How To (Expertly) Increase Productivity Through Time-Blocking

Dec 29

As a society, we’re obsessed with productivity. Walk into any store, flip through any magazine, or scroll through any social media page and you’ll find pictures, articles, and bolded text all screaming the same message—Get (more) things done faster & better!

From workouts and diet hacks to attention and multitasking tips… we’re continually inundated (read: overwhelmed) with messaging that tells us the most important thing we can be is productive.

But somewhere along the path we’ve mistaken productivity with being busy.

And now we’re overly booked, utterly exhausted, and still trying to figure out the ‘get-rich-quick’ scheme in all aspects of our lives—from our mental and physical health to our personal and professional wellbeing—and the list goes on.

As a self-proclaimed multi-passionate person, I’m obsessed with the concept of productivity and what it looks like in our day-to-day. And as a person who is constantly pulled in many directions as a business owner, writer, teacher/coach, and stepmom, I think understanding how to work smarter rather than harder—while still checking those items off of your list—is key to truly getting from A to Z on your proverbial timeline.

And through trial and error, launching two successful businesses (one in the middle of the pandemic!), and wearing many hats over the years, I’ve learned that the best process for being productive—without losing yourself in the process—is time-blocking.

What Is Time-Blocking?

The idea of time-blocking is relatively new, but the goal is that you ‘chunk’ your time based upon your task list. Rather than the traditional step-by-step method that allows you to move from one idea to the next in chronological succession, the time-block method asks you to focus on one specific area at a time—mastering anything and everything related to that topic before moving on (or until your time is up).

Why does this method work?

Well, we tend to be scatterbrained… and even more so with the introduction of social media, constant notifications, one-click purchases, swipe-right-swipe-left dating apps, and endless scrolling. We’re overstimulated, and thus, when we’re given a set of tasks, we’re ready to quickly jump from one to another (and sometimes without even thinking).

There might be something we perceive as quick, and so we do that first… but as we’re doing that task, something else might pop up, causing us to abandon an item on the list in order to check the other one off, first… and so on.

Think of the classic story, If You Give A Moose A Muffin. If you haven’t read it, here’s a quick synopsis: The main character, a moose, is given a muffin by a young boy. But, before he can eat the muffin, he needs something else to go with it… and suddenly the two characters are distracted from the main task (eating the muffin) by getting jam and milk from the refrigerator, cleaning up a spill, washing the laundry, playing a game with the sheets from the laundry, etc. If you’re looking for further reading see: If You Give a Mouse a Cookie or If You Give a Pig a Pancake.

It’s a classic case of distractibility and how easy it is to get off track when it comes to the things we need to do (and a humorous touch on the ADD/ADHD brain if you’re really into analyzing story themes). But…what this book teaches us is how and why it’s so difficult to stay on task.

Which is an argument for time-blocking in the sense that the more we can focus our attention on one thing at a time, the better and more linear our paths will be.

How Does Time-Blocking Work?

In order to effectively time-block, you have to sort your task list in three ways:

1. By priority – Put what’s most important and/or ‘due’ first

2. By area of focus – Separate personal from work tasks to guide you in scheduling

3. By topic – Organize tasks that are similar in concept/theme to be chunked together

For example, if you have a deadline for a project coming up, then that would be high and/or first on the list. Something like paying a doctor bill would go under an overarching category of ‘Bill-paying’ or ‘Paperwork’ that would perhaps be less of a priority based on due date but compiled together with other administrative/personal tasks.

Then, you need to allocate time (which is perhaps the hardest part).

Take a look at your schedule and figure out where you have pockets of uninterrupted time. As you do this, think critically about how long certain tasks will take you or what is personal vs. professional. A project, for example, will need more time than laundry… but if you only have a 45-minute block, you may want to do laundry first.

As you begin to set your schedule, it may also be a good idea to minimize distractions by:

Creating a Calendar ‘event’ so that others cannot book you during those times
Supporting your time-blocking by getting other daily tasks/chores out of the way first
Turning on ‘Do Not Disturb’ on your phone (or turn off the internet if you’re doing an off-screen task)
Playing mellow music to help you focus (without making you too amped or sleepy)
Talking to roommates, significant others, family members, etc. to get them on board with your blocking in order to help you focus and streamline your work time

What Are the Benefits?

Effective time-blocking means allocating time to different tasks without compromising anything in the process. For someone like me, who values all aspects of my business and personal life with high regard, I used to constantly struggle with not having enough time.

I always felt like I was ‘busy’ without really getting anything done.

Time-blocking helped me to sort through the endless task list and prioritize what I needed to do so that I could actually feel accomplished and still have time to rest, connect with family, practice self-care, etc.

The most important thing is to recognize our need for focus—without distractions—and how, when we hone in on a specific area (rather than skipping around) we can actually get more done than we ever thought possible.

So, are you ready to try it?

Here are the takeaways and actionable tips:

1. Start small – Set aside a few hours (or a day) that’s dedicated to practicing time-blocking to see if it helps your process

2. Commit to the sorting of tasks – Even if you don’t love the idea of time-blocking, take the time to organize your to-do list by priority, category (work, personal, family, etc.), and category (medical, bills, gifts, writing, editing, etc.). This can help you to better understand ways to combine different tasks to help you focus on one area at a time

3. Minimize your distractions – Try to turn off/silence your phone, create space between you and others, and really hone in on your work

4. Celebrate your wins – We’re often too strapped and running to the next thing before even taking the time to give ourselves praise. Don’t forget to celebrate your wins (big and small)!

PS: As a Clarity Coach, one of the areas I specialize in is exactly this—helping my clients hone in on their purpose, find their area(s) of focus, and master their goals. I pride myself on being a coach “for busy people” because I know, firsthand, how it feels to want to do/be everything. If you’re interested in how I can help you, or you want to chat with me about coaching. Here’s the link to book a free call!

Marisa Donnelly is the Founder & CEO of Be A Light Collective, a creative marketplace, online community, and writing/editing services company with a mission of reshaping what traditional education looks like through a relationship-based learning lens.

To learn more about authenticity, you can follow Marisa’s blog (where she writes about it often!) or subscribe to The VulnerABILITY Podcast, a series dedicated to authentic conversations about what matters and how we can actionably move towards better versions of ourselves.

Connect with the author Marisa Donnelly: Website | LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook