Time blocking II – the essentials to get you started
It seems like ages since I wrote my first part of this time-blocking series (it was back in May 2023). Initially, I wanted to do a follow-up post on my planning routine, but then I thought, no, I should start with the basics first, like how to use digital and analogue tools as a slow start. In part I, I explained some pros and cons of time-blocking with some spotlights on my way using this planning method.
This post will be about the essentials – how do you start time blocking with your calendar and in your life?
I once read advice on how to start running – it said, you have to put on your shoes and… start.
Well… yeah. You need to start, that’s for sure. You cannot make mistakes, but you need to know yourself a little bit. When you want to start a new training routine, you need to know about your fitness level, your bodily needs and so on. When starting a new way of planning your time, which ends up in a sort of time management routine, then you have to know about your own way of working.
But first of all – the so-called “chronotype”- are you a night owl or an early bird? I guess you can answer this one very quickly. Like, I am an early bird. I am a hardcore early riser.
Figuring out your “chronotypical work-life-balance”
But there is more to it. When is the best time for you to do concentrated “deep” work? When do you usually have performance slumps? Cathy Mazak calls this the “soaring state” of writing vs. the slogging phases in her book “Making time to write”. When do you need phases of rest? When do you need time to regain your energy?
The easiest way to find out about this, is to track your time one or two weeks straight. And I mean, everything – when do you wake up, when do you usually eat, shower, go for a walk, do your grocery shopping, work at your research projects, do administrative tasks and so on. And combined with that, give each task a color – green when you felt energized and got into a flow while doing this task, yellow for tasks accomplished but not in a flow state but still passably concentrated, and red for totally slumped, unconcentrated low energy feeling. Then try to build your working day and your private life around this energy levels of yours.
Inserting time chunks and getting control over your working hours
When you can administrate your working hours all by yourself, great. If you have to follow specific timetables, like school or university teaching, meetings, weekly talks, etc, so, you have some fixed points that you need to fill into your calendar. Do this instantly, and then fill in your so-called “non-negotiables”. This can be anything: from a weekly date night (with a lover, a friend, yourself) to your two hours before bed reserved for personal well-being (like going to the fitness studio, going for a run, walking the dog, reading romantasy books on your couch – whatever gives you energy). I have also listed my time for getting ready for work, including breakfast, etc., in my schedule. And I need my 1.5 hours every morning.
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly… – the G-B-U scheduling
Okay, I am not talking movies here (but yes, I love those good old ones, where nowadays, at least 80% of the cast is already dead). I am not trying to judge any tasks – but some need your full attention (the “good”, meaning that you need to be high in your game, aka in your soaring state, aka the critical stuff like research, writing and so on). Others can be done with a good concentration. Still, they are more easygoing (the bad, meaning time-consuming, but more or less “monkey tasks” or automatical tasks like administrative chores, grading, sometimes meetings, and for some people also teaching, because they have given the same lectures repeatedly over the years). Last and least, there are the “ugly” tasks, where you are in your absolute red phase, your slump state. That’s the phase where we answer e-mails and deal with administrative tasks like filling out forms for your next conference or excursion, … These are the monkey monkey tasks.
Schedule your G-B-U tasks based on your soaring and slumping states. You can also list them as green – yellow- and red phases (green = your best time of the day to do the hardcore work, red = the time of your lowest energy level of the day).
Common pitfalls
As with every planning method, there are some common pitfalls.
1. Do not underestimate the time you take to complete a task. I struggle with this all the time, really. There are better days when everything works out fine, but mostly, I use all the “flexible” chunks for my research work because sometimes things don’t go as fast as I intended them to function and align.
2. Remember to include breaks as time chunks, too. You are human; you need breaks. Breaks are nothing you can earn because you did so well. They are essential!
3. Block your free time activities/quality time etc. I block my date nights with my partner, various coffee dates with my friends, family time (when we visit our parents and so on), …
4. Stay flexible. Sometimes, life is a mess. There are bad days, there are good days. Be careful about your energy levels and be kind to yourself. And you can always adjust your routine.
5. Remember to look at your calendar and your time blocks – not just in the morning but throughout the day – so you won’t forget what you want to do!
And now: Just start! Every beginning can be difficult. Trying a new planning method can be complicated and it may take some time to get used to it. Take all the time you need, try things out and enjoy the journey.
All the best – A.
OpenEdition suggests that you cite this post as follows:
Astrid Schmölzer (January 16, 2025). Time blocking II – the essentials to get you started. Epigrammetry. Retrieved February 12, 2025 from https://doi.org/10.58079/133kp