It’s time you were introduced to calendar blocking.

Calendar blocking is about as literal as it sounds. To do so, you create categories, or blocks of space, and place them into your calendar. You are essentially scheduling every moment of your day in order to make it unfold more efficiently. While this might sound overwhelming, it can be far more flexible than you think.

PICK YOUR BLOCKS

What you end up naming them in your calendar is up to you but the first set blocks you will need are for deep work and shallow work.

Deep work entails anything that requires you to focus on one thing for a long period of time, like ideations, proposals, developing concepts, etc.

Shallow work includes responding to emails, making phone calls, setting up meetings, admin tasks, etc. These are important, but not urgent like deep work.

An important block to set is your communication block. During these blocks you allow yourself only a fraction of time to take care of any communication tasks, like emails, texts, answering Slack messages, or even checking social media. Space these out throughout your day so things don’t build up.

Now create blocks with your day to day routine: Morning routine, gym or workout sessions, lunch, coffee breaks, any regularly occurring meetings, and your wind-down evening routine. You can even add a block for distractions throughout your day since no one can sit and work without wavering! We are constantly underestimating how much time tasks take so either give your blocks more time than you think you need or add a buffer block at the beginning and end, just in case you go over.

SET YOUR PRIORITIES

Now that you have your blocks selected, it’s time to organize them into your calendar. The best way to do so is to analyze your day and decide what your priorities and goals are. Take into account what time of day you work the best and when you are the most easily distracted. When do you get interrupted the most by others? You don’t have to have the same schedule every day but some repetition throughout the week is good for your routine. If your priority is to spend more time with your family, organize your blocks around that. If you have a hobby or side-project you want to dedicate time to, you can set your blocks accordingly. Having your day blocked off can seem rigid, but how you set your blocks can give your day the flexibility you need.

TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR DAY

If you have been feeling as though how your day unfolds is out of your hands, calendar blocking might be the schedule for you. Make a place for everything that happens during the day and more; soon you’ll be taking your task-hopping ways and reigning them into an organized, effective schedule!