One of the most frequently asked questions I get is how I fit all I do into one week. And I figured a great way to answer that question would be with a podcast episode!
I have a lot of systems in my life and have a really specific system for my daily/weekly schedule.
I love schedules, so you may not have to be as scheduled as I am. But I still want you to listen and take the pieces that work for you, into your life.
TIME BLOCKING
I have found that time blocking works really well for me. And if you’re someone who’s struggling with time management, not sticking to one thing, not finishing your tasks – it will work really well for you too.
Time blocking is one of the most effective time management techniques. A lot of successful people use it, like Bill Gates and Elon Musk.
It’s all about dividing out your day or week into blocks of time, and each time block is dedicated to just one specific activity.
Doing this helps you to focus on your priorities, make better decisions about what to put in your day, be intentional rather than random, eliminate procrastination and set boundaries.
I love this quote: “While a standard to-do list tells you want to do, time blocking tells you when you’re going to do it.”
Time blocking will increase your productivity by leaps and bounds, and help you feel more accomplished at the end of the day. Because you’re dividing your schedule into single tasks rather than multitasking all the things on your schedule.
By planning out my week and my day, I have this crystal clear path of what the day or week is going to look like.
HOW I TIMEBLOCK MY DAYS/WEEKS
#1: FAMILY FIRST
When blocking my days and weeks, I always start with my family hours first. Think about what times your family needs you more or when you need to be more involved. For me, I’ve decided that the hour before and after school, dinner time, and bedtime is going to be completely devoted to my family. I do have the opportunity to get on my computer or do some Reels if my kids don’t need me as much, I’m just not scheduling anything at that time. It’s open for me to be available for my family.
#2: NEXT, WORK
Next, I figure out my work hours. I know I’m on my game in the morning, so working in the morning works best for me and I can be present with my kids later in the day without worrying about all the things I need to be doing. Between my nanny and preschool time, I know I’ll have a few undisturbed hours throughout the week that I can devote to my business. And nothing else is scheduled over my work hours.
#4: SELF CARE
Next, I time block my self-care hours. These are things I need to do every day to be on top of my game. For me, that’s journaling, meditating and moving my body. And I do it all in the morning just because I feel like it helps my day go right.
So because I schedule the important stuff first, it leaves so much space for the extra stuff. My day may seem very scheduled, but I actually think I have more free time than the average person because I always make sure I’m checking off those priorities first. I get a lot done in a little bit of time because of time blocking!
WHAT ARE YOUR PRIORITIES?
So what are your priorities? What will move the needle in your business? What are the most important things for you to do?
Put those on your calendar first in your highest functioning times when you’re most alert or most creative. Then go back and add in the extra stuff you want to get done.
BREAKS & BUFFERS
Then between your tasks, make sure you are scheduling breaks and buffers. It will help you reset and release the energy as you go from one task to another. And don’t forget to give yourself a buffer for each task, because as you first start time blocking, you’ll underestimate the time it takes you to do certain tasks. Adding an extra half hour buffer to tasks will help you to accommodate for that, and find success!
It’s amazing what you’ll be able to accomplish, because now you’re dedicated and focused on a single task – not multitasking.
Remember, either run the day or the day runs you. Make the things that are important to you a priority and leave space in your day for all the other things you need to do. This will simplify your to-do list and make life so much easier.
Listen to the full episode here:
View comments
+ Leave a comment