As we conclude July, let’s ensure that we are ready for the busy months ahead; so plan ahead.
Until I discovered hour blocking, I struggled to manage my time; I deemed every new task as important, trying to juggle it all became challenging.
Every day, you have 24 hours to deal with everything you must do. There is no extra time or do-overs, it’s all you have.
For this reason alone, you need to understand how to make the most out of every hour – and hour blocking is the right tool for the job.
You must take 5 minutes to read this 5-point article to understand how to manage your day in the most productive way possible. It’s a complete life-changer!
- Start with planning
Before you think about increasing your productivity, you need to figure out what you’re going to do. You need to sit down and write a to-do list; it can either be a daily or weekly list.
Making a to-do list helps in two ways: first, you’ll be able to keep track of your tasks; second, you’ll be able to prioritize the important tasks over secondary stuff.
There will be days where you won’t be able to do everything you want – and that’s okay! You need to understand what’s important and start there. For everything else, you’ll have another 24 hours tomorrow.
- Block your hours. Tips to ease a troubled mind.
Once your to-do list is ready, it’s time to figure out a schedule. If you simply write what you have to do, you’re bound to get lost. You’re always one distraction away from losing track of it all. That’s why you have an hour block!
Grab a piece of paper and draw one block per each hour in your day. Write what you’re going to do in each hour block and follow it thoroughly. For example, you read and respond to work emails at 10. You have a work meeting at 11. And so on.
Be rational with your blocks. If you have a meeting across town at 12, don’t write you’ll be at the gym from 10 to 11. Keep your blocks organized!
Another important thing is to keep one block open to rest and have fun. If you’re hammering tasks non-stop, you might be happy with your productivity levels, but you’re bound to burn out. Keep your blocks balanced!
- Reduce distractions
Distractions are the productivity killer. Social media, video games, and many more things are out there to stop you from being productive.
When you have free time, they are great – but when it’s time to work; you need to remove yourself from it all. There’s no way around this.
There’s another secret distraction you might underestimate: other people. They are not doing it on purpose, but people tend to distract other people.
Whenever you’re busy, you need to politely explain your situation and go back to work. You can always designate a block to be social (in fact, it’s encouraged you do so!) – but always respect your work-related blocks.
- Keep the time blocks flexible
Nothing is set in stone – and neither are your hour blocks!
A great thing about hour blocking is that you can move the blocks around. Something came up and you can’t do your 2 pm block?
Move it a little farther down the line, no worries! As long as you can get it done, a little block moving won’t hurt you.
You need to understand this. Otherwise, you won’t know what to do when something impedes one of your blocks. Remain flexible and you’ll remain productive.
- Review your time blocks to see when you’re the most productive and adjust accordingly
Once every week or every month, inspect your hour blocks.
Figure out when you were at your best, and when you could’ve performed a little better.
Reorganize your blocks according to your different experiences – remember hour blocks are not rigid!
Review your blocks until you have the perfect schedule going. In due time, everything will be incredibly smooth and you’ll have plenty of time to spare.
Conclusion
Getting the most out of your day is but a little planning away.
Figure out what you have to do, divide your day into hour blocks, and get ready to kill it! Keep in mind you can and should be flexible – no block is set in stone. A little review every once in a while won’t hurt either!
Once you master hour blocking, 24 hours will be more than enough for all your daily tasks!
