“Time Block” Tips To Organize Your Day

Why a “Time Block”?

How can you use a “time block” method to manage and schedule your time best right now? It feels like minutes slip into hours and the day is gone! Add work, homeschooling, cooking, cleaning up after everyone because we’re all home with Covid-19 restrictions, and you feel like you haven’t accomplished anything by the end of the day!

And then, just like Groundhog Day, it happens all over again the next day!! Enter insanity!!! (Trust me, I’m right ther with you!)

Time management is truly a life skill. It’s often a skill that needs to be learned. It doesn’t come naturally to everyone, and at times, even if you are great with time management, life throws you a major curve ball and it sends you reeling! But, there’s no time like the present to start learning some new skills for managing your days!

What is a “Time Block”?

Time blocking is splitting up the tasks you need to accomplish during the day into certain time frames, or chunks.

It’s a method for scheduling time for the important and mundane tasks that have to be accomplished during your day. You can block off time with the kids, exercise, meal prep, homeschooling, work, laundry or even date night!

Blocking your time into chunks helps keep you focused during each given period of time. 

Think back to your school days, whether that was high school or college. Remember when school was laid out by blocks? You went to class and (hopefully) focused on that one subject for a 1.5-2 hour block of time. When that class was finished, you packed up your books and moved on to the next one.

This is kind of the same principle. You focus on one block at a time and when that one is done, you stop what you’re doing and move on to the next.

How to use a “Time Block”

Look at your day and how it already flows. What are the things that have to happen? Think through when it’s natural to accomplish these tasks, or when they have to be done, like lunch or that important business phone/zoom call. 

Write down your “have to” items during each time block. Your time block can be 30 minutes, 1 hour or 3 hour chunks, whatever works best for you. Pick your time frames, give it a try and see if it fits, there’s always next week to try a new one if it doesn’t!

If you and your husband are both working from home with younger kids, you may need to try swapping kiddo care/schooling during different time blocks. This is also a great way to open up discussion regarding having everyone’s expectations met.

Time Block in action

Here’s an example of mine right now during Covid-19:

Block 1- 6:30-9:00: Get up, shower (optional, haha!), get dressed, make bed, MAKE COFFEE, eat breakfast, do devotional, pull out meat for dinner/crockpot meal, start 1 load of laundry.

Block 2- 9:00-12:00: Homeschooling block– finish previous school work or morning reading, listen to online classes w/child while doing computer work for my “actual job”.

Block 3- 12:30-2:00: Lunch, cleanup, kiddo has free time, MORE COFFEE, switch laundry, check home email, do at least 1 “home” task item.

Block 4- 2:00-4:00: Kiddo finishes school work, I’m available for review of school work in between working actual job.

Block 5- 4:00-8:00: Meal prep, cook, eat, clean up, kiddo has more free time, make any phone calls that have to be made by 5:00, family time, maybe another cup of coffee…

Block 6- 8:00-bed: (Bedtime definitely fluctuates right now!!) Fold laundry, work on “home” stuff, email, social media, write in Gratefulness journal, wash up, hit the hay!

Is it working?

Give yourself the freedom to shift blocks if you have to, due to an appointment or schedule upheaval. Don’t forget to allow for important things in each block, but give grace when a change is needed.

When the time block is up, shift to the next one. If something isn’t finished, try to pick it up in another block, or leave it until the next day, but move on.  

Breathe!!

This has worked pretty well for me right now. I can feel accomplished at the end of a block even if I’ve gotten just the ONE major task done.

This season won’t last forever. Hopefully this will give you some encouragement and something new to try and see if it works for you.

We all have to give ourselves a whole lot of grace right now! None of us have ever been in this place before.

Give grace, give love, give hugs, smile, stop going to the fridge (teeheehee) and stay healthy!

Calendar up girlfriend!! (Calendar pic is quick and dirty!)

Comment below if you have questions, or tips that you’ve tried that work well!