HOW TIME BLOCKING CAN UNLOCK YOUR PRODUCTIVITY POTENTIAL
ARE YOU READY TO MAKE 2022 THE YEAR WHERE YOU GET MORE DONE, ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS, AND STILL HAVE TIME FOR YOUR FAMILY? LET ME HELP YOU GET YOUR TIME BACK WITH MY FREE PRODUCTIVITY PLANNER!
When I first started a business 8(ish) years ago, I was desperate for more freedom + flexibility in my schedule. I remember sitting in my office at school and feeling like I had a seatbelt strapped across my chest that wouldn’t allow me to move.
Fast forward a few years later when I finally was matching my teaching salary to quit, and I was feeling anything but free or flexible. I still had a preschooler at home with me 2-3 days a week and my client load was all over the place at the time. I was working at random hours throughout the day, pulling my computer out at night after the kids went to bed, and I felt like my phone was attached to my hand 24/7.
I knew that this was FAR from what I was anticipating, but I also knew that if I didn’t change what was happening, I was going to end up just as miserable as I felt when I was teaching full time.
That’s when I started time blocking – and everything changed.
When I first started, it was simply writing down my schedule in my daily planner (I swore by the Day Designer daily planner at the time) at the beginning of the week and trying to stick to it as much as possible.
Since then, I have perfected my schedule and now have it set in my Google calendar – and I end each day feeling productive, getting things crossed off my to-do list, being present with my family (and not on my phone), and enjoying REST after the kids go to bed, instead of feeling like I constantly have to work.
Maybe you’ve tried time blocking in the past and it just hasn’t worked – or maybe you’re reading this because, like me + many of my students in Control Your Calendar, you know SOMETHING needs to change in order for you to continue to pursue your passion and your business.
So, is time blocking right for you?
Here are the pros and cons of time blocking – and how it can be a game-changer for your life + business too:
PROS OF TIME BLOCKING
Enhanced Focus and Productivity
If you’re like the women who came to be before joining Control Your Calendar, you might also be struggling with feeling busy all the time. And let me tell ya – busy does NOT equal productive.
Time blocking can help you increase your focus and your productivity simply because you are dedicating specific blocks of time to specific tasks, which helps you minimize your distractions and boost your concentration.
Better Task Prioritization
Similarly to enhancing your focus, time blocking will also help you better prioritize your tasks because you have set aside time for specific things. You’ll be able to allocate your time accordingly to the things that are most important that day or that time block.
This is Step One of my Productivity Framework that I teach all my students in Control Your Calendar. If you don’t know how to prioritize your tasks or set aside the time to get them done, you’re going to continue feeling busy vs. productive.
Improved Work/Life Balance
My biggest struggle when I quit my job was separating my business from my personal time. I mean, there’s nothing like taking your laptop out to the bus stop to get your 1st grader off the bus…
Time blocking has allowed me to set specific work hours so that even in the summer, I can shut down my computer and hang out at the pool with my family – or just simply get my kids off the bus when they get home from school every day.
I’m a much happier (and maybe better) mom because I’ve learned how to separate my business time from my family time.
Reduced Decision Fatigue
We make 10s of thousands of decisions every single day – and many times those decisions are what are keeping you stuck from getting things crossed off your to-do list.
I’ve had several of my 1:1 clients say they just don’t know what to do when they sit down to work every day. When you have blocked out what you are doing throughout the day, you know exactly what the priority is at that time, and it’s one less decision you have to make.
My Time Blocking 101 course helps guide female entrepreneurs (like you) to structure your schedule so you can do all of the above!
CONS OF TIME BLOCKING
Rigidity and Adaptability
I get it – you got into entrepreneurship for the flexibility and sticking to a schedule feels like anything but flexible. Plus, what happens when unexpected things come up? What if your kids get sick, or you have a call that goes over, or a client cancels? What happens then?
I know that time blocking can feel rigid, but I also believe that having a plan in place allows for flexibility and adaptation. Your schedule will NEVER be perfect – it’s just not possible. Things come up + it can be frustrating when they do.
But, it also makes it easier to find places where you can fit in your priorities and get caught up on the things you’ve had to change. So don’t let “having a set schedule” scare you into feeling like you’re stuck in a box..
Underestimating Your Time
This is one of the biggest mistakes I see many of my students make – they are totally unaware of how long things take, so they underestimate (or even overestimate) how much time they really need to complete a task.
This was also the one question my coach asked me about a project that changed everything for me. “How long do you *think* it will take you?” I ask myself this every time I go into a big project – and I’m always surprised to find how long I think it actually took me less time.
But, it’s also the reason I teach awareness FIRST. Because without a general awareness of how long things take you, you’re going to find yourself in a bind time after time, and that schedule just isn’t going to work for you.
Potential for Burnout
This right here is why I do what I do. Because I’ve been there. I’ve been burnt out. I’ve wanted to quit because there was too much to do and not enough time to do it.
I was depressed, frustrated, and overwhelmed – simply because I lacked the knowledge and boundaries I needed.
I overcommitted to too many things, thinking the more I did and the busier I was, the better I was at my job.
But, in reality, I just caused myself to fall into the trap of burnout – which is what I want to help female entrepreneurs overcome.
Because you don’t have time for burnout. You have a badass business to run – a business that you love and that can help other people!
Here’s the thing – it’s ok to say no. You don’t (and shouldn’t) have to do everything. By becoming aware of your time and actually creating a structured schedule, you’ll find that you’re a lot happier – AND more productive at the end of the day.
So, which you might feel like blocking your time would feel like putting your business + time in a box (because we ALL want flexibility and freedom in our business, right?!), it can actually do the opposite.
I truly believe that time blocking can be one of the best tools to help you find a good balance (albeit maybe not equal) between your life and your business.
Are you struggling to find enough time in your day to accomplish everything you need to do? Do you often feel overwhelmed by your never-ending to-do list and wish you could prioritize your tasks better?
If you're ready to take control of your schedule and get more done each day, Time Blocking 101 is for you!
In less than an hour, you'll have a customized schedule that fits your unique needs and allows you to get more done each day. It's the perfect solution for busy entrepreneurs like you who want to maximize your time and achieve your goals!
