How to Time Block in 3 Easy Steps

08 Sep How to Time Block in 3 Easy Steps

Have you been looking for a way to work more efficiently and focus more effectively? If you are someone who struggles to get things done in a timely manner, time blocking can help!

What Is Time Blocking?

Time blocking is a time management system that dedicates a specific amount of time to a certain task or tasks. Planning your day this way gives you more control over how you spend your time and helps you be more productive with that time. 

Step One: Figure Out What You Want to Accomplish

Start by making a master list of the things you would like to achieve for the day. Artful Agenda’s List tab is the perfect place to do this. 

Once you have made this list, break it down into sections based on priority. High priority items can go into the Priority Tasks section in the Day view of Artful Agenda, and lower priority items can go into the Other Tasks section.

If you prefer to organize your time blocking on a weekly basis (instead of a daily one), you can still use the List section for this! Instead of creating a list of the things you want to do in one day, make a list of everything you hope to achieve for the week. From this weekly master list, you can assign the individual tasks to the day you would like to complete them.

Step Two: Determine How Much Time Each Task Will Take

After you have completed your list of tasks, you need to decide how long you would like to spend on each task. To do this, you can either pick a definitive amount of time you would like to spend on a task or estimate how long you think a task will take to accomplish.

For example, if you have something like “tidy up the kitchen” or “read a new book” on your list, you can decide to spend thirty minutes on that task before moving on to the next thing on your schedule. Or if you have tasks like “write a blog post” or “film video content” on your list, and you know how long it will take you to complete those tasks, you can time block for the appropriate amount of time to get them done.

Determining the amount of time you want or need to spend on each task before you start adding them to your Artful Agenda schedule will make it easier for you to be realistic about what you should try to accomplish in one day.

Step Three: Add Your Tasks to Your Artful Agenda Schedule

Once you have chosen the tasks you would like to complete and you know how long you want to spend on each one, you can add them to your Artful Agenda events area! 

Before you start time blocking for your specific tasks, make sure you have added any meetings, appointments and breaks to your calendar.

Once you know what your day looks like with those things added, you can start to time block for the things you would like to accomplish with the rest of your time. To do this in Artful Agenda, create an event for the block of time, and use the event title and description box to note what you would like to be doing during that time. Don’t forget to set push notifications to remind you when you need to switch tasks.

Here are some ways you can approach this:

Manage Your Day More Effectively Using Time Blocking 

Time blocking can be something you do at the beginning of the week for the whole week, or it can be something you incorporate into your morning routine. Using time blocking is supposed to make your life easier and more efficient, so do whatever works best for you! 

Take control of your day and start time blocking with Artful Agenda!