How to use Time blocking for better productivity

Are you one of those people who tend to feel overwhelmed with the amount of things they want to get done? Me too! Everything around us is constantly buzzing and calling for our attention, we have more possibilities than ever, and yet, we don’t seem to get the things done that moves us forward.

Enter time blocking! This simply, but incredibly powerful concept can increase your productivity immensely, while taking the constant decision of what to do next off your mind. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

Let’s talk first about what the time blocking method is and how you use it, and then we talk about the benefits and effectiveness of this time management technique.

Deal? Let’s get started!

Time blocking vs to-do list

On first glance, time blocking might sound just like a to-do list. But there are actually some key differences here.

Firstly, time blocking solves the common issue where your task list is just so much longer than the time you have to dedicate to it. (And you usually notice this at the end of the week, when there’s no more time, but still so many tasks left!)

This is because, with a to-do list, you simply focus on the things you need to get done. It’s useful but rather short-sighted. It also only solves half of the planning process: what to do. Then, you still have lots of micro-decisions to take for when to do each task.

Time blocking, on the other hand, takes a more wholesome look at your schedule and gives you time slots to dedicate to topics. During that time slot, you can work on as many tasks as you’ll manage.

Time blocking benefits

So other than getting a clear overview over how much time you can spend on something, what are some other benefits of the time blocking method?

Intention

Deciding ahead of time helps you be more intentional with how you spend your time instead of running after every distraction. If you’re one of those people who run after every email, you’ll really feel this benefit of time blocking! It will make an immense difference to your productivity!

Focus

Time blocks let you focus on one topic at a time. This again makes it easier to get to a flow state and really immerse yourself in a topic.

Priorities

Time blocking helps you make sure you meet all of your priorities, not only the ones that scream the loudest. You decide ahead of time what a time slot will be dedicated to. This means distractions will not deter you from making time for what’s really important.

Optimization

One of the most underrated productivity tips is to know your peak times. When you distribute your time blocks, you can easily account for those. Always feel more sharp in the mornings and creative in the afternoon? Distribute your time slots accordingly!

This will not only make a difference to your productivity but also to your work and life quality! No more working against your tendencies!

Sharable

If you’re using a calendar app for blocking your time, you can also make it visible for others when you’re available or when you’re busy. (We’ll go over how to do this in a minute.) This will save you from countless meeting requests for times when you’re already blocked.

Long-term goals

Using dedicated time slots can help you work towards long-term goals. As long as you make sure to have a regular slot dedicated to making progress on your goals, everyday life cannot interfere with them anymore.

How you choose to implement these steps will be a matter of personal preference. I’ll just give you some examples of how you can do it, and then you can decide for yourself!

Time blocking calendar

The most common way to use time blocking is to do it in your calendar. This is the method that I personally use the most, and it works amazingly well for me!

How do I use calendar blocking?

So how do you get started with calendar blocking? Firstly, of course, you’ll need a calendar or calendar app.

The best free time blocking app, in my opinion, is Google calendar. Or any calendar app you’re using, for that matter. The advantage of using the calendar that holds all your other appointments, too, is, that you can clearly see which time slots are already filled.

And no, you cannot schedule a meeting in a time slot that’s blocked for deeply focused work. Thats the whole point!

Then you put in all your slots for the week ahead. Don’t worry if there are a few free slots left, they’ll usually fill up by themselves. If, instead, you notice that you have too many blocks and not enough week, prioritize! The Eisenhower matrix can help really well with that!

How to use google calendar for time blocking

Because it is much easier to show this rather than explaining it in writing, I’ve recorded a video with a step-by-step guide on how to use google calendar for time blocking. Have look below!

Time blocking bullet journal

Another option is to do the whole time blocking process in your bullet journal. (Don’t know what that is? I’ll teach you how to start a bullet journal and use it to maximize productivity here!)

Simply grab your journal and pens, and draft out a schedule. Just as with the Google calendar example above, color coding will really make a difference.

Considering how it takes some time to draw out your schedule every time, I would use at least weekly or maybe even monthly blocking in my bullet journal. But, if it works for you, by all means, do daily. It will look pretty, for sure!

Ideally, you make yourself a bullet journal time blocking template, so you can reuse it over and over again.

Related: Ideas for bullet journaling when you have nothing to do

Time blocking template (free printable)

Another way to do time blocking on paper is to use a printable time blocking template. You can print those whenever you are ready to make a new schedule.

Under the links below you’ll find some time blocking template printable PDFs, so you can try this method out!

Time blocking app

As I said above, to me, Google calendar is the most efficient time blocking app AND it’s free. Personally, I don’t really see the advantage of using another app on top of that, as it seems to create overhead. Not really what I want when trying to get more productive.

BUT, I can also easily acknowledge that people have different needs and operate differently. So if you are super interested in this, I can refer you to this article from the folks over at Zapier who looked at 5 time-blocking apps.