How to Increase Your Productivity with Time Blocking

As a business owner, you often get pulled in many different directions, which can lead to thinly-spread focus and subpar quality of work. How many times have you started responding to an email, only to have a team member ping you to ask a question about an upcoming project, and then realize you had a meeting starting in two minutes? While there are many things that need your attention, not everything needs your attention right now. You can increase productivity by building a habit of time blocking each day. Time blocking is the practice of scheduling out each moment of your day on your calendar. It may look overwhelming to have a completely full calendar, but it’s a great way to understand when to focus on certain activities and create much-needed structure in your schedule. How to start blocking out time on your calendar Filling up your calendar doesn’t mean it needs to be followed exactly, every single day. Allow for flexibility, especially as circumstances change and crises inevitably arise. Think of it more as a framework, a place to get started and increase productivity before you even start working. Let me share some ideal to help you to start setting up your own time blocking calendar or get even better at time blocking. Start with Your Own Routines While the majority of your day will be work-related tasks, it’s important to set aside time for your own personal routines. Working out, for example, provides many benefits for business owners. If you prefer exercising in the morning, block off an hour to an hour and a half in the morning on your calendar for your workout time. Block Off Dedicated Email Time It can be tempting to check each email as it comes in, but interrupting your current task you are working on to check your email can shift your focus. In doing so, it will take more time to refocus on what you were originally doing, leading to a less productive work session. Block off a couple of one-hour blocks during the day, as needed, to check and respond to emails. I recommend 11:00 and 4:00,