By Thomas Griffin, Co-Founder and President of OptinMonster. Entrepreneur, investor and software expert. Helping you be a better leader in your organization.
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Are you struggling to manage your time to get more things done during the day? Well, in that case, you’re not alone. Many of us face this problem in our daily lives. Failing to manage your time efficiently can be a major cause of worry.
The good news, however, is there are ways to deal with this situation and reduce the stress in your life. When that happens, it’s easier to focus on your work without distraction, and you can be more efficient in the things you do.
This increases your productivity and helps you get more work done. Besides, it’s a great way to maintain a work-life balance, which is extremely important for your mental and physical well-being.
So how do you manage your time for better results? The best answer to this question is to use the time blocking technique.
Let’s find out how to use time blocking effectively for the best results. But before that, let’s check out what exactly time blocking is for a better understanding.
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What Is Time Blocking?
Time blocking is the practice of planning your schedule for the day in advance by blocking every hour of your day for specific tasks and responsibilities. It’s just like creating a to-do list, but here you know when exactly to do what. So it’s actually a more specific kind of to-do list that works brilliantly in helping you get things done more effectively.
The reason why time blocking works so well is that, unlike an open-ended to-do list, here, it helps you focus on one specific task at a time. So you don’t have to waste any more time thinking about which task to get started with.
But how do you use this technique for the best results? Let’s find out.
1. Prioritize Your Tasks
If you really want the time blocking technique to work, you have to prioritize your tasks. The main idea behind using this process is to enable efficient time management. This means you can’t waste your time thinking about which one to do first.
That’s where prioritizing comes in. By identifying the important tasks in your schedule, you know which task needs more attention from you. A good way of handling these tasks is to put them in the prime time of your day. The prime time will be different for different people. Your prime time is the time of the day when you feel the most productive.
When you feel more productive, you also become more efficient. So focusing on your priority tasks at this time helps you get things done more efficiently.
2. Print Your Schedule
Another important tip to follow to make the time blocking technique work well is to have a blueprint for your day. With the development of technology, you are often tempted to use apps and tools online to create your schedule and then consult it on your phone or computer.
But if you really want to boost your productivity, make sure to print your schedule and then pin it up right in front of your desk.
Doing this has two benefits. First, whenever you look at this blueprint, you’ll constantly be reminded of the tasks at hand and you’ll be motivated to get the work done.
Secondly, you can manually strike out your tasks after they’re completed. This will give you a feeling of accomplishment, and you’ll be inspired to continue working further until all your tasks are accomplished.
3. Set Aside Time For Minor Tasks, Too
Sometimes you don’t consider it important to block your time for minor tasks. This is one big mistake that most of us make. Not blocking your time for the less important tasks will only mean using the time allotted for your bigger tasks to complete your minor tasks.
This will make you compromise on your entire routine in order to get your smaller tasks done. This can negatively affect your productivity and prevent you from getting your work done. So always make sure to block your time separately for individual tasks, no matter how small or big each task is.
Whether you are an office-goer or an entrepreneur working from home, you need a time management technique to easily meet your goals. And time blocking is one of the most efficient ones that you can try out.
