#Block clock mini how to#

Even if you fail to predict how much time you’ll need to finish something, the next time you need to do a similar task, you can always go back to your calendar, count the time blocks from before and make a completely accurate estimate.

When we block specific chunks of time for each task we have at hand, planning becomes more realistic. If I decide to set aside 6 hours to do the research, 2 hours to write my first draft, and 6 more hours to do the actual writing, I’m already better off than writing without a plan. This is where the time blocking habit comes into play. So, instead of giving myself 2 days to finish a 1000-word blog post (because that’s how long it usually takes), I claim I’ll finish it in one day.ĭue to my misjudgment, I fail to meet my deadline and end up having to reschedule a bunch of other tasks to finish my article. This phenomenon that bothers us all is called the planning fallacy and it makes us underestimate the time we need to complete our activities. The reason is pretty obvious - we all need time blocking to take control of our time and strike a better work-life balance.īut how can assigning random colors to our tasks help us finish everything and still leave enough time to relax?Īccording to social psychology, every single one of us is having trouble making realistic plans. His decision to block his time helped him successfully run two colossal companies, while exercising twice a week and spending about 4 days of quality time per week with his children. There are no rules.Įlon Musk, for example, chose to work in 5-minute time blocks while he was the acting chairman of Tesla and SpaceX. You can spend 15 minutes responding to emails and then do your focused work for 3 hours. When you pick a time slot, you also get to decide how long each task is going to take. After you complete the work in one time block, only then can you move on to the next one. Time blocking, or calendar blocking, is a simple time management technique.Įverything you need to do is define a specific time frame for a task, event, or activity and reserve that time slot in your calendar. …In the end, is time blocking the time management technique for you?.Remember the Milk - to-do list and task management app.Any.do - versatile task manager and calendar assistant.Additional tips to make time blocking work for you.Schedule an ‘in case something goes wrong’ day.

#Block clock mini how to#

How to avoid common time blocking mistakes.Time blocking will help you find time for everything.Time blocking will help you keep a record of how you spend time.Time blocking will make you realistic about your time and work.

Time blocking will reduce procrastination and distractions.Time blocking will force you to focus on priorities.Are there any other time blocking benefits?.