#TimeBlocking
ADVANCED TIME-BLOCKING TIPS
Tip #1: Embrace schedule fixes.
If circumstances upend your schedule, this isn’t a failure, it’s an expected part of applying this strategy. When you next get a chance, simply fix the schedule for the time that remains in the day so that you remain intentional about where you direct your focus.
Tip #2: At first, schedule more time than you think you need.
Novice time blockers chronically underestimate how long common work activities actually take. If you’re new to time blocking, you can save yourself unnecessary schedule fixes by inflating the time-block sizes you think are reasonable by 20 to 30 percent. After you’ve been time blocking for several months, you’ll begin to develop a more realistic understanding of these durations and can begin building more-accurate blocks without needing this extra padding.
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Energy Matters!
Finally, keep in mind factors such as time of day-perhaps earlier in the day is better for hard thinking and later in the day is better for small tasks-and how you’re feeling.
If you’re exhausted, you might want a schedule designed to help you catch up on administrative obligations, whereas if you’re feeling energized, you might want to put aside large blocks of uninterrupted time for intense projects.
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#TimeBlocking
When building your time-block schedule, you should first reference whatever calendar or planner or organisation system you use to make sure that you’re adding time blocks for any meetings or appointments you already have scheduled.
The real decision then becomes what to do with the free time that remains.
To help make these choices, next consult whatever external system you use to track and organize all of the tasks, projects, long-term goals, or other obligations for which you’re currently responsible. You want your schedule to help you make progress on the right activities.
(In my case it’s my calendar and #OrgMode)
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Original: https://toots.dgplug.org/@jason/111023322869458825
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#TimeBlocking
all of the above were Cal Newport ideas that I jotted down from his video on Time Blocking here: https://youtu.be/eff9h1WYxSo
More ideas below from the instructions in the physical planner itself
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Original: https://toots.dgplug.org/@jason/111023309119062265
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#TimeBlocking
Left Side Contd:
- The metrics box also has a shutdown complete box. **Before you do that though,**
- At the end of the day, go through what you’ve done.
- Process your time block plan, see what needs moving
- Check your tasks and ideas, move them to you digital systems (#OrgMode) if need be
- Then go mash that box, knowing that your mind is empty and you can go relax and do home / family / leisure stuff
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Original: https://toots.dgplug.org/@jason/111023240832643529
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#TimeBlocking
Left Side Contd:
- the metrics box is for a Jerry Seinfeld-esque chain (or daily numbers or whatever) important metrics of your life. Did you do your exercise? Did you hit your diet plan? Did you do your Urdu lesson? Did you walk? Did you meditate or pray? Track them all!
- Use shortforms and stick figures or whatever you like to track what you do
- it gives you record of what you do. and it keeps you motivated and accountable.
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Original: https://toots.dgplug.org/@jason/111023212266899255
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#TimeBlocking
Left Side Contd:
- if you remember a jbo that needs doing, just capture it in tasks
- if there’s an idea that strikes you, a thought that inspires you, capture those in ideas
- eliminates distraction and lets you focus on you planned work on the right page. no fancy tech required to do this too!
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Original: https://toots.dgplug.org/@jason/111023202895397131
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#TimeBlocking
Now going to the left side of the two page spread
- Page divided into 3 boxes.
- A smallish box running across the top of the page. for metrics
- Rest of the page divided equally into two tall boxes for tasks and ideas
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Original: https://toots.dgplug.org/@jason/111023196312920684
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#TimeBlocking
(Back to the right spread)
- Life happens. You run over. Something gets cut short. The plan goes to pot. What now?
- You redraw the item that went long. on the right. and replan your day below it. you might have to remove some things or shorten the time for others. but at least you are intentional. and you realise, c’est la vie.
- Repeat everytime the schedule gets mangled and out of whack
- **The idea of timeblocking is not to hit your schedule no matter what. The big idea is to redraw you schedule and intentionally use your time**
- **You don’t get a price for accuracy. You get a prize for intention**
- You always want there to be a plan for the time that remains
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Original: https://toots.dgplug.org/@jason/111023151419830057
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Aside, contd:
- you can see how much time you have available. if someone wants to jump on a call, you can see what needs to be done. do you need to shuffle things around in your day? can you fit them in some block? you want to tell them some other day/time?
- folks who time block get twice as much compared to those who don’t.
4/
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Original: https://toots.dgplug.org/@jason/111023117055002587
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