How to Time Block + Timeblocking Template to Plan Your Life

How to Time Block + Timeblocking Template to Plan Your Life

For the last year and a half, I've had a minimum of 3 jobs at one time. 

Working between 40-100 hours a week, I've devoted myself to multiple positions in the hopes of growing, learning, and, well, paying my bills in Vancouver (if you know you know). Because of the insane schedule, I realized a few months ago that I really needed to learn how to time block.

Timeblocking is a scheduling method that's incredibly effective and popular among people who are into productivity. It involves detailed scheduling of your time -- blocking off sections to work on specific tasks in order to accomplish them most effectively. Learning how to time block is one of, if not the best, way to schedule your life and get your sh** done.

If you have a long to do list and a tight schedule, time blocking is for you. This system has been extremely helpful and powerful in my life, and I'm so excited to be bringing you this blog post on how to time block your schedule!

How to Time Block + Timeblocking Template to Plan Your Life

my exact time blocking method: weekly planning

At the beginning of every work week, I sit down and make a list of the tasks that need to get done. Not the would-be-nice, not the fun stuff, not the extras - I always start with the must haves. This includes: 

• Scheduled events I'm attending
• Commitments I've made with other people
• Articles or projects that are due to clients
• Articles or projects that need to get up on the blog this week
• Weekly uploads to affiliate sites or social media accounts
• Weekly articles to write 

For me personally, I prefer to group tasks by importance/urgency rather than category of work. Given the amount that I have on my plate, I find it's often more effective to get a realistic look at where things are at that way. 

After writing those out, I'll make a quick list of the other stuff that I'd realistically like to see done this week. Projects I want to get started on, things I'd like to explore, people I want to reach out to. These things will likely get done, there just won't be immediate consequences if something comes up. 

It sounds like a lot, but this probably takes me all of 3 minutes total. The more you do it, the quicker it becomes to think of everything you'd like to cross off of your list this week. 

Next, I pull out my favourite planner of all time - no, this isn't sponsored haha, I'm not even an affiliate - the BSL College Planner. I'm actually not a student, but I've tried every planner on the market, and none of them have been as effective as this one.

Then comes the beauty and simplicity of the time blocking schedule method. 

I take my must-do tasks and divide them between the to-do lists for each of my work days this week. Realistically, the things on this list don't make up all of my hours, so I spread them out a bit to give myself some balance.

Afterwards, I'll go through and add all of my other tasks to the days. It will probably take you a few weeks to get a good sense of what tasks take longer, which ones go faster, etc., but all in all, you'll get the hang of it.

MY EXACT TIME BLOCKING METHOD: DAILY PLANNING

After I've completed making my to do lists for my time blocking panner, I'll do one of two things.

1. Time block only that day. If I have a slower week, I like giving myself a little bit of flexibility and wiggle room. I'll divide up that day's tasks by hour (more on this down below), and repeat that last step every morning for the week.

Basically - I give myself daily to do lists, and then time block them the morning of. This isn't necessarily the most traditional way to have a time blocking schedule, but as someone whose work schedule can change at the last second, it's really helpful to have the option.

OR

2. Time block it all then. Pretty self explanatory, but if I have a really crazy week coming up and I need to precommit myself to serious work hours, I will plan it all then. 

For example, the month of July is an insane one for me this year -- so I've started timeblocking at the beginning of the week knowing that depending on my to do list, I may need to just get up a few hours earlier than normal. 

The actual time blocking

When it comes down to it, the actual time blocking is the easy part. I try to follow a work rhythm of 90 minutes on, 20 minutes off. For those 90 minutes, I put my phone in another room, dive deep, and work my butt off. After they're complete, I take a 20 minute break to relax, grab a snack, get some coffee - whatever I'm feeling. 

With this in mind, my time blocking follows that pattern. I'll schedule 90 minutes of intense work, and then put in a spot for a 20 minute break.

Having breaks written down in my planner keeps me from feeling guilty for taking them (lol) and also allows me to stay way more motivated than I would be otherwise. A time blocking schedule has allowed me to stay on top of my mental health, self care, and productivity all at once. I could not be more stoked about it. 

I write my tasks into the hourly section of my planner, and use highlighters to mark off how long each one will take me. 

Learning how to time block can feel intimidating, but honestly it's a really easy process! It may take a few weeks to figure out exactly what your routine looks like, but when you do, it'll be smooth freakin sailing. 

Why You Should Start Time Blocking your schedule

We all know that life is short - and not to sound dramatic, but I don't want to miss out on it. Learning how to time block has helped me prioritize my days and space in my life so that I never look back and wish I'd spent it my time differently. 

This time blocking method isn't magic or anything, but it's a gentle way to hold yourself accountable to your priorities. Knowing how to time block has done wonders for my mental health, and this time blocking template is truly a gamechanger.

I have a whole IGTV video up on our Instagram where I go more into depth too, so make sure to check that out here!

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