As entrepreneurs, we spend so much of our time moving from one task to another. We have a lot to get done each day, each week, but often struggling with finding ways to get it all done — and done well.
Today I want to share some time blocking tips that will help you with your time struggles. This is a follow-up to my Unlock the Secret to Mastering Your Schedule and Increasing Productivity post where I explain what time blocking is and how it will help increase your productivity.
These tips are super quick and will help you focus. Use them to get your calendar in order and excited about all the things you are going to accomplish in the coming weeks.
1 – Be flexible
At first, the time blocking method can seem very rigid – especially for creative entrepreneurs. Yes, you do need to follow a daily schedule; however, allow flexibility. It’s not going to be 100% perfect every day. Things are going to come up, some tasks are going to take longer, and some are going to finish sooner. It’s ok. Give yourself grace as you learn how to adapt to this new routine. You can also leave some open time on your calendar so you can handle these occurrences.
2 – Plan for your days/week ahead
As part of your time blocking, add 15-30 minutes at the end of each day to allow time to review what has been accomplished, check off items on your to-do list, reschedule work that didn’t get done and update the next day’s schedule.
Trust me, taking the time to review what you had planned vs what you achieved will help you become so much better at planning your time.
You also want to take a little extra time on Friday’s or Sunday’s to plan for the week ahead. How good will it feel to head into Monday with a plan?
3 – Schedule in breaks
Even though you want to accomplish so many things each and every day, you must take the time to care for yourself. If you don’t, nobody else will. Schedule in breaks. These may be going for a walk or working for 45 minutes and then taking a break. Don’t forget to schedule in lunch as well.
Taking these breaks will allow you to be focused during the time you are working, renew your energy and maybe even help generate a new idea or two!
4 – Track your time
For each time block, go ahead and track how much time you actually spend on the work. You can do this manually or with an online tool called Toggl. Tracking your time will help you get a clear view of how long tasks actually take. You will then be able to better estimate the time needed going forward as you plan. This also takes accountability to another level.