Improve Time Management with Time Blocking

– Crystal Vagnier – Select Group – Writer/Editor

Time blocking your schedule is a great and efficient way to prioritize your to-do list, remain organized, and motivated! It’s easy to lose track of time when you’re focused on a million little things; creating a realistic schedule will help you stay on track and productive. If time management is a problem you constantly face, then time blocking is a great tool to implement into your life.

Time blocking is a way of visually scheduling your big and small tasks one at a time. It’s effective for laying out your tasks per hour, day, week, month, and year. Limit your distractions and cut your to-do lists in half by breaking down your workload in sizeable chunks.

First things first, identify your biggest priorities into the top three tasks. List your typical daily tasks and the length of time it takes to complete, for example, emails and phone calls. Take the time to also note your non-work activities like family time, vacations, or the gym. Each task will be designated a certain block of time to complete versus a hodge-podge of a to-do list with no real deadline in place. Most people are the most productive first thing in the morning so dedicate the high priority tasks to earlier in the day. Of course, everyone is different, so listen to your rhythm and work with what is best for you.

Color-code your blocks and tasks. A helpful method is to color code tasks by priority. Red can serve as high priority or non-negotiable (like personal time, sleep, or dinner), yellow for moderate, and green for low or easiest tasks. It’s also good to remember to give yourself flexibility and to add in blocks for planning and prepping. All that’s left after blocking your schedule is sticking to it and following your plan! This will be sure to help you feel confident in tackling your tasks and life!