1 00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:06,720 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:09,600 --> 00:00:14,120 Speaker 1: Good Morning, This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 3 00:00:14,760 --> 00:00:18,040 Speaker 1: Today's tip is about how to use time blocking to 4 00:00:18,120 --> 00:00:21,959 Speaker 1: achieve great things with your schedule. While there are lots 5 00:00:21,960 --> 00:00:24,959 Speaker 1: of opinions on the rules or definition of time blocking, 6 00:00:25,440 --> 00:00:28,720 Speaker 1: fundamentally it means setting certain times on your schedule for 7 00:00:28,800 --> 00:00:32,080 Speaker 1: certain activities. If you don't have to make these decisions 8 00:00:32,080 --> 00:00:34,680 Speaker 1: in the moment, you can ensure that you're spending enough 9 00:00:34,720 --> 00:00:38,000 Speaker 1: time on anything you think is important to you. You 10 00:00:38,040 --> 00:00:40,160 Speaker 1: no longer did there about whether you should be making 11 00:00:40,159 --> 00:00:44,080 Speaker 1: phone calls are writing blog posts. You no longer transition 12 00:00:44,200 --> 00:00:48,680 Speaker 1: inefficiently between these two activities. Instead, you know what sort 13 00:00:48,680 --> 00:00:52,559 Speaker 1: of work goes where. While this sounds regimented, it can 14 00:00:52,600 --> 00:00:56,160 Speaker 1: actually be a great system for people with more spontaneous personalities. 15 00:00:56,800 --> 00:00:59,520 Speaker 1: A business owner who decides to do marketing from two 16 00:00:59,560 --> 00:01:02,960 Speaker 1: to three d p m. Every afternoon can decide each 17 00:01:03,040 --> 00:01:06,480 Speaker 1: afternoon what kind of marketing she most feels like doing. 18 00:01:07,280 --> 00:01:09,800 Speaker 1: But by giving this time a label, she knows that 19 00:01:09,880 --> 00:01:12,759 Speaker 1: she will devote time to marketing and it won't get 20 00:01:12,760 --> 00:01:16,399 Speaker 1: ignored in the bustle of daily life. In any case, 21 00:01:16,480 --> 00:01:20,160 Speaker 1: people who time block well can handle quite complicated lives. 22 00:01:20,920 --> 00:01:24,360 Speaker 1: On my blog recently, I profiled a woman named Catherine 23 00:01:24,400 --> 00:01:26,680 Speaker 1: who had managed the feet of working thirty to thirty 24 00:01:26,680 --> 00:01:30,679 Speaker 1: five hours a week while homeschooling five children and exercising 25 00:01:30,720 --> 00:01:34,800 Speaker 1: every morning except Sunday. This was possible through the miracle 26 00:01:34,920 --> 00:01:38,200 Speaker 1: of time blocking. She homeschooled from roughly eight am to 27 00:01:38,319 --> 00:01:41,560 Speaker 1: noon each day, then she worked from twelve to six 28 00:01:41,800 --> 00:01:44,280 Speaker 1: while the kids were with a sitter or her husband. 29 00:01:45,000 --> 00:01:48,560 Speaker 1: She generally exercised from six thirty to seven thirty AM. 30 00:01:48,600 --> 00:01:51,800 Speaker 1: She blocked out time on Saturday for creative writing. Some 31 00:01:51,960 --> 00:01:55,520 Speaker 1: email happened elsewhere, but by sticking to this schedule she 32 00:01:55,600 --> 00:01:57,919 Speaker 1: was able to fit all kinds of things in her life. 33 00:01:58,680 --> 00:02:01,400 Speaker 1: So as you think about your skip, think about what 34 00:02:01,520 --> 00:02:05,640 Speaker 1: tasks deserve a regular time, what blocks would work best. 35 00:02:06,520 --> 00:02:09,280 Speaker 1: Maybe you always work on business strategy from eight to 36 00:02:09,360 --> 00:02:13,040 Speaker 1: nine am. You meet with and coach employees. From nine 37 00:02:13,040 --> 00:02:16,600 Speaker 1: to eleven, you travel around to meet with clients and vendors. 38 00:02:16,600 --> 00:02:19,639 Speaker 1: From eleven to three. You work on marketing from three 39 00:02:19,639 --> 00:02:22,680 Speaker 1: to four, and wrap up everything by five. You can 40 00:02:22,680 --> 00:02:25,120 Speaker 1: do this with your personal life too, as Katherine did 41 00:02:25,160 --> 00:02:28,400 Speaker 1: with exercise. Maybe you block out six to seven am 42 00:02:28,440 --> 00:02:33,120 Speaker 1: for exercise and eight thirty to ten pm for reading. Now, 43 00:02:33,160 --> 00:02:36,000 Speaker 1: of course, not everyone's life allows for this sort of blocking, 44 00:02:36,520 --> 00:02:38,840 Speaker 1: though I note that the blocks don't have to be daily. 45 00:02:39,600 --> 00:02:43,640 Speaker 1: You could decide that Monday, Wednesday, and Friday are exercise mornings, 46 00:02:44,320 --> 00:02:47,120 Speaker 1: Monday at work is the time for long term projects, 47 00:02:47,639 --> 00:02:50,440 Speaker 1: and Thursdays are the mornings when you meet with potential 48 00:02:50,480 --> 00:02:55,080 Speaker 1: new clients. I'd also note that schedules exist to serve us, 49 00:02:55,760 --> 00:02:58,799 Speaker 1: not the other way around. If you get the opportunity 50 00:02:58,880 --> 00:03:00,920 Speaker 1: to have lunch with a potent util client or an 51 00:03:00,919 --> 00:03:04,359 Speaker 1: old friend, that's probably a good use of time, even 52 00:03:04,400 --> 00:03:08,760 Speaker 1: if your official blocks indicate otherwise. But in any case, 53 00:03:08,840 --> 00:03:11,320 Speaker 1: there's much to be said for taking the decision making 54 00:03:11,639 --> 00:03:16,359 Speaker 1: out of scheduling time and energy not spent deciding it's 55 00:03:16,440 --> 00:03:18,440 Speaker 1: time you can devote to the stuff of your job 56 00:03:19,040 --> 00:03:22,560 Speaker 1: and the stuff of your life. Do you use time blocking? 57 00:03:23,240 --> 00:03:25,040 Speaker 1: You can let me know what your blocks look like 58 00:03:25,480 --> 00:03:29,799 Speaker 1: a before Breakfast podcast at i heeart media dot com. 59 00:03:29,800 --> 00:03:33,720 Speaker 1: In the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for listening, and 60 00:03:33,760 --> 00:03:42,800 Speaker 1: here's to making the most of our time. Hey, everybody, 61 00:03:43,000 --> 00:03:45,120 Speaker 1: I'd love to hear from you. You can send me 62 00:03:45,160 --> 00:03:48,800 Speaker 1: your tips, your questions, or anything else. Just connect with 63 00:03:48,840 --> 00:03:53,200 Speaker 1: me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at Before Breakfast Pod. 64 00:03:53,920 --> 00:03:58,240 Speaker 1: That's b E the number four, then Breakfast p o D. 65 00:03:59,080 --> 00:04:01,960 Speaker 1: You can also shoot me an email at Before Breakfast 66 00:04:02,040 --> 00:04:05,920 Speaker 1: podcast at iHeartMedia dot com that Before Breakfast is spelled 67 00:04:05,920 --> 00:04:08,600 Speaker 1: out with all the letters. Thanks so much, I look 68 00:04:08,600 --> 00:04:16,960 Speaker 1: forward to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is a production 69 00:04:17,000 --> 00:04:20,440 Speaker 1: of I heart Radio. For more podcasts from I heart Radio, 70 00:04:20,920 --> 00:04:24,440 Speaker 1: visit the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever 71 00:04:24,480 --> 00:04:25,840 Speaker 1: you listen to your favorite shows.