First break all the rules

December 03, 2023 • Read Time: 5 minutes

Most of my clients ask me:

“What are your thoughts on TIME BLOCKING"?”

With all the noise out there on how to get shit done, I’d like to share how I approach this concept that typically feels “elusive” to many of us.

How I “Time Block” to get sh*t done:

Step 1) Throw out all expectations:

I’ve spent years trying to master the art of “time blocking” and followed all the tips from productivity gurus.

I put everything on my calendar and then did NONE of it!

WTF??!!

I realized that I needed my OWN APPROACH.

I decide to throw out all the advice and accept that:

There is no “RIGHT WAY” or “BEST WAY” to do anything.

There is only what is most EFFECTIVE for ME.

Key Takeaway: I could start creating my own approach that works best for me once I embraced my uniqueness and accepted how I operate.

Step 2) Start with what matters MOST:

Here is the process that has worked best for me:

  1. plan my week on Sundays

  2. identify the most important tasks or projects that have the biggest impact on progress.

  3. Make a list of those items and prepare to drop them into time slots

Key Takeaway: Practicing the habit of narrowing down to what matters most clears the clutter and allows me to focus on execution

Step 3) Create “time pockets” for the

most important things:

I like to call these pockets vs time blocking.

I got sick of putting tasks on my calendar and then just working right around them like they were annoying and “in my way”

My calendar with the old “time blocking” approach:

Me with this approach:

Sport Step Over GIF by Football Australia

Gif by FootballAustralia on Giphy

I just got REALLY good at moving around these “barriers” in my way.

Everything changed when I switched to “TIME POCKETS” and “BATCHING” for the MOST IMPORTANT THINGS:

Now my calendar looks more like this:

Instead of putting down every single task and cluttering my calendar,

I anticipate when in the day and which day in the week is best for me to approach certain types of activities.

Then I block out enough time to batch those things together, giving me enough space and flexibility to move within that timeframe.

Consider this for yourself:

  1. When in the week you have the most creative energy?

  2. What time of the day are you best for certain tasks?

  3. Which days of the week are you more or less likely to approach or follow through on something?

Key Takeaway: By getting familiar with our working styles we can much better insert specific tasks into the best “time pocket” to increase the chances of completing it.

Step 4) Environmental Rituals

The combination of my ADHD and my OCD can make it VERY challenging to approach certain tasks even when I truly WANT to do them.

This can be the most frustrating thing in the world.

One thing that has helped me tremendously is understanding what environmental conditions are best for certain tasks.

For example:

  1. To do creative work like writing these newsletters, I like to be completely alone in my office with no distractions and calming meditation music on.’

  2. To do outreach for potential partnerships or contacting clients I like to be in an environment with lots of people so I go to my co-working office for those things.

  3. To do administrative-type tasks I tend to get bored so I like to do them in the evenings on the couch catching up on the news on TV.

Key Takeaway: Figure out what works best for you. The environment can be a big factor for many of us.

The combination of timing and environment creates the optimal conditions for me to follow through.

Step 5) Commit to progress VS completion

When I have properly done all the steps above, the conditions are set for optimal performance.

The last thing I focus on is making PROGRESS vs focusing on the completion.

For me, this helps lower any anxiety that may get triggered when allowing my brain to drift off to perfectionism, fear of failure, rejection sensitivity, etc.

Key Takeaway: By focusing on “chipping away” I find that 8 out of 10 times I complete what I set out to with much less effort than I expected.

TL;DR

  1. Throw out all expectations

  2. Start with what matters MOST

  3. Create “time pockets” for the most important thing

  4. Environmental Rituals

  5. Commit to progress VS completion

Do you struggle with:

  • Planning your week

  • following through on critical tasks

  • creating the structure for your week

  • feeling overwhelmed with never-ending to-do lists

  • a steady feeling of chaos or unease in your week

Schedule a complimentary PLANNING & PRIORITIZATION session with me to discuss strategies that could help you immediately.

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