Blocking your calendar.
It’s one of those simple productivity hacks that can help you get more done if you have the discipline to turn it into a habit.
So, what is it and how do you do it?
Well, let’s get into it, shall we?
What It Means to Block Your Calendar
Very simply, blocking your calendar is a time management method where you divide your day into literal blocks of time.
Each block has a distinct start and end time.
And each block is dedicated to accomplishing a specific task or a selected group of similar tasks.
There are no surprise tasks or random work occurring in your blocks.
This way, when you sit down to your dedicated time block, you know exactly what work you will be performing and for how long.
Blocking Your Calendar – An Example
Just to drive this home, we’ll use a quick example.
In your planner or calendar, a few blocks of time for a day could look like this:
8:00am – 10:00am
-Design sales funnel email sequence for new product launch
-Phone call with the copywriter to confirm revisions
11:00am – 12:00pm
-Add email sequence to email marketing app
-Test the email sequence
1:00pm – 2:00pm
-Respond to emails and messages
Naturally, the time sequences and the tasks will be specific to your personal situation, but I’m sure you get the idea here.
For optimal productivity, I recommend scheduling out your entire day in this fashion.
Blocking Your Calendar Is the Natural Evolution of a To-Do List
The reason why blocking your calendar can cause such an increase in productivity is because you’ll start each day with a deliberate schedule that lays out specifically what you’ll be working on, when, and for how long.
Most people keep an open-ended to-do list which fails to properly designate these blocks of time for their tasks.
And so, they end up in “reactive mode”, moving through the day randomly, leaking lost time all over the place.
Do I Need to Block My Calendar?
Is blocking your calendar the right strategy for you?
Well, if you struggle with any of the following, then blocking your calendar just might be the salvation you need.
- You spend your day juggling multiple projects and responsibilities.
- You often fall prey to “reactive mode”.
- You lose time responding to a constant flow of emails and messages.
- You have constant interruptions throughout the day.
- You find yourself distracted and unsure what you should be doing.
Does Blocking Your Calendar Increase Productivity?
Blocking your calendar seems simple on the surface, and it is.
But it can have a profound impact on your productivity.
Because blocking your calendar allows you to focus deeply on a single task without any distractions.
With your structure in place, you can simply sit down and get to it.
“Deep work”, they call it.
How to Block Your Calendar
I recommend spending some dedicated time each evening to schedule out the next work day.
And, just as it sounds, block out chunks of time to work on your specific tasks and nothing else.
If you have a series of similar tasks, like emails and phone calls, block these together into one time frame.
It’s really that simple.
The trick is actually keeping your commitments to yourself and following the schedule.
The Advantages of Blocking Your Calendar and Accountability
If you have trouble following through with time commitments to yourself, then maybe it’s time to add some accountability into the mix.
You can read here if accountability coaching is right for you.
But there you have it.
Blocking your calendar. A simple productivity hack with profound results.
Here’s to your success!
Nigel Cook
Accountability Coach
