routine than taking a couple hours on some random Saturday to get a massage and read a book by the pool.
Although that does sound like a fabulous Saturday to me! LOL
When you have an intention for your schedule – and decide to use time blocking as a technique to help you accomplish all.the.things – your mindset totally shifts.
You see it as not something you HAVE to do… but something you WANT to do. And GET to do. Because you know prioritizing this into your life and schedule is gonna set the foundation for that self-care you totally deserve. And that will help you be the kind of person and leader that’s in your heart.
So if you’ve struggled with time blocking in the past, I want you to look back at that time and ask yourself…
“Did I go into it with intention?”
Or was it a surface level desire that I was able to quickly and easily ditch once I hit a roadblock?
And you get to be honest with yourself about this… and come back to time blocking with a new approach – and a fresher, healthier mindset about it.
2. Time blocking helps you establish boundaries.
Boundaries are actually really good for you. Even if they don’t always feel like it.
Have you heard of Parkinson’s law?
It’s a theory that says work expands to fill the time allotted for its completion.
So if you decide you have to complete something by end of day, that’s when it will get done. If you decide you have 2 hours, you’re much more likely to do it in that amount of time, as well.
Here’s an example from my own biz.
A few months ago, I decided I wanted to launch an online summit. So I gave myself 90 days to do it. And I put time blocks into my calendar weekly to work on this goal.
Many other people take the better part of a year to produce and launch an online summit… but I knew that if I gave myself 90 days, that’s when it would get done.
And that’s what happened.
Was it perfect? Nope. But it wouldn’t be perfect if I had given myself a year, either.
Because I would have shoved it to the backburner and focused on other things. Or even completely forgotten about it until it got to crunch time.
So I just shortened that crunch time – and used it as a learning experience.
You get to create your own boundaries – and establish your own timeline.
And use time blocking as a lever and tool to prioritize whatever goal you have for yourself and your biz.
But I really want you to do this in a healthy, sustainable way.
Do you remember a couple months ago when there was all that hoopla about Kim Kardashian wearing Marilyn Monroe’s dress to the Met Gala?
Well, you may also remember how she said she had to lose 16 pounds in 3 weeks to fit into that dress. Because it’s literally in a museum and cannot be altered AT ALL.
What sort of message does it send out about how you treat your body?
That you literally have to starve yourself to look good and be accepted. Women are especially susceptible to these kinds of messages. So do we really need to hear ‘em from other women?
I know this is a random rabbit hole when we were talking about time blocking but the point I’m making is…
Give yourself boundaries – but boundaries that are actually doable. And healthy.
Boundaries are there to protect you. Your time AND your energy. And you get to decide what they are.
If you know 2 hours once a week isn’t enough for you to write a week’s worth of social media content… and it makes you super stressed when you stick to the 2-hour recommendations most time blocking techniques give you… then change your plan.
Renegotiate with yourself. Give yourself 3 or 4 hours before you move on to the next block on your calendar.
For creative tasks, many people actually need bigger chunks of time to get into that flow state and pump out their best work. So a
“Maker’s schedule” may work better for you.
Always come back to your intention. And don’t be so locked into the “rules” that you get frustrated and give up.
Simply move your boundaries. And make them work for you and your unique goals and situation.
3. Time blocking helps you create consistency.
Consistency is the rocket fuel that helps you achieve your goals – whether they’re personal ones or professional.
I think this ties back to the whole “time blocking doesn't work for me” complaint I mentioned.
Some people just don’t like being accountable. They don’t like discipline. But they want the results.
So obviously they get frustrated when they do something just one time – and the results don’t show up.
So then they say, “See – it doesn’t work for me.”
Rome wasn’t built in a day, right?
It takes time to achieve meaningful goals.
The thing I love about time blocking is – you can set specific periods of time each week (or multiple times throughout the week) dedicated to making progress.
If you don’t finish something in one time block… you know you’ve got another one just around the corner.
Which actually helps reduce stress.
4. Time blocking is flexible.
There’s no one size fits all approach to time blocking. In fact, there are tons of different ways to do it.
My friend
Amy Porterfield uses a day theming approach. One day on her calendar may be video content – where she batches up all the videos she needs to record on one day. It actually helps her be more efficient with her time – and put out better quality work.
You get to decide what your day looks like too.
Yes, you do. Even if you’re loaded up with responsibilities.
Like maybe you’re working on writing a book.
You could dedicate an entire day – or even half a day – to that. Throw it on your calendar – and clear everything else off your plate for that period of time.
Or maybe you really want to be better about your finances.
So you give yourself a Money Monday – and you go over your P+L statements for your biz… organize your receipts and bills… maybe create or update your budget. And that’s your day to do it.
Rather than trying to fit it in in between all your other things – and feeling like you don’t actually know your numbers.
Or maybe you don’t need a weekly Money Monday… but monthly works for you. You have the flexibility to plug Money Monday into your schedule as a recurring event when it suits your needs.
And you create a habit of this – which means it will get faster and easier for you over time. And you’ll feel more confident and in control of your finances.
If for some reason that particular Monday doesn’t work… you can move it. Because time blocking is flexible. You can swap it with another block on your schedule – and give yourself a Money Thursday every once in a while. LOL
You’re still making progress, right? Still honoring your intention. And still organizing your time to be more efficient and productive. Even if the mechanism for it needs to shift every now and then.
5. Time blocking lets you work when you’re at your best.
This time blocking benefit is actually my fav. Because it can be a tool for some self-inquiry.
With time blocking, you get to know yourself – specifically around when you tend to perform at your peak.
So you get to discover – and then create time blocks – for when you’re at your best.
For example, I have a friend who just discovered she’s really at her best in the evenings.
During the day she actually struggles with her focus. She’s got family responsibilities, meetings, calls etc. Which makes working on her goals and projects really difficult.
So what works for her is starting her day later, taking care of all those admin and life tasks during the daylight hours… and using her evenings for her creative or deep work. She goes to bed around midnight or later. (I could never do that. But ok… LOL)
Now, most traditional models will tell you that your morning hours are when you're the most productive. But that’s not true for everyone.
My friend, for example, simply has a different circadian rhythm.
So when she tried time blocking the first time – and followed all the prescriptions given – she struggled. And nearly gave up. Because she didn’t realize there were other ways to accomplish the same goal and use the same approach – but by shifting her time blocks to suit when she performed at her best.
So I’m curious – do YOU know when you’re at your best? If not, this is a good time to pay attention.
Do you not really get into a flow until you’re at least an hour into sitting at your desk to work?
Does your creativity tap out after 90 minutes?
Are mornings when you feel the most energized and motivated?
Get to know yourself and your natural tendencies… and then craft your time blocks around that.
You get to design your day – and your schedule – to suit YOU.
Which is what I’ll show ya how to do inside my Reclaim Your Time Challenge – which is going on right now.
You’ll discover:
- How to make time blocking – and other time management techniques – work for you… no matter how busy you are.
- Hacks and techniques to manage your calendar more effectively.
- A completely revolutionized relationship with time.
Every time I run this event, people leave their screens shocked by how much more time and space they have in their day by following the blueprint I share.
Not to mention way less stress. And they’re psyched to realize that they CAN fit in all the things they love… as well as take care of their responsibilities and commitments.
It’s so inspiring to hear these stories.
So make sure you sign up – and then show up this week to get all those tips, hacks, and tricks.
See ya there!
XO,
Hayley