When it comes to time, we have all wished we had more hours in the day. This post is to help you fit that 25 hours worth of projects, goals, tasks, self-growth, and life in general into the 24 hours without loosing your sanity. This is how I time block my planner effectively so I can get done all the things, that really matter!

Be sure to get your own downloadable one week time-blocking planner freebie by clicking the button below!  (There are two hour ranges included in the download. It will print in landscape format, and can be printed fron and back. Simple slice the page down the center to divide the pages) 

It’s my personally created week of time blocking in simplicity so you can clearly see and customize your week to your needs! This post explains how to use it…classic plug and play style because organizing your life shouldn’t be complicated!

First and foremost, you have to know what is actually pressing on your agenda and calm the chaos in your brain by doing what I call an Info Dump or Brain Dump. So prep work prior to making your plan is a must!

I personally have used a white board, Excel doc, and/or good old pen and paper. Whatever your preference, just be sure to do this part because it is vital in setting up a highly efficient and productive system of time-management.

Some simple prep steps I have found that help my clients as well as myself are:

1.  Note down everything that is priority to be done this week on one Excel Sheet or by pencil & paper is fine too. (We will call this Spread A)

2.  Note down everything that must be completed this month on a second Excel Sheet tab or separate sheet of paper and place behind the first sheet. (We will call this Spread B and will look at this a little later)

On Spread A, to the side of each task write down the approximate time it will take to complete.

Now, we all know that life happens and depending on the task we can’t pin point the exact time it may take. So, we always want to dedicate more time to accomplish something than might actually be needed (overestimate) and less time available to complete it (underestimate).

A good rule of thumb is by 20%.

For example: A theoretical 1 hour (60 minute) task needs to be planned for possibly taking 72-75 minutes.

3. Now it’s time to arrange the list by priority.

~ If you’re using a spreadsheet just simply cut and insert the lines in the order of priority. I personally use color coding in this step as well. ~On a piece of paper just number your lines, we’ll be plugging them into your planner shortly so there’s no need to re-write unless it helps your focus.

4. Here is where it gets fun! Now that your brain has a little more breathing room after dumping out everything it’s been trying to keep in your short term memory, long term memory, and internal alarm clock for those deadlines, we’re going to feel like we create more time and reduce your stress by utilizing a simple system of balancing!

Remember when I told you to over estimate time needed for a task and underestimate time you have for a task? Think of it like your bank account. A financially savvy person will know to the penny what is in their account but doesn’t necessarily withdraw every penny ‘just in case’ they forgot something or miscalculated by a small margin of error.

If you’ve downloaded your time-blocking week planner printable, go ahead and print it out! If you haven’t, do it now and let’s get started organizing to have more time!

This printout is what my clients and I personally use to create a simple goal oriented planner, find more time, and prioritize and clean out unnecessary tasks that were just a distraction.

Additional Supplies that may be needed or personal preference:

• Sticky notes (various colors)- 1″ x 0.5″
• Sticky notes (various colors)- 1″ x 1″
• Sticky notes (various colors)- 3″ x 3″ (lined or unlined-personal preference here)
• Color pens (if you like to color coordinate)

1. On your printed out, undated, Time-Block Week, add the dates of the week we are organizing.

Add in by color shading or by a color line for non-negotiable dedicated times in your schedule. Choose a color for that specific item.

(ex: hours at work that are not movable I would draw a line from 8 a.m. down to 12 p.m., then restart the line from 1 p.m. down to 3 p.m. in the business logo color) I personally don’t draw straight through a lunch hour unless it is a working lunch that I have to utilize for that specific responsibility. Otherwise a different task (or rest) and color can be utilized there.

2. Now add items, by priority, from Spread A to the Time- block week planner.

A couple of thoughts here:

• I write things that are non-negotiable in my priorites (like paying a bill or picking up medication) in my planner in ink – specifically a color set as a mental que that it must get done regardless of what comes up or how I feel, figure out a solution to the problem and get it done, like red ink.
• Anything that can be moved around, such as wanting to watch a specific movie, or run an errand to the post office, I suggest personally to write these on one of the smallest sticky notes and place in the hour that I would prefer to accomplish these tasks BUT if something comes up I can easily peel them off and move them around.
• On the larger 3″ x 3″ sticky I write down (max 3-5) things to remind me of what may be coming up the next week or that weekend so that I remember to think about it, discuss with my husband/clients, or prepare for, and place the sticky straddling somewhere around Friday/Saturday/Sunday. It can be lifted to see what’s under it and can be moved to the next week also. (but it keeps upcoming tasks fresh in my face without using brain power to try to remember them all)

(ex: We had a couple projects overlapping at once that I didn’t want to get distracted from and go months without completing, so I wrote down ‘kitchen flooring’ and ‘flower beds’ as a reminder we needed to find a weekend to complete these but they didn’t have to be done that week if other things took priority.)

3. Now that you have prioritized your week it’s time to take a glance at things that didn’t make the cut.

Did you find anything that really wasn’t as important as you thought?

Something that you could remove from your plate to allow more time for other things you REALLY want to focus on?

Or maybe something that can be delegated or ask someone to kindly assist you with?

A great way to think of time-management in a balanced way is to remember this >>  (Picture a scale)

When you add something, something else must be removed. Otherwise your scale is no longer balanced.

If not, you will find yourself trying to wear 10 hats at one time. This creates a compromise. A person that normally would dedicate 100% to completing something with a 100% quality will instead be giving 10% dedication…which doesn’t lead to accomplishing much or to the quality standard we hold ourselves to either.

Then the feelings of being overwhelmed, frustrated, and stuck set in.

4. Now we include the second Excel Sheet or piece of paper we labeled as Spread B into out Time-Block Week planner.

Now, you can take that list and evaluate it. Anything else need to be cut out or removed before we move it over?

You can either:

1. start plugging this information into your weekly time-block sheet for the next couple weeks (this is what I do as well as most of my clients); or

2. if they are able to be completed at an even later date, I personally use a 2 page monthly calendar I created, I place sticky notes of projects/tasks with upcoming due dates inot the squares of the calendar.

When I begin planning that week I simply move those sticky notes to my weekly time block or write it in with a pen if it’s non-negotiable.

As a woman dedicated to “crushing it chronically” and creating a beautiful life balance amidst the madness, I find I am able to accomplish much more with a clear plan of action and time blocks for majority of tasks.

Honestly, I have been known to “sticky note in” when to study for an exam, send emails to clients, and when I should wash my hair lol. In my defense, this waist length hair takes a really long time to dry when done in a healthy way and going to a class or meeting a client with dripping wet hair is NOT the best impression!

I also don’t advise for your calendar to become as busy as mine did and needing to schedule when to do small tedious tasks.

Then again, having these things on tiny stickies that can be moved around are great for when the brain fog sets in and I can’t remember why I blocked off an hour with nothing it in.

So, in addition to the brain fog, we also tend to have medications, therapies, symptoms to track, etc. we keep up with as part of our chronic illness journey. This Time-Block Week method helps me to communicate to my family my daily needs as well. I keep my planner in a central location when I’m home so hubby can see what my day looks like.

When he sees all my stickies moved off that day, red crossing out items and replacing them on the next day, he knows today may not be a great day and not to add to my plate. He also reminds me to rest and I don’t have to hear the daily question of “How are you feeling today?” My planner answers the question for him. Instead I hear, “Why don’t you take it easy today.”

I am sure to time-block in times for rest, household chores, and out of the normal daily routines so I can be dependable even on a mentally, physically, emotionally draining day. Just because I have a chronic illness, doesn’t mean I can’t be dependable, I just have to set my days up for it!

I hope this really helps you take control of your schedule and all those hats you wear both personally and professionally on a regular basis!