Short on Time to Achieve Your Goals? Try Time Blocking

by Deion Clifton

As another new year begins, most of us find ourselves realigning our focus on the things that enhance our lives. That involves making time to exercise, journal, read, etc. However, more time doesn’t just appear. The reason a lot of us stray from our New Year’s resolutions is because there’s just not enough time in the day to perform new tasks on top of the ones we’re already responsible for!

So, what can we do to ensure that we can keep up with the resolutions we’ve set for ourselves without feeling burnt out every waking moment?

When it comes to managing your time, whether it’s in the workplace or your personal life, the most important thing you can do is control your schedule so it doesn’t control you. This year, try balancing your everyday tasks and priorities by time-blocking your schedule.

What is Time Blocking?

Time blocking is a time management strategy that involves dividing your time into chunks, looking at the tasks on your to-do list, and scheduling single tasks or sets of tasks into each chunk of time.

Ever find yourself staring down a monstrous to-do list with no clue where to start? This method helps to create a concrete schedule that adds order to your day by outlining what tasks you should do right now, how long you’re supposed to work on them, and when to move on to something else.

How Does It Work?

Prioritization is the name of the game when it comes to time blocking. A lot of people have issues completing tasks in a timely manner because they focus on what’s easy or what they want to work on rather than what really needs to get done. When prioritizing work, it’s important to focus on urgency and importance. A helpful prioritization tool known as the Eisenhower Matrix helps to prioritize tasks by organizing them based on importance and urgency. It divides tasks into four categories: what to do first, what to schedule, what to delegate, and what to delete.

You may find yourself moving on to the next random task only after finishing the first, which is okay if that works for you. But giving yourself a set time to work on specific projects and tasks will not only make you more aware of how you spend your time but will help knock out the busy work, follow your goals, and promote better concentration.

In order to make this time management strategy work, Laura Scroggs of Todoist.com insists on devoting time to doing a dedicated weekly review. This involves overviewing your week and looking at what needs to be done by the level of importance. You can do this with the Eisenhower method or just jot down a list. Next, create a draft of your time blocks for each day, making sure to add what task you’ll be working on in each block. Add the start and end time, and lengthen, shorten, or switch blocks around as needed. Review all incomplete tasks at the end of each day and make the necessary adjustments to your time block needed to complete the task on time.

Variations

There are a couple of variations of time blocking that may help you even further: task batching and day theming.

• Task Batching: Tackling similar tasks all in one shot.
• Day Theming: Dedicating certain days to doing a certain type of work.

Here’s how you could time block your work day:

Time Block Your New Year’s Resolution

Time blocking can be effective outside of the office, too. Those with busy lives and hectic schedules may find comfort in planning out their day. If you’re always winging it after work and never setting aside time to accomplish the goals you set at the beginning of the year, how are you supposed to hold yourself accountable? Time blocking your daily routines allows you to see the available time you have for self-development.

Whether your New Year’s resolution is to work out or read more, if you stick to a schedule, you’ll find it’s easier to devote the time needed to complete any new activities on top of your regular daily habits.

If you don’t want to write out a detailed plan, task batching can take out some of the tedious work of blocking in many individual tasks. Let’s say you want to lose weight next year. Consider batching together all the tasks that will help you achieve that goal: drive to the gym, workout, stretch, drink your protein shake, hit the grocery store on the way home, drive home, fill the fridge, and pack your protein shake for your next workout. Save yourself time by simply labeling these tasks as gym.

Day-theming simplifies things even further. If weight loss is your resolution, this could mean meal planning and grocery shopping on Sundays, then picking certain days to cook and days to eat leftovers throughout the rest of the week. It could also mean choosing certain days to work different parts of the body; maybe Mondays are leg day, Tuesdays are for cardio, etc.

If you find that time blocking still isn’t making it easier to get everything done, maybe the problem is efficiency. Try setting limits on the amount of time it takes to complete particular tasks. Does your workout normally last over an hour? Maybe there are ways you can condense it to just 45 minutes of movement. Spending too much time on dinner? Try giving yourself just an hour to cook it, use pre-cut or frozen veggies to speed things up, and see if you can make it work.

Scheduling your day ahead of time may seem like a drag, but it’s worth all the while. When it comes to your career, New Year’s resolutions, and your life in general, holding yourself accountable is one of the best things you can do for yourself. Time blocking acts as an accountability partner by helping you prioritize and provide a plan for how you’re going to get the job done. Give time blocking a try and see if it helps you complete your daily tasks and follow through on your goals.