Makeover Your Week with Time Blocking
Have you ever found yourself saying, “Where did the heck did the week go”?
Distractions are everywhere. From social media, pop-ups, and never-ending email to everyday life like homeschooling, helping parents, running to appointments, and more.
The problem is, if you’re not mindful about your time, you can find yourself in a never-ending cycle of always feeling behind. And if you want to start running your company like a CEO instead of an entry-level designer, you have to take control over your time and protect it fiercely. Today, we’re going to talk about one way to do that, with time blocking.
WHAT IS TIME BLOCKING?
Time blocking is the idea of batching your days into similar types of activities. Research demonstrates that your brain can more easily make decisions (and therefore progress) when you are not constantly switching tasks. The concept of “switching costs” is the time lost while you attempt to re-focus your brain after switching tasks. Throughout the day, it can add up to a lot of wasted time.
Time blocking has been a productivity habit of mine for years. And while not every day goes as planned (ahem like this morning when I had to rush Norman to the vet after ingesting something he shouldn’t have) it’s still an incredibly powerful tool if well thought out yet flexible enough for real life.
(Note: I’m very aware that time blocking may feel ambitious. My hope is that you will use this as a framework and not a straight jacket. There are many times (such as install or photography weeks) where all this goes out the window. The point is to use is as a tool to keep your typical weeks in a rhythm so you can better plan for those atypical weeks.)
If you don’t dictate your schedule, others will
WHY IS TIME BLOCKING IMPORTANT?
Here are 4 good reasons:
Avoid Burnout
Manage Distractions
Brings sense of calm and control
Easier to prioritize your time
CAN YOU SHOW ME AN EXAMPLE?
HOW IT WORKS
Days are batched and themed. For example, Monday is “Money Monday”. So if a bill comes in on Wednesday that needs to be paid, it goes into a folder that I’ll deal with on Monday morning, so I can stay focused.
Here is a typical week for me as an interior designer.
Money Monday: All banking, financial related +Plus any marketing efforts like following up with leads, researching any new marketing pathways, checking on statistics such as web and social leads.
Tenacious Tuesdays - 80% Heads-down time. Client-focused day. Phone on “Do Not Disturb”, No email until afternoon and no social media. Leave a little time at end of day to make calls and send emails.
Working Wednesday - Again, 80% heads-down client work, last 20% is for catching up on any lingering admin type tasks that can’t wait for Monday.
Thoughtful Thursday - 50% Client work with a focus on reviewing decisions from Tues/Wed (hence “thoughtful”). Afternoon is spent sending thank you cards, checking-in on past clients, etc. Blends with Business Development like sending “Hey I was thinking about you today” emails.
Field Trip Fridays - Schlepping all over town is the biggest time suck. If you don’t have someone to run errands for you, batching them into one day is much smarter than running out on a whim. Whenever I can, I’ll save one Friday a month for making all my personal appointments like a manicure, doctors visits, etc.
5 TIPS FOR DESIGNING YOUR WEEK
Everyone’s life and business looks different. Don’t try to create a perfect week that isn’t in alignment with your personal needs. Here are a few tips to get started.
Research First - Spend 1 week tracking your time, just to see how you spend it. You might be surprised when you do this, how much you catch yourself from distractions.
Create Buffers - Give yourself time dedicated to catching up. Life happens and buffers give you the flexibility required for living in the real world.
Create Ceremony - When I go in on Tuesdays/Wednesdays for deep focus time, I have a little ritual that tells my brain, “it’s that time”. I close any unnecessary tabs, turn my phone off, pour a cup of coffee, light a candle, and turn on good focus music. I get up every 40 minutes to stretch, walk, or play with Norman (if he’s not at the vet for being precocious. 😣)
Tweak as you go - If you’re just getting started at Time Blocking, be prepared to tweak your plan until you get into a good and realistic rhythm.
Use your Calendar/Scheduler to keep you accountable - If you use a tool like Acuity or Calendly so clients can book calls, set your availability to align with your time blocking. You shouldn’t be available any time of day.
If a friend wants to meet for coffee Tuesday morning, politely let her know you are busy but you (by design) have free time Friday afternoon for Happy Hour, which - let’s be honest - is way more fun.
