Time blocking and Productivity

Are you not satisfied with your work and still struggling with how to boost your daily productivity? Despite finishing tons of tasks during the day you still find yourself buried with paper works, reports, and deadlines you need to complete. Elon Musk especially shared his secret on how he remains productive amid his busy schedules; by time blocking.

Time blocking is an approach to time management that helps boost productivity through focused work done in specific blocks of time. It is a detailed method wherein you plan out every moment of your day in advance and dedicating specific time for certain tasks and responsibilities.

(Read What Is Time Blocking And Why Is It Effective?)

Time blocking prevents you from multitasking and distractions. It allows you to focus on a specific thing. Thus, making you more productive, quicker and a lot more effective with your work. Follow the steps below so you can start time blocking and increase productivity in doing so.

Choose your time blocking tool

The first thing you need to have to start time blocking is your tool. You can use different calendar apps with that feature or choose a weekly planner that is designed for time blocking.

time blocking planner with 15-minute increments
2021 Weekly & Monthly Appointment Book & HARDCOVER Weekly Planner by Strive Zen, 8.5″ x11″

The StriveZen weekly planner can help you plan your weeks in detail to be more productive. Each daily column starts at 7 AM and goes through 8 PM, with each hour is divided into four sections of 15 minutes each.

Identify your tasks

The first thing you need to do is identify the tasks you will have to do for the week. Most of them are repetitive activities, so it won’t be hard for you to know which is more important than the other. Important tasks should be prioritized, and schedule them when your brain’s working actively.

Estimate how many minutes/hours you will allot on each task

Now, it’s time to estimate how long will you finish working on a task, activity or even complete an errand. If you have been doing it every day of every week, it wouldn’t be hard for you to estimate how long it will take.

If you have to do a new task and don’t know how long it takes for you to get it done, no need to worry about it. Just make a rough estimate and follow the next step.

Spare some time for surprises

There will always be unforeseen circumstances, no matter how much we hate it. That is why leaving time for unplanned tasks, errands, meetings, etc., should be observed as well. That way, your scheduled tasks won’t be affected at all.


woman writing her goals on a planner
Types Of Planner: What Planner Suits Your Lifestyle?
monthly planner and pen
How To Do Monthly Planning Effectively
How To Stay Organized: Tips For Freelancers
importance of using an appointment book
Why Is Keeping An Appointment Book Important?
paper planner and its benefits
Paper Planner And Its Benefits According To Science
planner set-up
Planner For Beginners: Setting Up A Planner