1482: How To Get More Done With Time Blocking by Mia of She Dreams All Day on Productivity & Work Efficiency

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[00:00:26] This is optimal work daily.

[00:00:28] How To Get More Done With Time Blocking by Mia of SheDreamsAllDay.com

[00:00:35] What is Time Blocking?

[00:00:37] If you're into productivity like me, you've probably heard the terms calendar blocking, time blocking, or even time batching being thrown around.

[00:00:46] To make things simple for you, all these terms pretty much mean the same thing.

[00:00:50] What it all comes down to is you batch and arrange your tasks in a structured way throughout your week.

[00:00:56] You do certain themed tasks for a certain period of time. For example, a block of one hour.

[00:01:02] You basically block out time to complete specific tasks.

[00:01:06] Why You Should Start Time Blocking

[00:01:08] With time blocking comes focus, fewer distractions, and you'll completely avoid multitasking.

[00:01:14] Multitasking is the enemy of productivity.

[00:01:16] You lose a lot of productive energy when you switch from one task to another.

[00:01:21] With time blocking, you completely avoid this scenario.

[00:01:24] You'll stop reacting to everything around you and instead become proactive when it comes to managing your time.

[00:01:30] Time blocking adds constraints into your life by eliminating everything else so you can be more intentional and clear about the results you want to produce.

[00:01:39] It also makes it so much easier to plan your week more efficiently.

[00:01:43] You know what to do and exactly when to do it.

[00:01:46] When I first introduced time blocking into my crazy, side hustling, and busy life, everything changed.

[00:01:52] Suddenly, I was producing way more than before and in less time.

[00:01:56] Yep, time blocking will do that to you.

[00:01:58] You've been warned.

[00:02:00] Before We Start

[00:02:01] Before you get your groove on with time blocking, we have to cover some basic ground first.

[00:02:06] Turn Your To-Do Lists into Results Lists

[00:02:11] First, we need to turn your to-do list into a results list.

[00:02:15] If you're a student at the Dreamer To-Doer Academy, you know what I'm talking about.

[00:02:20] Focus on the results you want to produce this week instead of the actual activity.

[00:02:24] Don't just put down work on blog, but instead be very specific about what you want to produce and the results you expect to get from this activity.

[00:02:33] Activity Example

[00:02:34] Work on Blog

[00:02:36] Result Example

[00:02:37] Write a blog post about anxiety. If you can be even more specific and pin down the title of your new blog post, that would be even better.

[00:02:45] And we're going for the result example, always. Transform all of your to-do activities and tasks into results.

[00:02:54] Batch Related Results

[00:02:56] Next up, batch similar and related results under the same themed umbrella.

[00:03:01] Think about your life as it is now and the results you want to produce.

[00:03:05] Then, categorize these results under a specific theme. For example, all content-related tasks like writing a new blog post, Instagram captions, email drafts, and so on would go under the Content Creation tab.

[00:03:18] Other examples of categories could be house maintenance, school, family time and kids, errands, meals, and quality time.

[00:03:27] Yep, I even recommend scheduling your downtime on your calendar so you can properly enjoy this time and not feel like there's something else you should be doing.

[00:03:36] Use Google Calendar

[00:03:38] You can use any calendar you prefer, but if I were to recommend a calendar for time blocking, it would definitely be Google Calendar.

[00:03:45] You can even color code the different time blocks and make it look really pretty.

[00:03:49] How to Time Block

[00:03:51] Now we're getting into the good stuff, guys. I will go through the step-by-step process that I use for blocking my time for better time management and productivity as a side hustler.

[00:04:01] This is how you become a true queen at productivity, so pay attention.

[00:04:06] Start Off Fresh

[00:04:08] First, I start out with a fresh and clean week. I'm ready to roll and have a fresh perspective on my available time.

[00:04:15] Batch My Results List

[00:04:17] At this point, I've already done the prep work and categorized my results lists into themes like I mentioned a moment ago, and I know exactly how much time I will allow for the different themes.

[00:04:28] Morning Routine

[00:04:29] The very first thing I add to my calendar is my morning routine. I start each day of the week by adding a time slot for when I want to wake up, which is usually around 5.30am.

[00:04:39] As I work full-time in addition to my online business, I try to keep my morning routine of journaling, stretching, and sometimes meditating to the minimum.

[00:04:48] Add The Must Do's

[00:04:51] I then add the must-dos, like my 9-to-5, and I set it to repeat every weekday from Monday to Friday. You can easily set any task or appointment to repeat in Google Calendar by hitting the More Options button.

[00:05:04] Add the Morning Time Blocks

[00:05:06] I do different blog-related tasks on different days. Mondays and Thursdays are my content creation days, where I focus on writing blog posts, emails, captions, and all that jazz.

[00:05:17] Tuesdays are my CEO days, where I do CEO-related tasks, for example, setting goals and strategies for my business. Wednesdays, I go all in on email marketing.

[00:05:28] Fridays are reserved for general blogging tasks, so this could be anything from catching up on a content piece, creating new pins, or anything else that needs my attention. In other words, my buffer time to catch up.

[00:05:40] Evening Routine

[00:05:41] I make sure to schedule downtime in the evenings, and I alternate between batching my admin tasks and taking passive action. Admin tasks – things like answering emails, general website maintenance, and updates.

[00:05:55] Passive action would be things like taking online courses, listening to podcasts, audiobooks, watching inspiring YouTube videos, or hanging out on Pinterest.

[00:06:05] Blogging with a full-time job – calendar full week example

[00:06:10] This is an example of my whole week as a side hustler, including the weekends. Keep in mind that I don't have kids, yet, and I do prioritize my online business over a lot of things, like weekend brunches.

[00:06:21] My weeks don't always look like this. Some days I'll have events, birthdays, and other exciting stuff going on.

[00:06:28] Doing what's on your calendar

[00:06:30] Time-Blocking

[00:06:30] Now, time blocking is all good and great, but it requires something from you in return. You have to actually do what's on your calendar in the timeframe you have allotted. Show up for yourself and honor your own commitment. This is how you will have amazing results.

[00:06:49] You just listened to the post titled, How to Get More Done with Time Blocking by Mia of shedreamsallday.com

[00:06:57] This show is sponsored by BetterHelp. We're all marveled at how quickly kids learn and that sense of wonderment they have while doing it. But as adults, sometimes we lose that curiosity.

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[00:07:45] Rediscover your curiosity with BetterHelp. Visit betterhelp.com slash workdaily today to get 10% off your first month. That's betterhelp.com slash workdaily.

[00:07:59] And thank you to Mia for giving us permission to narrate her work on our show. You can come visit her site, which I have linked in this episode's description, and at oldpodcast.com.

[00:08:09] Mia is an online business owner and writes at She Dreams All Day about personal development and productivity to help you achieve your biggest goals and your wildest dreams, which is, of course, a perfect fit for this show.

[00:08:21] She credits blogging for big changes in her life, like finding her voice, her confidence, her passion, and her people.

[00:08:28] And again, she's frequently narrated over on our other podcast, Optimal Living Daily, so if you like her style,

[00:08:34] definitely check out some more of her posts on that show, and come by shedreamsallday.com to show us some support.

[00:08:41] So thanks again, Mia.

[00:08:43] And that should do it for today. Thank you so much for being here and listening all the way through,

[00:08:46] and I'll be back with you again tomorrow, where your optimal life awaits.